Daines and McConnell disagreed on Ukraine aid and border security

Closed-door talks reportedly grew “tense” when Senate GOP campaign chief Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., clashed over a funding package for Ukraine and Israel without border security reforms.

The Hill reported Daines — chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee — repeatedly challenged McConnell, who on Tuesday endorsed the military aid to Ukraine and Israel.

Daines warned that advancing a bill without border security provisions would hurt Senate GOP candidates who’ve made the issue their campaign priority.

“The atmosphere was very tense,” one GOP lawmaker told The Hill about a Senate Republican meeting that took place before a vote on the Ukraine funding.

“Steve Daines has spoken up at multiple meetings, implicitly criticizing McConnell today where he said, ‘I just want to tell you, the path we’re going down will have ramifications. It looks bad to really vote no on this border bill and then flip around and give money to Ukraine. It undercuts our candidates,’ ” an unnamed lawmaker said, the outlet reported.

Daines, along with Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the Senate Republican Conference chair, were the only two members of the Senate GOP leadership to vote against a motion to advance a Ukraine and Israel funding package without border security reforms.

According to The Hill, McConnell argued the $95.3 billion emergency defense spending package is vital to U.S. national security interests — and abandoning Ukraine when it is running out of weapons and ammunition would be a big mistake, The Hill reported.

On Tuesday, McConnell recommended moving ahead with the national security spending package without border security reforms, the outlet noted.

Daines was the first member of the Senate GOP leadership to declare his opposition to a bipartisan border deal that Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., negotiated with Senate Democrats and the White House.

“I can’t support a bill that doesn’t secure the border, provides taxpayer funded lawyers to illegal immigrants and gives billions to radical open borders groups. I’m a no,” Daines posted Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter, adding: President Joe Biden “should instead use his executive authority to reinstitute the [former President Donald] Trump policies he canceled.”

On Friday, Daines told The Hill illegal immigration and border security are top-line issues in the 2024 campaign — and it’s unwise for Republicans to support an emergency foreign aid package while an average of 10,000 migrants enter America every day.

“As we listen to the American people, listen to my constituents, they tell us that the highest priority needs to be securing the southern border. So if we’re doing what the folks back home are asking to do, that has to remain our highest priority,” Daines told The Hill.

He added: “I think it’s very important you don’t give up this fight.

“This is not an immigration fight. This is a border security battle. This is a national security battle.”