The Senate minority leader, who has declined thus far to release a party agenda, advised Scott at a GOP leadership meeting on Monday afternoon that his 11-point proposal gave Democrats ammunition for millions of dollars of ads in the midterms, according to multiple people briefed on the exchange. Though he chairs Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, Scott defended himself by saying he released the agenda in his role as a rank-and-file senator, not as a statement of party plans. The meeting lasted nearly an hour and Scott’s recess-week agenda introduction dominated the discussion.

The exchange between McConnell and his top campaign hand highlights a growing divide in the party as they fight to take the House and Senate, despite bright electoral prospects. While McConnell prefers to keep the heat on Democrats and make the election a referendum on President Joe Biden, some in the party — not just Scott — believe Republicans need a more affirmative agenda.