Newly appointed House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has a record of opposing military assistance to Ukraine. Since taking charge of the House, he has not outright said he will block Ukraine aid — but he has made clear it will not be coupled to his planned aid package to Israel, claiming the latter is more urgent of a need.
But if Johnson continues to obstruct Ukraine aid, he is headed for a "collision course" with his counterpart in Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who is committed to continuing to defend Eastern Europe against Russian aggression, reported Politico on Monday.
According to Burgess Everett, McConnell's outspoken lobbying efforts to sway Republican senators to passing Ukraine relief "is a sharp deviation from his usual more reserved, consensus-building approach" and he is "going to significant lengths to win over reluctant GOP senators" — even as Johnson takes a staunchly different path that could complicate efforts to pass any sort of foreign aid altogether.
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“[McConnell] came through the Cold War era and is a profound believer that this is a moment in history that the United States needs to assert leadership. And that if we don’t, there are going to be some pretty grave consequences,” said Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD). “We have a number of our members who are not for Ukraine funding. I think there’s a big majority that understands what’s at stake here.” Thune supports McConnell, although believes the package he is pushing for should be smaller.
This comes after a new crop of Republicans were elected in both the House and Senate with more stridently isolationist views in the mold of former President Donald Trump, like Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) — who have made it clear they aren't for backing foreign entanglements and, if anything, appear sympathetic to Russia's position.
Johnson, for his part, appears to be moving quickly on an Israel-only aid package, hoping to undercut McConnell's demand the two be linked early on and breaking away just enough members of his own party to get that passed.
