McConnell warns passing Ukraine spending bill will be ‘a challenge’

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) warned on Wednesday that passing a bill later this year to provide more money for the Defense Department and military aid to Ukraine will be “a challenge,” despite a pledge Senate leaders made last week to defense hawks. 

Asked at a press conference how he could assure the passage of an emergency Ukraine and defense supplemental spending bill over the objections of House conservatives, McConnell acknowledged it faces an uncertain path forward. 

“All I can tell you at this particular point is defense is radically underfunded related to the Chinese threat and Ukraine will probably need additional assistance so figuring out how to do this is going to be a challenge,” he said.  

McConnell made his comments after Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) poured cold water on the idea of moving an emergency spending bill to provide more money to the Pentagon and assistance to Ukraine anytime soon.  

McCarthy told Punchbowl News that any supplemental spending bill passed by the Senate to get around the spending caps on defense spending included in legislation Congress passed last week to raise the debt ceiling is “not going anywhere.”  

Senate defense hawks last week held up votes on the legislation to raise the debt limit until they secured a commitment from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) that he would remain open to passing a supplemental defense and Ukraine spending package later this year.  

In an effort to placate defense-minded Republicans, Schumer read a statement on the Senate floor declaring “this debt ceiling deal does nothing to limit the Senate’s ability to appropriate emergency supplemental funds to ensure our military capabilities are sufficient to deter China, Russia … and respond to ongoing and growing national security threats, including Russia’s evil war of aggression against Ukraine.”