Johnson to address Senate Republicans amid escalating tensions

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will seek to heal growing friction with his Senate counterparts in remarks emphasizing unity during Senate Republicans' weekly lunch Tuesday, Axios has learned. Why it matters: House and Senate Republicans have spent months clashing over virtually every major priority, despite their control of Congress and the White House. The disputes have ranged from ICE and Border Patrol funding to the SAVE Act and a long-term extension of FISA . Johnson is expected to emphasize the need for open lines of communication as Republicans gear up for reconciliation packages 2.0 and 3.0. It will mark Johnson's first appearance at a Senate GOP lunch this year. U.S. Secret Service director Sean Curran will also join Tuesday's lunch as the Senate considers funding for presidential security and the need for security enhancements for the new ballroom, two sources told Axios The big picture: House conservatives increasingly view the Senate as the main obstacle, while Senate Republicans deride what they characterize as unrealistic demands from House members. The dynamic has fueled repeated standoffs among congressional Republicans. " I hate the Senate," Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) told Axios late last month amid FISA disagreements. "There are like two and a half good senators." Catch up quick: The House passed the Senate's DHS funding legislation just before they left for recess, a bill Johnson had previously called a "joke." House conservatives revolted over the Senate's two-track strategy, which funded DHS while postponing additional ICE and Border Patrol money to reconciliation. Several House Republicans privately and publicly said the move deepened mistrust of Senate Republicans. Johnson and Thune openly clashed over the strategy last month after Johnson said he wanted to make changes. What's next: Republicans now face a high-stakes push to pass a second reconciliation package with border funding by Presid...

Original source: Axios