Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican Leader, urged Speaker Mike Johnson again to consider the Senate-passed national security spending package, which includes $60 billion for Ukraine, despite Johnson's plan to move in a different direction.
McConnell didn't show much interest in waiting for the House to come up with an alternative proposal to help Ukraine.
McConnell warned on the Senate floor that withholding critical weapons has only emboldened Russian President Vladimir Putin, rather than managing his escalation.
The alternative proposal would focus on setting up a loan or lend-lease program or seizing an estimated $300 billion in Russian assets to pay for arming Ukrainian forces.
McConnell stated that equipping Ukraine for battlefield success is the best way to help resolve the war, and that investing in the military and defense industrial capacity makes sense.
McConnell urged the House to take up the Senate-passed national security supplemental and complete the task.
McConnell's comments followed Johnson's message to Republican senators that he would send a Ukrainian assistance package to the Senate, but it would differ from the $95 billion emergency foreign aid bill passed by senators last month.
Johnson discussed the idea of setting up a loan or lend-lease program for Ukraine and seizing Russian assets to pay for arming Ukrainian troops, but putting together a whole new bill could take weeks or months.
Senator Susan Collins expressed skepticism about setting up a loan program for Ukraine instead of sending direct military aid.
Collins said she would consider any option put forward, but mentioned that she believed a loan would further burden Ukraine at a time when it doesn't need it.
McConnell cautioned that making significant changes to the Senate-passed bill could cause delays of weeks.
McConnell encouraged the Speaker to allow a vote on the supplemental that was sent to the House several weeks ago.
McConnell dismissed the idea of turning Ukraine aid into a loan program.
McConnell emphasized that the House needs to figure out how to pass the Senate bill in order to quickly provide help to the Ukrainians and Israelis.
McConnell argued that the House should give members the opportunity to vote on the bill, as it received 70 votes in the Senate, and time is of the essence.
