Mixing
Mitch McConnell
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| Mitch McConnell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Senate Majority Leader | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office January 3, 2015 | |
| Deputy | John Cornyn |
| Preceded by | Harry Reid |
United States Senator from Kentucky | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office January 3, 1985 Serving with Rand Paul | |
| Preceded by | Walter Dee Huddleston |
| Senate Minority Leader | |
In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2015 | |
| Deputy | Trent Lott Jon Kyl John Cornyn |
| Preceded by | Harry Reid |
| Succeeded by | Harry Reid |
| Senate Majority Whip | |
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007 | |
| Leader | Bill Frist |
| Preceded by | Harry Reid |
| Succeeded by | Dick Durbin |
| Chair of the Senate Rules Committee | |
In office January 20, 2001 – June 6, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Chris Dodd |
| Succeeded by | Chris Dodd |
In office January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | John Warner |
| Succeeded by | Chris Dodd |
| Judge/Executive of Jefferson County | |
In office 1977–1984 | |
| Preceded by | Todd Hollenbach III |
| Succeeded by | Bremer Ehrler |
| Acting United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative Affairs | |
In office 1975 | |
| President | Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Vincent Rakestraw |
| Succeeded by | Michael Uhlmann |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Addison Mitchell McConnell Jr. (1942-02-20) February 20, 1942 Sheffield, Alabama, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Sherrill Redmon (m. 1968; div. 1980) Elaine Chao (m. 1993) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Louisville (BA) University of Kentucky (JD) |
| Net worth | $22.5 million (estimate)[1] |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Senate website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/branch |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1967 |
| Unit | United States Army Reserve |
Addison Mitchell McConnell Jr. (born February 20, 1942) is an American politician serving as the senior United States Senator from Kentucky, a seat he was first elected to in 1984. A member of the Republican Party, he has additionally served as the Senate Majority Leader since January 3, 2015. He previously served as Minority Leader from 2007 to 2015. He is the second Kentuckian to lead his party in the Senate.[2] McConnell is the longest-serving U.S. Senator in Kentucky history.[3]
During the administration of President Barack Obama, McConnell was characterized as being an obstructionist.[4] McConnell has gained a reputation as a skilled political strategist and tactician.[5][6] However, this reputation dimmed after Republicans failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in 2017 during consolidated Republican control of government.[7]
From early 2016, McConnell refused to schedule Senate hearings for Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland, to replace Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February 2016. Garland's nomination remained before the Senate for 294 days, from March 16, 2016, until it expired on January 3, 2017, more than double the time of any other Supreme Court nomination.[8] Later, during consolidated Republican control of government, McConnell used the so-called "nuclear option" to lower the threshold for overriding filibusters for Supreme Court nominees to a simple majority, with the aim of confirming Neil Gorsuch for the vacancy left by Scalia on the Court.[9]
Contents
1 Early life and education
2 Early career
3 U.S. Senate
3.1 Elections
3.2 Leadership
3.3 Tenure
3.3.1 Reputation
3.3.2 Foreign policy
3.3.3 Campaign finance
3.3.4 Flag Desecration Amendment
3.3.5 Health policy
3.3.6 Economy
3.3.7 Immigration
3.3.8 Environment
3.3.9 Gun rights
3.3.10 Iraq War
3.3.11 Fundraising
3.3.12 2016 Supreme Court vacancy
3.3.13 2016 presidential election
3.3.14 Russian interference in the 2016 election
3.3.15 Judicial confirmations
3.4 Committee assignments
4 Electoral history
5 Personal life
6 In popular culture
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links
Early life and education
McConnell is of Scots-Irish and English descent, the son of Addison Mitchell McConnell, and his wife, Julia (née Shockley). McConnell was born on February 20, 1942, in Sheffield, Alabama, and raised as a young child in nearby Athens.[10]
As a youth, McConnell overcame polio,[11] which he was struck with at age 2.[12] He received treatment at the Warm Springs Institute in Georgia, which potentially saved him from being disabled for the rest of his life.[13] In 1990, McConnell said that his family "almost went broke" because of costs related to his illness.[14]
When he was eight, McConnell's family moved to Georgia.[15] When he was a teenager, his family moved to Louisville, where he attended duPont Manual High School. He graduated with honors from the University of Louisville with a B.A. in political science in 1964. McConnell was president of the Student Council of the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. He has maintained strong ties to his alma mater and "remains a rabid fan of its sports teams."[16] In 1967, McConnell graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law, where he was president of the Student Bar Association.
In March 1967, shortly before graduating from law school, McConnell enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve at Louisville, Kentucky. In August 1967, after five weeks of military training at Fort Knox, he received an honorable discharge for medical reasons (optic neuritis).[17][18]
Early career
McConnell began interning for Senator John Sherman Cooper (R-KY) in 1964, and his time with Cooper inspired him to run for the Senate eventually himself.[19] Later, McConnell was an assistant to Senator Marlow Cook (R-KY) and was a Deputy Assistant Attorney General under President Gerald R. Ford, where he worked alongside future Justice Antonin Scalia.[20] In 1977, McConnell was elected the Jefferson County Judge/Executive, the former top political office in Jefferson County, Kentucky. He was re-elected in 1981.[19]
U.S. Senate
Elections
1984
In 1984, McConnell ran for the U.S. Senate against two-term Democratic incumbent Walter Dee Huddleston. The election race wasn't decided until the last returns came in, and McConnell won by a thin margin—only 3,437 votes out of more than 1.2 million votes cast, just over 0.4%.[21] McConnell was the only Republican Senate challenger to win that year, despite Ronald Reagan's landslide victory in the presidential election. Part of McConnell's success came from a series of television campaign spots called "Where's Dee", which featured a group of bloodhounds trying to find Huddleston,[22][23] implying that Huddleston's attendance record in the Senate was less than stellar. His campaign bumper stickers and television ads asked voters to "Switch to Mitch".[24]
1990
In 1990, McConnell faced a tough re-election contest against former Louisville Mayor Harvey I. Sloane, winning by 4.4%.
1996
In 1996, he defeated Steve Beshear by 12.6%, even as Bill Clinton narrowly carried the state. In keeping with a tradition of humorous and effective television ads in his campaigns, McConnell's campaign ran television ads that warned voters to not "Get BeSheared" and included images of sheep being sheared.[24]
2002
In 2002, he was re-elected against Lois Combs Weinberg by 29.4%, the largest majority by a statewide Republican candidate in Kentucky history.
2008
In 2008, McConnell faced his closest contest since 1990. He defeated Bruce Lunsford by 6%.[25]
2014
In 2014, McConnell faced Louisville businessman Matt Bevin in the Republican primary.[26] The 60.2% won by McConnell was the lowest voter support for a Kentucky U.S. Senator in a primary by either party since 1938.[27] He faced Democratic Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes in the general election. Although polls showed the race was very close, ultimately McConnell defeated Grimes by 56.2%–40.7%, resulting in a margin of victory of 15.5 percentage points – one of his largest margins of victory, second only to his 2002 margin.
Leadership
During the 1998 and 2000 election cycles, McConnell was chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Republicans maintained control of the Senate after both elections. He was first elected as Majority Whip in the 108th Congress and unanimously re-elected on November 17, 2004. Senator Bill Frist, the Majority Leader, did not seek re-election in the 2006 elections. In November 2006, after Republicans lost control of the Senate, they elected McConnell to replace Frist as Minority Leader. After Republicans took control of the Senate following the 2014 Senate elections, McConnell became the Senate Majority Leader.
Tenure
Senator Mitch McConnell in 1992
Reputation
According to a 2014 article in The New York Times, McConnell was "something of a centrist" in his early years as a politician in Kentucky. In recent years, however, he has veered sharply to the right. He has opposed collective-bargaining rights and minimum-wage increases that he previously supported, and abandoned pork barrel projects he once delivered to the state of Kentucky. In a statement quoted in the 2014 article, he cites Reagan's popularity as an example of conservatism's growing appeal.[19]
According to a profile in Politico, "While most politicians desperately want to be liked, McConnell has relished—and cultivated—his reputation as a villain." The Politico profile also noted "For most of Obama's presidency, McConnell has been the face of Republican obstructionism."[4] According to Salon, "Despite McConnell's reputation as the man who said his No. 1 goal was to stop President Obama from winning a second term, it's been McConnell at the table when the big deals—be they over threatened government shutdowns, debt defaults or fiscal cliffs—have been finalized."[28]
Reporter Alec MacGillis wrote a book about Mitch McConnell, published by Simon & Schuster on December 23, 2014, titled The Cynic, which alludes to the author's belief that McConnell mostly acts the way he does for political gains and not out of ideology.[29]
With a 49% disapproval rate in 2016, he had the highest disapproval rate out of all senators.[30] McConnell has repeatedly been found to have the lowest home state approval rating of any sitting senator.[31][32]
Foreign policy
After winning election to the U.S. Senate in 1984, McConnell backed anti-apartheid legislation with Chris Dodd.[33] McConnell went on to engineer new IMF funding to "faithfully protect aid to Egypt and Israel," and "promote free elections and better treatment of Muslim refugees" in Myanmar, Cambodia and Macedonia. According to a March 2014 article in Politico, "McConnell was a 'go-to guy' for presidents of both parties seeking foreign aid," but he has lost some of his idealism and has evolved to be more wary of foreign assistance.[34]
McConnell stands in front and directly to the right of President Obama as he signs tax cuts and unemployment insurance legislation on December 17, 2010.
In August 2007, McConnell introduced the Protect America Act of 2007, which allowed the National Security Agency to monitor telephone and electronic communications of suspected terrorists outside the United States without obtaining a warrant.[35]
McConnell was the only party leader in Congress to oppose the resolution that would authorize military strikes against Syria in September 2013, citing a lack of national security risk.[36]
On March 27, 2014, McConnell introduced the United States International Programming to Ukraine and Neighboring Regions bill, which would provide additional funding and instructions to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in response to the 2014 Crimea crisis.[37][38]
In September 2016, the Senate voted 71 to 27 against the Chris Murphy–Rand Paul resolution to block the $1.15 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia.[39] The Saudi Arabian-led coalition in Yemen has been accused of war crimes.[39] Following the vote, McConnell said: "I think it's important to the United States to maintain as good a relationship with Saudi Arabia as possible."[40]
Also in September 2016, both the Senate and the House of Representatives overrode President Obama's veto to pass the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) into law. Despite McConnell voting to override the President, McConnell would criticize JASTA within a day of the bill's passing, saying that it might have "unintended ramifications". McConnell appeared to blame the White House regarding this as he quoted that there was "failure to communicate early about the potential consequences" of JASTA, and said he told Obama that JASTA "was an example of an issue that we should have talked about much earlier".[41][42] In vetoing the bill, Obama had provided three reasons for objecting to JASTA: that the courts would be less effective than "national security and foreign policy professionals" in responding to a foreign government supporting terrorism, that it would upset "longstanding international principles regarding sovereign immunity", and that it would complicate international relations.[43][44]
Campaign finance
McConnell argued that campaign finance regulations reduce participation in political campaigns and protect incumbents from competition.[45] He spearheaded the movement against the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (known since 1995 as the "McCain–Feingold bill" and from 1989 to 1994 as the "Boren–Mitchell bill"), calling it "neither fair, nor balanced, nor constitutional."[46] His opposition to the bill culminated in the 2003 Supreme Court case McConnell v. Federal Election Commission and the 2009 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. McConnell has been an advocate for free speech at least as far back as the early 1970s when he was teaching night courses at the University of Louisville. "No issue has shaped his career more than the intersection of campaign financing and free speech," political reporter Robert Costa wrote in 2012.[47] In a recording of a 2014 fundraiser McConnell expressed his disapproval of the McCain-Feingold law, saying, "The worst day of my political life was when President George W. Bush signed McCain-Feingold into law in the early part of his first Administration."[48]
On January 2, 2013, the Public Campaign Action Fund, a liberal nonprofit group that backs stronger campaign finance regulation, released a report highlighting eight instances from McConnell's political career in which a vote or a blocked vote (filibuster), coincided with an influx of campaign contributions to McConnell's campaign.[49][50]Progress Kentucky, a SuperPAC focused on defeating McConnell in 2014, hosted a press conference in front of the Senator's Louisville office to highlight the report's findings.[51][52]
Flag Desecration Amendment
McConnell opposed the Flag Desecration Amendment in 2000. According to McConnell: "We must curb this reflexive practice of attempting to cure each and every political and social ill of our nation by tampering with the Constitution. The Constitution of this country was not a rough draft. It was not a rough draft and we should not treat it as such." McConnell offered an amendment to the measure that would have made flag desecration a statutory crime, illegal without amending the Constitution.[53]
Health policy
In August 2001, McConnell introduced the Common Sense Medical Malpractice Reform Act of 2001. The bill would require that a health care liability action must be initiated within two years, non-economic damages may not exceed $250,000, and punitive damages may only be awarded in specified situations.[54]
McConnell voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly called ObamaCare or the Affordable Care Act) in December 2009,[55] and he voted against the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.[56] In 2014, McConnell repeated his call for the full repeal of Obamacare and said that Kentucky should be allowed to keep the state's health insurance exchange website, Kynect, or set up a similar system.[57] McConnell is part of the group of 13 Senators drafting the Senate version of the AHCA behind closed doors.[58][59][60][61] The Senator refused over 15 patient advocacy organization's requests to meet with his congressional staff to discuss the legislation. This included groups like the American Heart Association, March of Dimes, American Lung Association. and the American Diabetes Association.[62]
McConnell received the Kentucky Life Science Champion Awards for his work in promoting innovation in the life science sector.[63]
In 2015, both houses of Congress passed a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act.[64] It was vetoed by President Obama in January 2016.[65]
After President Trump took office in January 2017, Senate Republicans, under McConnell's leadership, began to work on a plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. They faced opposition from both Democrats and moderate Republicans, who claimed that the bill would leave too many people uninsured, and more conservative Republicans, who protested that the bill kept too many of the ACA's regulation and spending increases, and was thus not a full repeal. Numerous attempts at repeal failed. On June 27, after a meeting with President Trump at the White House, McConnell signaled improvements for the repeal and replacement: "We're not quite there. But I think we've got a really good chance of getting there. It'll just take us a little bit longer."[66] During a Rotary Club lunch on July 6, McConnell said, "If my side is unable to agree on an adequate replacement, then some kind of action with regard to the private health insurance market must occur."[67]
Economy
In July 2003, McConnell sponsored the Small Business Liability Reform Act of 2003. The bill would protect small businesses from litigation excesses and limit the liability of non-manufacturer product sellers.[68][69]
McConnell was the sponsor of the Gas Price Reduction Act of 2008. The bill, which did not pass, would have allowed states to engage in increased offshore and domestic oil exploration in an effort to curb rising gas prices.[70]
In June 2008, McConnell introduced the Alternative Minimum Tax and Extenders Tax Relief Act of 2008. The bill was intended to limit the impact of the Alternative Minimum Tax.[71]
McConnell with President Barack Obama, August 2010
In an interview with National Journal magazine published October 23, 2010, McConnell explained that "the single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president." Asked whether this meant "endless, or at least frequent, confrontation with the president," McConnell clarified that "if [Obama is] willing to meet us halfway on some of the biggest issues, it's not inappropriate for us to do business with him."[72]
In September 2010, McConnell sponsored the Tax Hike Prevention Act of 2010. The bill would have permanently extended the tax relief provisions of 2001 and 2003 and provided permanent Alternative Minimum Tax and estate tax relief.[73]
In 2010, McConnell requested earmarks for the defense contractor BAE Systems while the company was under investigation by the Department of Justice for alleged bribery of foreign officials.[74][unreliable source?][75]
In June 2011, McConnell introduced a Constitutional Balanced Budget Amendment. The amendment would require two-thirds votes in Congress to increase taxes or for federal spending to exceed the current year's tax receipts or 18% of the prior year's GDP. The amendment specifies situations when these requirements would be waived.[76][77]
In December 2012, McConnell called for a vote on giving the president unilateral authority to raise the federal debt ceiling. When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) called for an up or down vote, McConnell objected and ended up filibustering his own bill within hours of its introduction by asking for 60 votes of approval.[78][79]
After two intersessions to get federal grants for Alltech, whose president T. Pearse Lyons made subsequent campaign contributions to McConnell, to build a plant in Kentucky for producing ethanol from algae, corncobs, and switchgrass, McConnell criticized President Obama in 2012 for twice mentioning biofuel production from algae in a speech touting his "all-of-the-above" energy policy.[80][81]
In 2014, McConnell voted to help break Ted Cruz's filibuster attempt against a debt limit increase and then against the bill itself.[82] In April 2014, the United States Senate debated the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 2199; 113th Congress). It was a bill that "punishes employers for retaliating against workers who share wage information, puts the justification burden on employers as to why someone is paid less and allows workers to sue for punitive damages of wage discrimination."[83] McConnell said that he opposed the legislation because it would "line the pockets of trial lawyers", not help women.[83]
In July 2014, McConnell expressed opposition to a U.S. Senate bill that would limit the practice of corporate inversion by U.S. corporations seeking to limit U.S. tax liability.[84]
Immigration
In February 2018, McConnell stated his support for an immigration proposal that aligned with President Trump's framework, reasoning the bill which he said had "the best chance" of being signed into law.[85] By this point, he considered the issue to have run its course over three days of floor debate.[86]
In 2015, McConnell rebuked then-candidate Donald Trump's proposal to ban Muslim immigration to the United States.[87] In June 2018, minutes after the Supreme Court upheld the Trump administration's travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries in a 5-4 decision along ideological lines, McConnell tweeted a gloating picture of him shaking hands with Neil Gorsuch.[88][89] Gorsuch was nominated to fill a vacant Supreme Court by President Trump after McConnell and Senate Republicans refused to hold hearings on Merrick Garland, President Obama's nomination to the court, for almost a year.[88]
Environment
McConnell expressed skepticism that climate change is a problem, telling the Cincinnati Enquirer editorial board in 2014, "I'm not a scientist, I am interested in protecting Kentucky's economy, I'm interested in having low cost electricity."[90][91][92]
McConnell was one of 22 senators to sign a letter[93] to President Donald Trump urging the President to have the United States withdraw from the Paris Agreement. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, McConnell has received over $1.5 million from the oil and gas industry since 2012.[94]
Gun rights
On the weekend of January 19–21, 2013, the McConnell for Senate campaign emailed and robo-called gun-rights supporters telling them that "President Obama and his team are doing everything in their power to restrict your constitutional right to keep and bear arms." McConnell also said, "I'm doing everything in my power to protect your 2nd Amendment rights."[95] On April 17, 2013, McConnell voted against expanding background checks for gun purchases.[96]
Iraq War
In October 2002, McConnell voted for the Iraq Resolution, which authorized military action against Iraq.[97] McConnell supported the Iraq War troop surge of 2007.[98] In 2010, McConnell "accused the White House of being more concerned about a messaging strategy than prosecuting a war against terrorism."[99]
In 2006, McConnell publicly criticized Senate Democrats for urging that troops be brought back from Iraq.[100] According to Bush's Decision Points memoir, however, McConnell was privately urging the then President to "bring some troops home from Iraq" to lessen the political risks. McConnell's hometown paper, the Louisville Courier-Journal, in an editorial titled "McConnell's True Colors", criticized McConnell for his actions and asked him to "explain why the fortunes of the Republican Party are of greater importance than the safety of the United States."[101]
Regarding the failure of the Iraqi government to make reforms, McConnell said the following on Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer: "The Iraqi government is a huge disappointment. Republicans overwhelmingly feel disappointed about the Iraqi government. I read just this week that a significant number of the Iraqi parliament want to vote to ask us to leave. I want to assure you, Wolf, if they vote to ask us to leave, we'll be glad to comply with their request."[102]
On April 21, 2009, McConnell delivered a speech to the Senate criticizing President Obama's plans to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba, and questioned the additional 81 million dollar White House request for funds to transfer prisoners to the United States.[103][104]
Fundraising
McConnell at the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland
From 2003 to 2008, the list of McConnell's top 20 donors included five financial/investment firms: UBS, FMR Corporation (Fidelity Investments), Citigroup, Bank of New York, and Merrill Lynch.[105]
In April 2010, while Congress was considering financial reform legislation, a reporter asked McConnell if he was "doing the bidding of the large banks." McConnell has received more money in donations from the "Finance, Insurance and Real Estate" sector than any other sector according to the Center for Responsive Politics.[105][106] McConnell responded "I'd say that that's inaccurate. You could talk to the community bankers in Kentucky." The Democratic Party's plan for financial reform is actually a way to institute "endless taxpayer funded bailouts for big Wall Street banks", said McConnell. He expressed concern that the proposed $50 billion, bank-funded fund that would be used to liquidate financial firms that could collapse "would of course immediately signal to everyone that the government is ready to bail out large banks".[105][106] In McConnell's home state of Kentucky, the Lexington Herald-Leader ran an editorial saying: "We have read that the Republicans have a plan for financial reform, but McConnell isn't talking up any solutions, just trashing the other side's ideas with no respect for the truth."[107] According to one tally, McConnell's largest donor from the period from January 1, 2009, to September 30, 2015, was Bob McNair, contributing $1,502,500.[108]
2016 Supreme Court vacancy
Garland with Barack Obama at his Supreme Court nomination, 2016
In an August 2016 speech in Kentucky, McConnell, speaking of President Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court (to fill the vacancy caused by Antonin Scalia's death in February 2016) said, "One of my proudest moments was when I looked Barack Obama in the eye and I said, 'Mr. President, you will not fill the Supreme Court vacancy.'"[109][110][111] In April 2018, McConnell said it was "the most consequential decision I've made in my entire public career".[112]
2016 presidential election
McConnell initially endorsed fellow Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Following Paul's withdrawal, McConnell stayed neutral for the remainder of the primary. On May 4, 2016, McConnell endorsed then presumptive nominee Donald Trump. "I have committed to supporting the nominee chosen by Republican voters, and Donald Trump, the presumptive nominee, is now on the verge of clinching the nomination." [113]
On multiple occasions, McConnell criticized Trump but continued to endorse Trump's candidacy. On May 27, 2016, after Trump suggested that a Federal Judge, Gonzalo P. Curiel, was biased against Trump because of his Mexican heritage, McConnell responded, "I don't agree with what he (Trump) had to say. This is a man who was born in Indiana. All of us came here from somewhere else." On July 31, 2016, after Trump had criticized the parents of Capt. Humayun Khan, a Muslim soldier who was killed in Iraq, McConnell stated, "Captain Khan was an American hero, and like all Americans, I'm grateful for the sacrifices that selfless young men like Captain Khan and their families have made in the war on terror. All Americans should value the patriotic service of the patriots who volunteer to selflessly defend us in the armed services." On October 7, 2016, following the Donald Trump Access Hollywood controversy, McConnell stated: "As the father of three daughters, I strongly believe that Trump needs to apologize directly to women and girls everywhere, and take full responsibility for the utter lack of respect for women shown in his comments on that tape."[114]
Russian interference in the 2016 election
With regards to the US response to intelligence findings that Russia was responsible for cyberattacks undertaken to influence the American election, after Trump won the election, Senator McConnell expressed "support for investigating American intelligence findings that Moscow intervened.".[115] Prior to the election however, when FBI Director James Comey, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and other officials met with the leadership of both parties to make the case for a bipartisan statement warning Russia that such actions would not be tolerated "McConnell raised doubts about the underlying intelligence and made clear to the administration that he would consider any effort by the White House to challenge the Russians publicly an act of partisan politics," The Washington Post reported,[116] citing accounts of several unnamed officials.[117][118]
In April 2017, McConnell denied knowing anything about potential wiretapping of Trump by the Obama administration, saying there was an ongoing investigation.[119]
In November 2017, McConnell was opposed to passing legislation to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.[120] In April 2018, less than 24 hours after an FBI raid on Michael Cohen's (President Trump's personal attorney) office, and after Trump had said that "many people" had asked him to fire Mueller, McConnell reiterated that opposed any legislation to protect Mueller's investigation.[121] Later that month, McConnell thwarted a bipartisan legislative effort to protect Mueller's investigation.[122]
In June 2018, McConnell said regarding the Mueller investigation: "they ought to wrap it up. It’s gone on seemingly forever and I don’t know how much more they think they can find out." By that time, the Mueller investigation had been open for just over a year while the average length of 16 special/independent counsel investigations from 1973-2003 was over three years.[123]
In July 2018, McConnell's chief strategist said that Trump's attacks on the intelligence community would benefit Republicans in the upcoming 2018 midterm election, both by energizing the Republican base and by drowning out Democrats' messaging on policy.[124]
Judicial confirmations
On July 18, 2018, with Andy Oldham's Senate confirmation, Senate Republicans broke a record for largest number of appeals court judiciary confirmations "during a president's first two years". Oldham became the 23rd judge to be confirmed in said period.[125] Addressing the issue, McConnell stated that considering "the things that we've been able to do with this Republican government the last year and a half", the most "long lasting, positive impact" they would have on the country would be the judiciary. The number of circuit court judges "confirmed during a president's first year" was broken in 2017, while the previous two-year record took place under President George H.W. Bush, and included 22 nominations.[126]
Committee assignments
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry- Subcommittee on Rural Revitalization, Conservation, Forestry, and Credit
- Subcommittee on Domestic and Foreign Marketing, Inspection, and Plant and Animal Health
- Subcommittee on Hunger, Nutrition and Family Farms
Committee on Appropriations- Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Defense
- Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
- Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans' Affairs, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
- Committee on Rules and Administration
Select Committee on Intelligence (Ex officio)
Electoral history
Elections are shown with a map depicting county-by-county information. McConnell is shown in red and Democratic opponents shown in blue.
| Year | % McConnell | Opponent(s) | Party affiliation | % of vote | County-by-county map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1984 | 49.9% | Walter Huddleston (incumbent) Dave Welters | Democratic Socialist Workers | 49.5% |  |
1990 | 52.2% | Harvey I. Sloane | Democratic | 47.8% |  |
1996 | 55.5% | Steve Beshear Dennis Lacy Patricia Jo Metten Mac Elroy | Democratic Libertarian Natural Law U.S. Taxpayers | 42.8% |  |
2002 | 64.7% | Lois Combs Weinberg | Democratic | 35.3% |  |
2008 | 53.0% | Bruce Lunsford | Democratic | 47.0% |  |
2014 | 56.2% | Alison Lundergan Grimes David Patterson | Democratic Libertarian | 40.7% |  |
| U.S. Senate Republican primary election in Kentucky, 1984 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | +% |
| Republican | Mitch McConnell | 39,465 | 79.2% | |
| Republican | Roger Harker | 3,798 | 7.6% | |
| Republican | Tommy Klein | 3,352 | 6.7% | |
| Republican | Thurman Jerome Hamlin | 3,202 | 6.4% | |
| U.S. Senate Republican primary election in Kentucky, 1990 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | +% |
| Republican | Mitch McConnell (inc.) | 64,063 | 88.5% | |
| Republican | Tommy Klein | 8,310 | 11.5% | |
| U.S. Senate Republican primary election in Kentucky, 1996 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | +% |
| Republican | Mitch McConnell (inc.) | 88,620 | 88.6% | |
| Republican | Tommy Klein | 11,410 | 11.4% | |
| U.S. Senate Republican primary election in Kentucky, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | +% |
| Republican | Mitch McConnell (inc.) | 168,127 | 86.1% | |
| Republican | Daniel Essek | 27,170 | 13.9% | |
| U.S. Senate Republican primary election in Kentucky, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | +% |
| Republican | Mitch McConnell (inc.) | 213,753 | 60.2% | |
| Republican | Matt Bevin | 125,787 | 35.4% | |
| Republican | Shawna Sterling | 7,214 | 2.0% | |
| Republican | Chris Payne | 5,338 | 1.5% | |
| Republican | Brad Copas | 3,024 | 0.9% | |
Personal life
McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, was nominated by President Trump to serve as Secretary of Transportation
McConnell is a Southern Baptist.[127] He was married to his first wife, Sherrill Redmon, from 1968 to 1980, and had three children.[128] Following their divorce, she became a feminist scholar at Smith College and director of the Sophia Smith Collection.[129][130] His second wife, who married him in 1993, is Elaine Chao, the former Secretary of Labor under George W. Bush.[131] On November 29, 2016, incoming President Donald Trump nominated Chao to serve as the Secretary of Transportation. She was confirmed by the Senate on January 31, 2017, in a 93–6 vote.[131] McConnell himself voted "present" during the confirmation roll call.[132]
McConnell is on the Board of Selectors of Jefferson Awards for Public Service.[133]
In 1997, he founded the James Madison Center for Free Speech, a Washington, D.C.–based legal defense organization.[134][135] McConnell was inducted as a member of the Sons of the American Revolution on March 1, 2013.[136]
In 2010, the OpenSecrets website ranked McConnell one of the wealthiest members of the U.S. Senate, based on net household worth.[137] His personal wealth was increased after receiving a 2008 personal gift to him and his wife, given by his father-in-law James S. C. Chao after the death of McConnell's mother-in-law, that ranged between $5 and $25 million.[138][139]
In popular culture
McConnell appears in the title sequence, and as an off-screen character, in season 1 of Alpha House.[140]
Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart repeatedly mocked McConnell for his apparent resemblance to a turtle or tortoise and often imitated him with the voice of the turtle from Tortoise Wins by a Hare.[141]
References
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^ "Biography – About – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell". Mcconnell.senate.gov. January 3, 1985. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
^ "McConnell becomes longest-serving senator from Kentucky". LaRue County (Kentucky) Herald Tribune. January 14, 2009. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
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^ Green, Joshua. "Strict Obstructionist". Retrieved August 2, 2018.
^ "The new master of the Senate?".
^ Steinhauer, Jennifer (June 27, 2017). "McConnell's Reputation as a Master Tactician Takes a Hit" – via www.nytimes.com.
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^ Flegenheimer, Matt (April 6, 2017). "Senate Republicans Deploy 'Nuclear Option' to Clear Path for Gorsuch" – via www.nytimes.com.
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^ McConnnell, Mitch (May 3, 2001). "Speech to the House Appropriations Committee on campaign finance reform". Archived from the original on September 7, 2008.
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^ Kapur, Sahil (May 27, 2014). "McConnell's Bizarre New Position On Obamacare". talkingpointsmemo.com. TPM Media LLC. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
^ Bash, Dana; Fox, Lauren; Barrett, Ted (May 9, 2017). "GOP defends having no women in health care group". CNN. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
^ Bryan, Bob (June 9, 2017). "'We have no idea what's being proposed': Democratic senator gives impassioned speech on GOP healthcare bill secrecy". Business Insider. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
^ Litvan, Laura (June 13, 2017). "Senate Republicans Are Writing Obamacare Repeal Behind Closed Doors". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
^ Scott, Dylan (June 9, 2017). "Senate Republicans are closer to repealing Obamacare than you think". Vox. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
^ Levey, Noam N.; Mascaro, Lisa (June 16, 2017). "Republican secrecy faces mounting criticism as GOP senators work behind closed doors to repeal Obamacare". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
^ "Kentucky Life Science Council Recognizes Senator Mitch McConnell with Inaugural Life Science Champion Award". Medical News. October 3, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
^ Snell, Kelsey (January 8, 2016). "Senate passes Obamacare repeal, Planned Parenthood defunding bill, putting Republicans on record". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
^ Boyer, Dave (December 3, 2015). "Obama vetoes measure to repeal Obamacare". The Washington Times. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
^ Fabian, Jordan (June 27, 2017). "McConnell on healthcare: 'It'll just take us a little bit longer'". The Hill.
^ Haberkorn, Jennifer (July 6, 2017). "McConnell: If we can't repeal Obamacare, we'll fix it". Politico.
^ "S.1546 (108th)". GovTrack.us. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
^ "US Sen. Mitch McConnell (R)". TrackBill. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
^ "Senators support legislation addressing gas prices in U.S." Cedartown Standard. July 1, 2008. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
^ "S.3098 (110th)". GovTrack.us. Retrieved September 15, 2013. [better source needed]
^ "When did McConnell say he wanted to make Obama a 'one-term president'?". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
^ "S.3773 (111th)". GovTrack.us. Retrieved September 15, 2013. [better source needed]
^ Conason, Joe (November 16, 2010). "Why Mitch McConnell is worse than Charles Rangel". Salon. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
^ MacGillis, Alec (December 23, 2014). The Cynic: The Political Education of Mitch McConnell. Simon & Schuster. p. 62.
^ "S.J. Res. 23 (112th)". GovTrack.us. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
^ Ryan, Josiah (June 29, 2011). "McConnell calls balanced-budget amendment to floor". The Hill. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
^ "Dem unity forces McConnell to filibuster his own proposal". washingtonpost.com. December 6, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
^ Weber, Peter. "Mitch McConnell's amazing filibuster of his own bill". The Week. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
^ Gerth, Joseph (February 13, 2014). "McConnell sought grant but mocked Obama biofuel plan". usatoday.com. The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
^ Benen, Steve (February 14, 2014). "Mitch McConnell's algae problem". msnbc.com. NBCUniversal Media LLC. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
^ Fischer, Sara (February 15, 2014). "Mitch McConnell on allowing debt-ceiling vote: "I had to do what's best for the country"". CNN. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
^ ab Ramsey Cox; Alexander Bolton (April 9, 2014). "Senate GOP blocks paycheck bill". The Hill. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
^ Ohlemacher, Stephen (July 23, 2014). "Senate Advances Bill To End Tax Breaks For Companies That Outsource". Huffington Post. AP. Archived from the original on July 24, 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
^ Carney, Jordain (February 12, 2018). "McConnell: GOP immigration plan 'best chance' at passing bill". The Hill.
^ Bolton, Alexander (February 13, 2018). "McConnell: Senate needs to move on from immigration". The Hill.
^ DeBonis, Mike (December 8, 2015). "Ryan, McConnell denounce Trump plan to bar Muslims from the U.S." Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
^ ab "Mitch McConnell got Trump's travel ban upheld". Vox. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
^ Thomsen, Jacqueline (June 26, 2018). "Mitch McConnell trolls with photo of Gorsuch after travel ban ruling". TheHill. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
^ Wartman, Scott (October 3, 2015). "McConnell talks Brent Spence, heroin, Ebola". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
^ Gerth, Joseph (October 3, 2014). "McConnell on climate change: 'Not a scientist'". Courier-Journal. Louisville. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
^ Davenport, Coral (October 30, 2014). "Why Republicans Keep Telling Everyone They're Not Scientists". The New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
^ Inhofe, James. "Senator". Retrieved June 7, 2017.
^ "The Republicans who urged Trump to pull out of Paris deal are big oil darlings". The Guardian. June 1, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
^ Morrison, Curtis. "Audio from Mitch McConnell robocall: 'I'm doing everything in my power to protect your 2nd amendment rights'". insiderlouisville.com. Louisville. January 23, 2013. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
^ "U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 113th Congress – 1st Session". Legislation & Records. United States Senate. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
^ "Senate Roll Call: Iraq Resolution". The Washington Post. October 11, 2002. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
^ "McConnell: Troop Surge In Iraq Showing Early Signs Of Success". WYMT. Associated Press. March 5, 2007. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
^ Raju, Manu (February 3, 2010). "Mitch McConnell attacks President Obama's terrorism policies". Politico. Archived from the original on February 8, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
^ Bloomberg, June 22, 2006, Republicans to Use Votes to Cast Democrats as Weak on Terrorism
^ "Editorial: McConnell's true colors". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. November 11, 2010. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012.
^ "CNN Political Ticker". Cnn.com. May 13, 2007. Archived from the original on May 30, 2007. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
^ Mitch McConnell (April 21, 2009). "Republican Leader McConnell's April 21, 2009 floor speech". United States Senate. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009.
^ Carol Rosenberg (April 21, 2009). "GOP leader McConnell wants more scrutiny of prison closing costs". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009.
^ abc "Mitch McConnell: Campaign Finance/Money – Summary –Career". Retrieved September 14, 2014. [better source needed]
^ ab I'm Not Doing The bidding of Large Banks. CBS News, April 15, 2010.
^ ""McConnell to Big Banks' Rescue"". Archived from the original on April 18, 2010. Retrieved April 18, 2010. . Lexington Herald-Leader. April 15, 2010.[dead link]
^ Loftsu, Tom (October 28, 2015). "Updated: McConnell's Biggest Donors". Courier-Journal. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
^ "Supreme Court vacancy watch Day 179: Where's Mitch McConnell on Trump's 'Second Amendment people'?". dailykos.com. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
^ "Mitch McConnell: Proud Moment When I Told Obama 'You Will Not Fill This Supreme Court Vacancy'". Retrieved August 2, 2018.
^ "Tea Party-Aligned Kentucky Gov May End 95-Year Democratic Reign". rollcall.com. August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
^ "McConnell on midterm elections: 'The wind is going to be in our face'". Kentucky Today. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
^ "McConnell 'committed to supporting' Trump".
^ Parlapiano, Larry Buchanan, Alicia; Yourish, Karen (October 8, 2016). "Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell Reject Donald Trump's Words, Over and Over, but Not His Candidacy". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
^ Steinhauer, Jennifer (December 12, 2016). "Senate and House Leaders Call for Inquiry of Russian Hacking in Election". The New York Times.
^ Entous, Adam; Nakashima, Ellen; Miller, Greg (December 9, 2016). "Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House". The Washington Post.
^ "The Betsy DeVos confirmation vote shows that Mitch McConnell knows exactly what he's doing". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
^ "How Senators Voted on Betsy DeVos". The New York Times. February 7, 2017. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
^ Koenig, Kailani (April 2, 2017). "McConnell Says He's Seen 'No' Evidence of Trump Surveillance". NBC News.
^ "McConnell: No need to pass bills to protect Mueller". POLITICO. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
^ Swanson, Ian (April 10, 2018). "McConnell: Legislation to protect Mueller not needed". TheHill. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
^ "As GOP balks, McConnell shuts down bill to protect Mueller". AP News. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
^ Chait, Jonathan. "Mitch McConnell Turns Against Robert Mueller". New York Post. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
^ "Now the party of Trump, GOP's midterm pitch is protecting him". mcclatchydc. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
^ Platoff, Emma. "Senate confirms a top Abbott adviser, Andrew Oldham, to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
^ Carney, Jordain. "Senate GOP poised to break record on Trump's court picks". The Hill. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
^ John E. Kleber, Kentucky Bicentennial Commission, Thomas Dionsius Clark, and Lowell H. Harrison, The Kentucky Encyclopedia, University Press of Kentucky, 1992, page 592, accessed July 30, 2010.
^ "Mitch McConnell Fast Facts". CNN. February 5, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
^ Horowitz, Jason (May 13, 2014). "Girding for a Fight, McConnell Enlists His Wife". The New York Times. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
^ "Sherrill Redmon Retires". Smith College. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
^ ab Barrett, Ted. "Chao confirmed as transportation secretary". Retrieved August 2, 2018.
^ "Roll Call Vote 115th Congress - 1st Session:On the Nomination (Confirmation Elaine L. Chao, of Kentucky, to be Secretary of Transportation". United States Senate. January 31, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
^ "Board | youth community | service award". Jefferson Awards.org. Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
^ Dyche, John David (2009). Republican Leader: A Political Biography of Senator Mitch McConnell. Intercollegiate Studies Institute. p. 124. ISBN 978-1-935191-59-9.
^ Southworth, Ann (2008). Lawyers of the right: professionalizing the conservative coalition. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-226-76836-6.
^ "The Long Rifleman Louisville-Thruston Chapter" (PDF). Retrieved November 19, 2013.
^ "Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), 2010". OpenSecrets.org. December 3, 2010. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
^ Lee Fang (October 30, 2014). "Mitch McConnell's Freighted Ties to a Shadowy Shipping Company". The Nation.
^ Bresnahan, John (June 12, 2009). "Members' fortunes see steep declines". Politico. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
^ Cohn, Alicia M. (April 21, 2013). "Sen. Mitch McConnell cast in sitcom 'Alpha House'". Washington Examiner. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
^ Sherfinski, David (May 13, 2015). "Mitch McConnell on Jon Stewart's turtle comparisons: 'I loved it'". The Washington Times.
Further reading
Recommended Reading on Mitch McConnell, Joshua Green, The Atlantic, January 5, 2011
The Cynic: The Political Education of Mitch McConnell, Alec MacGillis, Simon & Schuster, December 23, 2014
External links
Definitions from Wiktionary
Media from Wikimedia Commons
News from Wikinews
Quotations from Wikiquote
Texts from Wikisource
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Learning resources from Wikiversity
Senator Mitch McConnell official U.S. Senate site- Mitch McConnell for Senate
Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Profile at Vote Smart
Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
Appearances on C-SPAN
Mitch McConnell at Curlie (based on DMOZ)
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Vincent Rakestraw | Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative Affairs Acting 1975 | Succeeded by Michael Uhlmann |
| Preceded by Todd Hollenbach | Judge-Executive of Jefferson County 1978–1984 | Succeeded by Bremer Ehrler |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Louis Guenthner | Republican nominee for United States Senator from Kentucky (Class 2) 1984, 1990, 1996, 2002, 2008, 2014 | Most recent |
| Preceded by Al D'Amato | Chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee 1997–2001 | Succeeded by Bill Frist |
| Preceded by Don Nickles | Senate Republican Whip 2003–2007 | Succeeded by Trent Lott |
| Preceded by Bill Frist | Senate Republican Leader 2007–present | Incumbent |
U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by Walter Huddleston | U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Kentucky 1985–present Served alongside: Wendell Ford, Jim Bunning, Rand Paul | Incumbent |
| Preceded by Warren Rudman | Ranking Member of the Senate Ethics Committee 1993–1995 | Succeeded by Richard Bryan |
| Preceded by Richard Bryan | Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee 1995–1997 | Succeeded by Bob Smith |
| Preceded by John Warner | Chair of the Senate Rules Committee 1999–2001 | Succeeded by Chris Dodd |
Chair of the Joint Inaugural Ceremonies Committee 2000–2001 | Succeeded by Trent Lott | |
| Preceded by ??? | Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee 2001 | Succeeded by Chris Dodd |
| Preceded by Chris Dodd | Chair of the Senate Rules Committee 2001 | |
Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee 2001–2003 | ||
| Preceded by Harry Reid | Senate Majority Whip 2003–2007 | Succeeded by Dick Durbin |
Senate Minority Leader 2007–2015 | Succeeded by Harry Reid | |
Senate Majority Leader 2015–present | Incumbent | |
Current U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by Chuck Grassley | United States Senators by seniority 4th | Succeeded by Richard Shelby |
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