Despite the differences — and potential animosity — between Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA.), McConnell explained that he supported McCarthy’s bid to gain the Speakership.
McConnell set aside his differences with McCarthy, telling reporters that he was “pulling for” McCarthy to win the Speakership, which the House Minority Leader is still campaigning to achieve the 218 votes needed to secure the role.
McConnell made his remarks to questions about whether he would support McCarthy’s bid amid criticism from the latter toward the former’s support of a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package.
McCarthy has also commenced a crusade to get more Senate Republicans to oppose the $1.7 trillion annual appropriations bill.
McCarthy has also been outspoken in that he believes McConnell should have waited for the “21 days” for the GOP to claim the House majority. He expressed that he believed would give Republicans a “stronger hand” to get an appropriations bill that they backed.
He added that with a GOP Majority, lawmakers “wouldn’t be talking about adding more money; we’d be talking about decreasing.”
However, contrasting McCarthy’s view, McConnell indicated he believed the bill was a win for Republicans.
As evidence of this, he pointed to the bill including more funding for defense than nondefense programs, while Democrats wanted to allot the same amount to each.
The tiff between the respective Congressional leaders could foreshadow more infighting between House and Senate Republicans when the House Republicans gain the majority in the next Congress.
