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McConnell bucks McCarthy on spending bill, ignores threat: Senate Republicans got ‘essentially all our priorities’

December 21, 2022 | | Print Article

Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) ignored threats from fellow Republicans over support for the pork-laden, obscene Democratic omnibus spending bill that will fund the government through September of 2023, praising it on Tuesday.

(Video Credit: C-SPAN)

He claimed it will boost defense spending above the rate of inflation and increase nondefense spending at a lower rate than inflation, effectively resulting in a cut.

“Well, we’re moving toward completing the business for the year and I think in a highly productive way from the point of view of the vast majority of Senate Republicans, this omnibus bill, it will be on the floor, provides a real dollar increase for the defense baseline and a real dollar cut,” McConnell crowed to reporters.

“For the non-defense baseline if you exclude veterans. That is absolutely critical in breaking the pattern we’ve had in the past where we’ve ended up in one of these situations where every time Republicans tried to get an increase in defense, we would, in effect, have to pay a ransom to the Democrats on the domestic side, wholly aside from the needs of the country,” he claimed.

McConnell asserted that most Republicans feel that helping Ukraine defeat the Russians is the most important thing for our nation currently.

“So let’s step back and say what are the real needs of the country right now? During the defense, part of our expenditure is making sure the Defense Department can deal with the major threats coming from Russia and China, providing assistance for the Ukrainians to defeat the Russians. That’s the number one priority for the United States right now, according to most Republicans. That’s sort of how we see the challenges confronting the country at the moment,” he stated.

“So admittedly, I’m pretty proud of the fact that with a Democratic president, a Democratic House, and Democratic Senate, we were able to achieve through this omnibus spending bill essentially all of our priorities,” he delusionally claimed.

The spending package includes roughly $45 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine, according to ABC News. It is the largest American infusion of assistance given to Ukraine to date. It’s even greater than President Biden’s $37 billion emergency request.

A group of 13 current and incoming House Republicans certainly do not feel the way that McConnell contends they do. They sent a letter Monday urging GOP Senators not to vote for the massive $1.7 trillion bill and threatened retaliation for those who do support it.

“We are obliged to inform you that if any omnibus passes in the remaining days of this Congress, we will oppose and whip opposition to any legislative priority of those senators who vote for this bill — including the Republican leader,” the letter reads, making it crystal clear that there will be a reckoning for voting for the bill.

House GOP leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) posted the letter on Twitter and tweeted, “Agreed. Except no need to whip—when I’m Speaker, their bills will be dead on arrival in the House if this nearly $2T monstrosity is allowed to move forward over our objections and the will of the American people.”

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