McConnell Weakens McCarthy’s Leverage in Government Shutdown Talks
- Senate bipartisan plan ‘makes sense for the country,’ he says
- McCarthy grouses about split with Senate GOP, lawmakers say
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Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell distanced himself from House Republicans’ government shutdown demands, underscoring the divide within the party and weakening Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s negotiating leverage as Washington barrels toward an Oct. 1 federal funding lapse.
Emerging from a closed-door meeting Wednesday of Senate Republicans, McConnell defended a bipartisan Senate plan to temporarily keep open the government until mid-November and provide $6 billion in new assistance to Ukraine. The measure has stirred fierce criticism from conservative hardliners in the House.