Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, in a rare moment of siding with congressional Democrats, appeared to send a strong message to far-right House Republicans who are ready and willing to shut down the federal government in ten days if they do not get all of their demands met.
Speaking to reporters as the Senate returned from winter recess, McConnell made clear that the state of the world is crisis, “in case anybody has forgotten.”
The “world is literally at war,” McConnell stated. “So make no mistake about it. This is the most serious international situation we have faced since the Berlin Wall came down,” 34 years ago in 1989.
“Obviously, we are working very hard to come up with an agreement and improve our situation at the border,” he noted, in a nod to GOP talking points about border crossings.
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“We’ve got wars that we’re all familiar with. In the Middle East, and in Europe. Iran’s proxies in Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen attacking Israel. The Houthis actually attacking us, directly, in addition to shutting down where they can commerce in the Red Sea. Iranian proxies attacking us – our soldiers in Iraq and Syria. Russia is stepping up missile attacks in Ukraine, while we were gone. China of course watching all of this, concerned about next year’s election in Taiwan.”
“We need to pass a supplemental [funding legislation], there needs to be a strong border provision part of it,” he noted, adding, “we’re gonna have to pass a CR [continuing resolution to keep government open] as well.”
McConnell also praised Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, the Senate GOP’s lead negotiator on border security and immigration.
“The strategic differences between Senate and House Republicans right now cannot be overstated. You could even make the argument that they’re irreconcilable,” Punchbowl News reported Tuesday, writing that the “GOP is showing us why Congress can’t pass a border bill.”
McConnell’s remarks come just one day before House Republicans open their first impeachment hearing on the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, instead of focusing of passing legislation to keep government open or to help Ukraine and Israel.
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The Washington Post had reported on Friday, “Far-right Republicans in the House are threatening to force a partial government shutdown unless Congress enacts strict new changes to immigration law, imperiling crucial government services — and U.S. aid to Ukraine — over a long-fraught issue that could be critical in this year’s elections.”
U.S. Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), chair of the most far-right group in Congress, the Freedom Caucus, told NBC News Friday, “The Republican House majority cannot and must not continue funding a government that is purposefully facilitating the unprecedented invasion at our Southern Border.”
“Border security is national security. Shut the border down, or we’ll shut the government down,” Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) tweeted Friday.
Watch McConnell below or at this link.