(NewsNation) – Continue to advance funding for Ukraine Securing the border According to Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., this is the only way to work with the White House.

“The only way you will ever get this government to change is to tie it to something it cares deeply about,” Cassidy said in a “In balance” interview. He argued that using issues such as national security or support for allies, including Ukraine, could be a means to influence the administration’s stance on border control.

President Joe Biden has asked Congress for $61.4 billion in war funds for Ukraine as part of a $110 billion package that also includes money for Israel and other national security priorities. But the request is involved in a debate about US immigration policy and border security. The US has already allocated $111 billion to Ukraine for its fight against the Russian invasion in 2022.

Cassidy stressed the importance of self-defense while supporting allies and accused the administration of prioritizing an open borders policy over national security concerns.

“We want to help Ukraine, we want to help Israel; Boy, do I want to help Israel? We also have to help ourselves. And this government doesn’t want to help itself,” Cassidy said.

With Congress in its final week of work before heading off for the holidays, questions remain as to whether Republicans will be able to agree on future rounds of funding for Ukraine or Israel without concessions from the White House on additional border security given the increase in illegal border crossings. But any border package also risks angering some Democrats.

Republicans insist in return for changes to the U.S. southern border, such as raising asylum standards, restricting admissions on humanitarian grounds and expanding expedited deportations.

Biden has said that as a Republican he is willing to make “significant compromises at the border.” Block war aid in Congress.

Cassidy emphasized that a bipartisan agreement could be reached if Democrats were willing to prioritize border security among other policy goals.

Republicans are calling for more comprehensive measures Border crisis Solutions. They say the record numbers of migrants crossing the southern border pose a security risk because authorities cannot adequately screen all migrants and those entering the United States are straining the country’s resources. Republican lawmakers also say they cannot justify to their voters sending billions of dollars to other countries, even in wartime, without concern for the border at home.

Democrats expressed frustration at linking border changes to aid to Ukraine. They say some of the proposed changes would undermine protections for people who urgently need help and would not ease the chaos at the border.

Border guards use the term “border worker” to describe their evolving role in processing asylum applications.

Recent statistics suggest growing dissatisfaction with Biden’s handling of the southern border 71% of Americans express disapproval.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky began a brief visit to Washington on Monday, warning in a speech at a defense university that while Russia is fighting in Ukraine, its “real goal is freedom” in America and around the world. He also personally appealed to Congress to break the deadlock and authorize continued support to Ukraine.

Cassidy expressed the need to prioritize the strategic vision for the war in Ukraine. He expressed concerns about the slow delivery of necessary military support and stressed the importance of controlling airspace for victory.

NewsNation’s Tom Dempsey and the Associated Press contributed to this report.