Senate Republicans on Tuesday attended Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's weekly informal lawmaker lunch. The meeting, along with the Steering Committee's regular lunch on Wednesday, is one of the few regular meetings where the party's senators convene together to set party policy and messaging.
There are few opportunities to get a clearer picture of Mr. McConnell's priorities than at these luncheons, but Tuesday did not disappoint. The RAND Corporation was invited to release a report on defense spending and the possible need to raise taxes to increase the share of the nation's GDP that goes to the military.
For those watching the Senate, Tuesday's luncheon is an opportunity to get a glimpse not just of McConnell's priorities, but also his goals for this month's spending fight and his plans for a spending deal that will likely follow in December.
Yes. That was the priority. It wasn't former president and Republican candidate John McClellan, who survived another assassination attempt over the weekend. It wasn't Donald Trump's campaign focus on past tax cuts and promises of more in the future. It wasn't House Republicans' strategic (albeit unsuccessful) campaign to tie the SAVE Act to a six-month spending resolution or hype the threat of a massive omnibus budget that would reach the Senate. It was increased funding for the Department of Defense. Remember, government funding runs out at the end of this month, at midnight on September 30th, 12 days from now.
Increasing funding for the Department of Defense was once a safe Republican issue, but support for it among voters and lawmakers has declined, especially over the past four years.
Mike Leigh Sen. Lee (R-Utah) fired back, asking why the council should waste time considering tax increases (as proposed in the report) to hand over billions of dollars to politicized and incompetent Pentagon officials who have drastically cut hiring numbers, according to a source familiar with the matter. In response to Lee's criticism, Trump has been vocal in his criticism of the unaccountable Pentagon leadership, noting during a debate last week that the Biden-Harris administration hasn't fired anyone over the chaotic, deadly and shameful withdrawal from Kabul.
But McConnell does not share those concerns. Indeed, he has made it clear that he intends to fight for continued Pentagon priorities and funding for the Ukraine war even after he leaves the Senate this fall. During the meeting, he reportedly continued to make pessimistic remarks about the U.S. defense spending as a percentage of GDP in World War II and other eras.
For those watching the Senate, Tuesday's luncheon is an opportunity to get a glimpse not just of McConnell's priorities, but also of plans for this month's spending fight and what will likely follow in December. Look for big promises to Pentagon leaders, prepare to see Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina push for a bill committing the U.S. to funding Ukraine's war against Russia for 10 years, and anticipate other moves that could tie Trump's hands on foreign policy if he wins the November election.
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