Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Friday he agrees with President Trump’s decision to postpone a Washington, D.C. invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
McConnell also announced settling federal funding for a southern border wall will likely wait until after the November midterm elections.
McConnell, in a wide-ranging interview on on 840 WHAS radio in Louisville, also talked about President Trump, calling him “very verbal” and always eager to talk to lawmakers either in person or on the phone. He also praised the Putin postponement.
“It was a good idea to put it off until next year,” McConnell said.
President Trump announced earlier this month he invited Putin to come to the White House some time in the fall, alarming Republicans who feared it could negatively impact the critical midterm elections.
[Opinion: Trump-Putin the sequel would be worse than the original]
Earlier this week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Senate lawmakers at an oversight hearing that the visit is postponed until 2019.
Wall funding may also be postponed beyond the Sept. 30 fiscal year deadline. McConnell told the radio show a decision on how much to fund would “probably” wait until after the election, which means Congress will postpone consideration of the fiscal 2019 Homeland Security appropriations bill that includes wall funding.
The House is seeking $5 billion for the wall while the Senate has budgeted $1.6 billion. Senate Republicans are interested in adding more money to their bill but said it could provoke a spending stalemate with Democrats.
McConnell said he anticipates Congress passing nine of the 12 spending bills that fund the government before the new fiscal year begins which would be a stark departure from last year where lawmakers engaged in repeated spending showdowns and a brief partial government closure.
“This year we’ve had good bipartisan cooperation,” McConnell said.
