McConnell wants Congress to endorse the supplemental aid request for Ukraine.
As the House returns from recess Tuesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is facing a new leadership showdown.
He’s caught in the middle between a government shutdown threat from House Republican hard-liners demanding spending cuts, opposed to Ukraine aid and threatening to oust him if their demands aren’t met — and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who supports more Ukraine aid and opposes any shutdown.
The government funding battle this month promises to be perhaps the toughest test for McCarthy since he claimed the gavel in January following a weeklong fight to become speaker.
This time, though, McCarthy won’t find full-fledged support from McConnell. The two are fundamentally at odds over Ukraine and disaster aid, a standoff that could lead to a government shutdown at month’s end.