Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) might have had some senior moments, infamously freezing at the podium at a presser last year. Still, the Ukraine deal was one where he probably knew it would be a political suicide mission. The original agreement was a joke, where a little around $20 billion was allocated to border security, whereas the lion’s share was earmarked for Ukraine. The $117 billion deal collapsed when details, like a pathway to citizenship for unvetted Afghan refugees, new protections from deportation for children of H-1B visas, and taxpayer-funded lawyers supplied to migrants under 13. Yet, this was never intended to be a piece of legislation McConnell wanted, it would seem. Daily Caller reported what many have already suspected: That McConnell threw this out there to appease conservatives to pave the way to pass a clean Ukraine aid package.
As it would happen, that was the plan. McConnell tasked Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) to hoist himself on his own petard by heading negotiations, which lasted three months. Now, the $100 billion Ukraine goodie bag passed with ease, as 22 Republicans opted to side with Democrats and give the middle finger to the conservative base (via Daily Caller):
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and pro-Ukraine hawks within his conference gave away their leverage by voting to send billions more in aid to Ukraine despite not reaching a border security deal, several Republican senators who are increasingly frustrated with party leadership told the Daily Caller.
Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee and Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott all unloaded on McConnell in interviews with the Daily Caller and shared their gratitude for Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who said any Ukraine aid without border provisions will be “dead on arrival” in the House. Johnson’s comments came just two days after the Caller first published leaked border deal proposals.
“I cannot even believe how badly McConnell blew this,” Johnson told the Caller. “McConnell frittered away the leverage we have in the Senate.”
[…]
Rachel Bovard, the Vice President of Programs at the Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI), said Republicans will never get an effective border deal if they are not willing to walk away from the table.
“As long as enough Republicans are prepared to vote for the final product no matter what, they will never be able to cut a deal for policies that actually solve the border crisis,” Bovard told the Caller.
[…]
“The reason so many of us are speaking out the way we are against McConnell was the way he blew this. It’s historic. It was a monumental blunder, debacle. We don’t appreciate it. But again, the good news is, if the house doesn’t pass this, we still have that leverage,” Sen. Johnson said.
[…]
“It is clear that Senate GOP leadership did not begin border negotiations by seeking victory— they wanted a sop to throw conservatives so they could pass their real priority, which was Ukraine funding. And so, we were presented with a bill that wouldn’t do what Republicans demanded — forcing the Biden administration to achieve operational control of the border,” Lee said.
[…]
The Caller contacted the offices of all 22 Senate Republicans who voted to send $95 billion in military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, without any border provisions. None would answer specific questions about whether GOP leadership was ever serious about a Ukraine/border tradeoff, given they immediately voted to fund aid for Ukraine after the border deal collapsed.
Some of the Senate Republicans who voted for Ukraine aid have failed to attempt to make the case to their skeptical base for why it is necessary. Utah Sen. Mitt Romney simply said that the vote would be among the most important the Senate ever takes up. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis implied that senators know better than voters, who can’t possibly understand as well as the lawmakers why aid to Ukraine is necessary.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) said that his constituents have had it with McConnell, adding that the Kentucky Republican is largely seen as an ally for the Democrats. Others, like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), lambasted McConnell for giving Democrats political cover in these talks. The Democratic Party's position is that Biden can’t move on the border until this Ukraine bill is passed, which is insanity. Still, Cruz aptly notes that Democrats can go around the country saying they tried to do border security, but Republican infighting and incompetence dashed the opportunity. In the Obama days, they tried to logroll a bunch of needless amendments to the Violence Against Women Act. When Republicans opposed, we were framed as pro-women beaters. Years later, some in leadership have not learned.
Yet, that talking point might be losing ground. Biden is mulling an array of executive actions to curb the flow of illegal aliens, some of which mirror Trump's policies. Regardless, the notion from supporters of these Ukraine games reinforces why Trump is going to be the 2024 GOP nominee. Tillis’s alleged feelings that he and other pro-Kiev Republicans know better are prime examples. McConnell has said Ukraine is a top Republican Party priority supposedly because the base agrees—that’s patently false.
It's become another foreign policy boondoggle whose opponents happen to be armed with nuclear weapons. It’s a money pit, a 21st-century Athenian Sicilian Expedition proving to be a disastrous commitment—no side can move significantly against the other. I admit to supporting aid at the outset of the war, but no detailed plan has been put forward to show voters what a win looks like over there. Until that comes, Ukraine's aid support will continue to decline.
McConnell has done some great things for the country, the party, and the Trump presidency in the past. He’s also botched the snap at points, and this one is a major flop, sir. These clowns never thought the base would see right through this. McConnell’s Ukraine ploy was just plain disrespectful.