Senate Republicans are skeptical of President Joe Biden's request for more than $47 billion in emergency funding to helpUkraine and other countries.
The early resistance on the size and scope of the spending request points to the fraught negotiations to come as Congress labors to pass a stopgap spending bill that would keep the federal government running.
McConnell downplayed the need for other funding even though his home state of Kentucky was devastated by floods.
A member of GOP leadership said it was a big ask.
Lawmakers want to avoid a government shutdown just weeks before the election when voters will decide which party controls congress. If the parties can't agree on what additional priorities should be included, the plan to pass a short-term bill could be in trouble.
The budget showdown is quickly becoming a showcase for party priorities at home and abroad that will define the lawmakers as they face voters in the fall.
The White House request includes $11.7 billion for security and economic assistance for Ukraine, on top of the $40 billion Congress has already approved to help the country fight Russia. The Biden administration wants $22 billion to respond to COVID-19 and additional funds for monkeypox.
Republicans don't like a lot of it.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., endorsed Biden's request.
More help is needed forUkraine. We would like to give it to them. We need to be ready for monkeypox and COVID relief.
The country depends on support from the U.S. and allies in fighting the Russian invasion.
An urgent need for more money has been created by the fact that more than three-quarters of the money has already been spent.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has struck up relationships with members of Congress, many of whom have traveled to the region and rallied to his aid Zelenskyy and Pelosi spoke recently.
Republicans are open to more funding for Ukraine, but want more information about how the money was spent.
John Cornyn, R-Texas, said that he would not slow down the support for the Ukrainian government.
Few Republicans were willing to listen to Biden's request for over twenty billion dollars in emergency funding.
The federal spending on the virus needs to wind down, not be increased, according to Republicans.
The government shouldn't pay for vaccines like they pay for other aspects of their health care, according to the senator.
GOP lawmakers believe that dedicating more money to the country's response should be funded by cutting spending elsewhere.
Cornyn said that the problem is that they want to keep spending more money. I don't think that is a good idea.
$4.7 billion was requested by the White House to help fight monkeypox. The national stockpile has already been emptied of significant reserves to provide over one million vaccine doses.
Kentucky is one of the states that the Biden administration wants to help with disaster relief. Residents of California, Louisiana and Texas would be helped by aid.
Schumer supports a measure that would speed up the permitting process for energy infrastructure projects. House Democrats see it as rushing projects to approval before the effects of the environment are known.
Both sides agree that a government shut down before the election is out of the question.
The Democrats want to focus on legislative victories that address climate change and health care costs. Republicans want voters to pay attention to crime and inflation.
"There might be a couple of emergencies we're going to need to deal with, but my guess is that with an election coming, you won't see a lot of interesting brinksmanship."
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