Former GOP leader Mitch McConnell is back at the Senate Appropriations table for the first time in roughly two decades Thursday as the full panel begins marking up three key spending bills.
McConnell’s already proving he’s ready to make a mark on one of his final appropriations cycles. The Kentucky Republican is behind a key provision dealing with industrial hemp — a home-state industry — in the Agriculture-FDA bill. The provision would close a regulatory loophole that has led to a growing market for intoxicating hemp products.
It’s one of many ways McConnell could cement his legacy in the appropriations process before his retirement. As chair of the Defense subcommittee, McConnell is expected to push for a strong American presence on the global stage in a possible markup later this month.
Consistent with his career-long approach, McConnell laid out his vision for American power in a budget hearing last month with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In a hearing this month with White House Budget Director Russ Vought, McConnell argued to maintain “soft power” alongside guns and bombs, arguing that targeted investments in foreign aid “prevent conflict, preserve American influence and save countless lives at the same time.”
He reaffirmed that belief on the Senate floor a few weeks ago, in a speech after the Trump administration’s strike on Iran.
“Like Ukraine, Israel needed precious time, space to maneuver, and material support to defeat a shared enemy,” McConnell said. “And yet, as in Ukraine, America’s commitment has indeed wavered. Our support has not been ironclad.”
Soon McConnell will be in position to act on his words — working in tandem with Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), who shares his desire to increase Pentagon spending.
Watch in particular what McConnell does on Ukraine. Given the sensitivities in MAGA circles, House appropriators did not include new Ukraine funding in their recently marked-up Defense bill. And McConnell could find it hard to make the case in the Senate.
But McConnell is likely to shepherd several related initiatives through, including increasing missile production to both supply Ukraine and prepare for a potential China-Taiwan war.
You can also expect the former leader to call for continued funding to arm and train the Ukrainians. It won’t be anything like the tens of billions of dollars in funding McConnell shepherded through the Senate under President Joe Biden. But even a few select provisions would be a reminder that McConnell is still a force on Capitol Hill.
What else we’re watching:
Russia sanctions bill: Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune said they’re both ready to move forward on a bipartisan bill to impose additional sanctions on Russia — but the president wants even more control in the bill. While Trump has an “openness” to the bill from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a senior administration official granted anonymity to discuss the president’s view said the legislation needs to reflect what the White House sees as the president’s supreme authority to oversee foreign policy.
Michigan primary heats up: Democrat Josh Cowen, an education policy professor at Michigan State University, has thrown his name into an already crowded primary for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. Cowen is highlighting education and affordability issues in his campaign, citing school choice and voucher programs pushed by Michigan Republicans, including former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, as part of his inspiration to run.
Grace Yarrow, Connor O’Brien, Katherine Tully-McManus, Jordain Carney, Rachael Bade, Eli Stokols and Nicholas Wu contributed to this report.
