Mike Johnson Squares Off Against Mitch McConnell

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson could be heading for a clash with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell over funding for Ukraine as the country continues to fight the Russian invasion.

McConnell is pushing for aid to Ukraine as well as Israel as part of a national security package but Johnson proposed a $14.3 billion standalone funding bill for Israel on Monday.

The potential showdown between the House and the Senate may be the first major test for Johnson, who was a little-known figure before being elected to succeed former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.

President Joe Biden has requested $106 billion in supplemental funding, with around half for Ukraine aid, while the rest would be split between Israel, the Indo-Pacific region, and the border.

McConnell has told GOP senators that he intends to make changes to Biden's request and strengthen the component dealing with the border, according to a Politico report on Monday.

At least nine Republican senators are needed to join all Democrats to overcome the Senate filibuster and guarantee the passage of legislation.

Johnson told CNN last week that he supports aid for Ukraine but wants to see "conditions." He previously said the consensus among House Republicans was to separate aid to Ukraine and aid to Israel.

The House is expected to vote on the proposed standalone aid package to Israel this week. If the proposal passes, it could place McConnell in a difficult position as he continues to push for a larger security package.

Newsweek has reached out to Johnson's and McConnell's offices via email for comment.

On Monday, McConnell emphasized his support for Ukraine aid in remarks introducing the Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, at an event in Louisville, Kentucky.

"This is a moment for swift and decisive action to prevent further loss of life and to impose real consequences on the tyrants who have terrorized the people of Ukraine and of Israel. And right now, the Senate has a chance to produce supplemental assistance that will help us do exactly that," McConnell said.

"Enemies abroad will be watching closely and waiting for America to falter. Only our concrete and credible support can deter our adversaries in the future and restore security," the Republican said.

McConnell said: "Think of it as an axis of evil: China, Russia and Iran. So this is not just a test for Ukraine. It is a test for the United States and for the free world. And the path toward greater security for all of us is simple: Help Ukraine win the war."

"It's possible that some experts are overstating what Johnson's opposition to Ukraine aid will be," Thomas Gift, the founding director of the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London, U.K., told Newsweek.

"While it's true his personal voting record suggests he's not eager to fork over more funds to Kyiv—and he earned a 'failing' grade from the Republicans for Ukraine website, which measures support—it's entirely plausible Johnson had to make concessions on this issue to move his Speaker candidacy forward," Gift said.

"That means he may feel compelled to soften his stance against granting more military assistance," he said. "At the same time, Johnson has made clear that he wants more conditions applied to any aid that is disbursed to Ukraine, which could throw a wrench into efforts to reach bipartisan compromise."

McConnell's position may now put him at odds with Johnson as well as some Republicans in the Senate, including Senator J.D. Vance, who told Politico on Monday: "There's actually pretty wide consensus that we should separate Israel from the package."

Vance also expressed doubt that McConnell could convince nine GOP senators to back the security package he supports.

"Whether there are nine Republicans who are willing to break off and join the Democrats is an open question," he said.