Senate Republican Campaign Manager Steve Daines (R-Mun.) this week criticized Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Mountain) over the political wisdom of moving forward with a Ukraine-Israel funding package without border security reform. (R-Kentucky) several times this week behind closed doors. It’s a path McConnell endorsed Tuesday.
Senators who attended the meeting said Daines, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, would hurt Senate Republican candidates if he moved forward with a bill that would provide military aid to Ukraine and Israel without a provision to secure the southern border. He warned his colleagues that he would be given a
Senators say some of those candidates have emphasized the need for border security, and they are concerned that Daines will fall short of their expectations.
“The atmosphere was very tense,” one Republican said of Friday morning’s Senate Republican meeting. The meeting took place before lawmakers voted on a motion to facilitate funding to Ukraine without border reform.
“Steve Daines has spoken at multiple meetings and implicitly criticized Mr. McConnell today, saying, “I just want to say, it’s going to have an impact on the path we go down.” “Voting no and then flipping around and giving money to Ukraine looks bad. It undermines the value of our candidate,” said a lawmaker who attended Friday morning’s meeting.
Another Republican official familiar with Daines’ comments said that Daines is arguing that prioritizing Ukraine over the border will be an issue for Senate Republican candidates.
Daines was one of two elected Senate Republican leaders to vote against the motion to advance the funding package for Ukraine and Israel without border security reform. Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso of Wyoming also voted against it.
Mr. McConnell told his colleagues that $95.3 billion in emergency defense spending is critical to U.S. national security interests and that it would be a big mistake to abandon Ukraine, which is running low on arms and ammunition.
Speaking ahead of the vote on boosting funding for Ukraine, McConnell said there was a “grave responsibility” to invest in “hard power” at a time when President Biden has been reluctant to do so. He told his colleagues that he was facing a crisis.
He also called for “cooperation with allies who fear abandonment” and “addressing the requirements of long-term competition” with adversaries and rivals such as Russia, Iran and China.
McConnell on Tuesday announced a national security spending package without border security reforms, saying any border deal would not have enough votes to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate and Republican-controlled House. recommended that it proceed.
“There are other parts of this supplement that are very important, such as Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. I still think that the rest of the parts should be addressed because they are important, not that borders are not important. “We are working hard to get results,” he said.
Daines became the first member of the Senate Republican leadership to voice opposition to the bipartisan border agreement negotiated by Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) with Senate Democrats and the White House.
“I cannot support a bill that does not secure our borders, provides tax-funded lawyers to illegal immigrants, and provides billions of dollars to radical open border groups. I say no,” Daines said. posted on social media site X on Monday.
Daines is one of 31 Republican senators who support Donald Trump’s presidential bid, saying President Biden “will instead use his executive authority to reinstate Trump’s policies that he discontinued.” It should be done,” he said.
He told The Hill Friday that illegal immigration and border security are top issues in the 2024 campaign, and that Republicans are seeking emergency foreign aid as an average of 10,000 immigrants enter the country. He said it would be unwise to support the package.
“If you listen to the American people and voters, they say their number one priority is securing our southern border. So if we’re doing what the people back home want us to do, That must remain our top priority,” he said.
Asked about McConnell’s assertion that there is “no realistic chance” of passing border security legislation given the rift between the White House, Senate Democrats and House Republicans, Daines said, “We have no real chance of passing border security legislation.” I think it’s very important that we don’t give up.”
“This is not an immigration fight. This is a border security fight. This is a national security fight,” he said.
Daines said he looked at data showing known terrorists crossing the border.
“If you listen to the people back home, borders are the biggest problem in this country. So why give up on finding ways to protect them?” he said.
Several Republican candidates in battleground states denounced the border security deal, which was originally part of a funding package for Ukraine and Israel.
Sam Brown, who is running to unseat Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), told social media site The crisis will not be resolved.”
“This is not a compromise, this is a surrender,” Dave McCormick, who is challenging Sen. Bob Casey (D) in Pennsylvania, declared on X.
Daines’ mission as Senate Republican campaign chair is to win a net two seats in the Senate and return the Republican Party to the majority. His home state is a key battleground, with vulnerable Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) facing reelection.
This is not the first time McConnell has clashed with the NRSC chairman over strategy.
McConnell and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) faced off during the 2022 election cycle, when Scott was his campaign chairman.
He was not happy that Scott had floated an alternative agenda during the campaign, an “11-point plan to save America,” and worried that it would confuse Senate Republicans’ message.
McConnell dismissed Scott’s proposal to repeal the federal law after five years as “just a bad idea” and said Democrats would use it to accuse Republicans of wanting to abolish Medicare and Social Security. I recognized it.
Scott said he did not envision these popular shows ending, and later revised his plans to make that clear.
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