Tag: Mitch McConnell

  • Mitch McConnell Says He Is ‘Utterly Recovered’ After Freezing Episodes

    Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) stated Sunday he has “totally recovered” following a chain of troubling incidents the place he iced over and used to be not able to talk in entrance of newshounds this summer time.

    “I’m wonderful. I’m totally recovered, and I’m simply wonderful,” McConnell, 81, advised CBS “Face the Country” host Margaret Brennan. “I’m in just right form, totally recovered, and again at the task.”

    The lawmaker sparked critical considerations about this well being previous this 12 months all over two separate press meetings in July and August. All through the primary, McConnell hastily stopped talking and used to be not able to start out once more ahead of he used to be escorted away by way of aides. A month later, the similar factor perceived to occur whilst he used to be answering questions on his reelection plans.

    He has in large part declined to speak about his well being except announcing he’s “wonderful” and that he deliberate to complete up his time period within the Senate as standard. The senator added in August that the U.S. Capitol attending doctor had cleared him to renew his tasks, announcing there used to be no proof McConnell had a stroke or seizure dysfunction.

    The physician, Brian Monahan, stated on the time that “occasional lightheadedness isn’t unusual in concussion restoration and may also be anticipated on account of dehydration.”

    McConnell used to be hospitalized for a concussion and damaged ribs previous this 12 months after falling at a dinner.

    Brennan tried to invite the lawmaker on Sunday about his talent and want to serve one day, however McConnell demurred.

    “I feel we needs to be speaking about what we had been speaking about previous fairly than my well being,” he stated, regarding coverage discussions previous in this system.

  • Mitch McConnell Calls GOPer’s Blockade Of Army Promotions ‘A Mistake’

    Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday criticized Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) for blockading army nominations and promotions over the Pentagon’s abortion insurance policies.

    “I feel protecting those non-policymaking, profession army ― can’t be enthusiastic about politics in any respect ― is a mistake,” McConnell advised newshounds at a weekly press convention. “We proceed to paintings on that, and I am hoping one day we will be able to get it cleared.”

    Tuberville has proven no indicators of relenting regardless of bipartisan pushback to his nine-month blockade. In Congress’ higher chamber, a unmarried senator has the facility to carry up nominations and law, however army promotions are most often licensed briefly by way of unanimous consent. Democrats may just advance every one in my view, however processing all of them will require months of valuable ground time.

    Over 300 officials have prolonged their present excursions or long past on transient assignments to attend out the blockade, in step with the Pentagon.

    3 of the 8 positions at the army’s Joint Chiefs of Workforce are vacant, one thing that hasn’t ever took place earlier than. The chair of the Joint Chiefs of Workforce, Military Gen. Mark Milley, is ready to retire by means of the tip of this month, and at this price his alternative isn’t more likely to get a vote within the Senate both.

    “This concept that one guy within the Senate can hang this up for months, I perceive possibly promotions, however nominations, is paralyzing the Division of Protection,” Space International Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) complained in an interview over the weekend, pointing the finger squarely at Tuberville.

    Tuberville was once unfazed by means of McCaul’s feedback, telling newshounds on Monday that the distinguished Space Republican “were given his information slightly crossways.”

    “I’m now not protecting all of them up. They may be able to do them single-handedly,” Tuberville mentioned.

    The Alabama senator, who coached soccer previous to his election, additionally seemed unaware that Milley should go away his submit by means of Oct. 1, and that he couldn’t keep on longer.

    “He has to depart? He’s out. Get someone else to do the task,” Tuberville mentioned, mimicking the movement of an umpire making a choice in a baseball.

    Tuberville is looking for to push the Protection Division to rescind a coverage of depart and expense repayment for carrier participants and their dependents who commute for abortions. The coverage was once installed position following the Ideally suited Court docket’s reversal of Roe v. Wade remaining 12 months, which enabled quite a lot of states to impose restrictions at the process.

    Democrats handle that GOP leaders like McConnell are those who should work out an answer, insisting that balloting in my view on uncontroversial army promotions would set a precedent for different senators to abuse.

    “It’s as much as them to resolve it,” Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) mentioned remaining week. “We’re now not going to shift the weight to Democrats when this can be a Republican-caused downside.”

  • Protection spending ranges threaten to extend Senate plan to fast-track debt ceiling invoice

    US Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks all over a information convention following Senate Democrat coverage luncheons at the United States Capitol in Washington, DC, on Might 31, 2023.

    Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Pictures

    WASHINGTON — Calls for by way of Republican senators for extra protection investment threatened to extend Majority Chief Chuck Schumer’s plan Thursday to fast-track a invoice to lift the debt restrict, because the U.S. barreled towards a June 5 time limit to avert a default.

    “No one desires to default … However I am bored with having default over my head as a reason why to neuter the army at a time we want it essentially the most,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., stated at the Senate flooring, the place he railed in opposition to a invoice the Space handed with large bipartisan improve past due Wednesday.

    Beneath that invoice, protection spending in 2024 can be capped at $886 billion, an annual building up of three%. The next yr, the funds would stay the will increase to one%, for a complete of more or less $895 billion.

    Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine referred to as that determine “woefully insufficient,” and demanded that Schumer conform to go an emergency protection supplemental investment invoice to make up for it.

    “Final analysis, other folks — we are not leaving till we get a trail to mend this downside,” stated Graham.

    Schumer, for his section, has additionally pledged to stay the Senate in consultation.

    “Till we ship a invoice warding off default to President Biden’s table, we will be able to stay running till the activity is finished,” he stated at the Senate flooring on the opening of Thursday’s consultation. “Time is a luxurious the Senate does now not have if we wish to save you a default.”

    The Fiscal Duty Act used to be handed within the Republican-majority Space past due Wednesday evening by way of an amazing bipartisan majority, sending it to the Democratic-controlled Senate, which met Thursday and deliberate to take in the invoice.

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    With a purpose to fast-track a invoice in the course of the chamber and vote on it earlier than Monday, all 100 senators should conform to the plan, and provides their “unanimous consent” for the invoice to circumvent the notoriously gradual Senate procedures.

    Herein lies the problem: Along with Collins and Graham and GOP Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Roger Wicker of Mississippi, all of whom spoke in oppositions to the protection investment ranges, there have been a minimum of 3 extra senators, Utah Republican Mike Lee, Kentucky Republican Rand Paul and Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine, who additionally stated that they had severe objections to precise portions of the invoice.

    On Thursday, Kaine offered an modification that might strip the Space invoice of a last-minute provision that each one however assured the approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a arguable herbal gasoline pipeline venture via West Virginia and Virginia.

    Lee additionally proposed an modification, to take away a line within the Space invoice that might permit the director of the Place of job of Control and Price range to unilaterally waive some spending restrictions on federal regulators in the event that they decided that the spending used to be wanted for “efficient program supply.”

    In a regular Senate procedure, participants can be anticipated to decelerate Senate deliberations at the invoice, suggest their amendments to it, attempt to get the ones amendments handed by way of a vote and added to the invoice, and in the event that they prevail, ship the amended invoice again to the Space for every other vote.

    However with simply days to head earlier than the June 5 time limit set by way of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen at which level the US would most probably be not able to satisfy its debt tasks, Schumer made it transparent on Wednesday the invoice may just now not transfer backward.

    “We will be able to’t ship anything else again to the Space,” he instructed journalists within the Capitol. “That may possibility default, simple and easy.”

    If the Treasury have been to fail to satisfy its tasks, economists agree that it could most probably ship international markets into surprise, cause activity losses within the U.S. and jeopardize the supply of essential govt advantages that tens of tens of millions of American citizens depend on to continue to exist.

    So what is the resolution? As Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell defined Wednesday, senators who wish to suggest amendments might be allowed to take action, so long as the amendments are doomed to fail.

    In change for giving their amendments a separate vote, McConnell hopes holdouts will conform to continue with a complete Senate vote at the debt ceiling invoice earlier than the weekend.

    “I will be able to let you know what I am hoping occurs, is that those that have amendments, if given votes, will yield again time, in order that we will be able to end this Thursday or Friday,” McConnell instructed journalists within the Capitol on Wednesday.

    Passing the debt restrict compromise invoice and sending it to President Joe Biden for his signature would “soothe the rustic and soothe the markets,” McConnell stated.

    The Fiscal Duty Act is the results of a deal reached between Space Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Biden, which necessarily passed conservatives a number of ideological coverage victories in change for his or her votes to lift the debt ceiling past subsequent yr’s presidential election and into 2025.

    The invoice handed within the Space 314-117, with improve from extra Democrats than Republicans.

    This can be a creating tale. Please test again for updates.

  • ‘We May Screw This Up’: Mitch McConnell Offers Republicans 2024 Caution

    Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is caution Republicans that they won’t regain keep watch over over the Senate after subsequent yr’s election regardless of an excessively favorable map.

    McConnell advised CNN he’s focused on 4 Democratic-held seats he believes the GOP may just turn in 2024: Montana, West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

    That may give his birthday party keep watch over over the Senate ― however McConnell used to be blunt when requested if he’s assured they’ll pull it off.

    “No, no – I’m now not,” he stated with fun, in step with CNN. “I simply spent 10 mins explaining to you ways lets screw this up, and we’re operating very arduous not to let that occur. Let’s put it that manner.”

    Together with the ones 4 states, McConnell stated Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona is also in play, however stated candidate high quality may just undermine his birthday party’s ambitions.

    McConnell warned of that very same factor ultimate summer time when some analysts predicated that the Republicans may just regain each the Area and Senate.

    He stated in August the GOP may just take the Area, however the Senate can be every other tale.

    “Senate races are simply other — they’re statewide,” he stated, in step with NBC Information. “Candidate high quality has so much to do with the end result.”

    Whilst he didn’t point out Donald Trump on the time, that used to be perceived as a dig on the former president’s hand-picked applicants, lots of whom would pass directly to lose because the GOP narrowly took the Area however now not the Senate, simply as McConnell predicted.

    Regardless of his issues of Trump ― and regardless of blaming Trump for the Jan. 6 assault at the U.S. Capitol ― McConnell advised CNN he would toughen him if the previous president is the Republican candidate subsequent yr.

    “Glance, I’m going to toughen the nominee of our birthday party for president, regardless of who that can be,” he stated.

    Learn the entire interview right here.

  • Ex-Trump Attorney Posts Merciless Video Mocking Mitch McConnell’s Hospitalization

    The attorney spoke back to the hospitalization of Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) with a concussion, after he fell at a dinner serve as, with mockery.

    Ellis, who previous this week used to be censured for spewing Trump’s 2020 election lies, shared a video that includes a turtle falling downstairs. McConnell has for years been likened to a turtle from either side of the aisle.

    “BREAKING: Digicam photos from remaining evening’s McConnell dinner got,” she captioned the clip.

    The put up drew fierce condemnation on Twitter.

    “The fundamental loss of humanity continuously displayed via those other people is in reality outstanding,” spoke back CNN’s Jake Tapper.

  • Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell Hospitalized Following Fall

    Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been hospitalized following a fall at a Washington, D.C., lodge, his spokesperson showed with HuffPost.

    Main points on McConnell’s situation stay unclear.

    This can be a growing tale. Please test again for updates.

  • Elaine Chao Blasts Media Over Use Of Trump’s ‘Racist Taunt’

    Elaine Chao, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and spouse of Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), criticized media retailers referencing former President Donald Trump’s “racist taunt” on Thursday.

    Chao, who served for just about 4 years beneath the previous president till her resignation after closing yr’s Jan. 6 revolt, weighed in on Trump’s nickname for her – which he has used towards her up to now – all through an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. (You’ll be able to listen Chao’s feedback underneath).

    Trump used the time period – which has been considered as racist and anti-Asian – on Reality Social two times since Monday to consult with Chao, the first-ever Asian American lady to serve in a U.S. president’s cupboard.

    Chao instructed Collins, who confirmed the submit that integrated the slur to CNN audience, that it’d be “truly useful” for the media not to repeat Trump’s racist language.

    “If it have been the N-word, or another note, the media would no longer repeat it. However the media ceaselessly repeats his racist taunt,” Chao stated.

    “And so, he’s seeking to get a upward thrust out folks. He says all types of outrageous issues, and I don’t make some extent of answering any of one in all them,” Chao added.

    Trump’s most up-to-date use of the moniker got here all through a dig at McConnell for his strengthen of the $1.7 trillion spending invoice Congress handed closing week.

    Chao, who immigrated from Taiwan, selected to not weigh in at the former president’s nickname when he used it closing week and referred to as on Asian American citizens “to upward thrust above divisive rhetoric,” the San Francisco Usual reported.

    “I say to my fellow Asian American citizens, primary: don’t be terrified of the rustic,” Chao stated. “At all times be happy with our heritage as a result of now The us is extra various.”

  • GOP operative convicted of funneling Russian donation to Trump’s 2016 marketing campaign

    On this Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016, record picture, Jesse Benton arrives for his sentencing listening to on the federal courthouse in Des Moines, Iowa.

    David Pitt | AP

    WASHINGTON — A Republican political operative and previous marketing campaign aide used to be convicted in federal courtroom this week of funneling $25,000 from a Russian businessman to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential marketing campaign.

    Jesse Benton used to be discovered to blame Thursday of six counts that integrated soliciting an unlawful overseas contribution, making an attempt to hide it up and filing false details about the supply of the cash.

    The cash for the donation at the start got here from Roman Vasilenko, a former Russian naval officer grew to become multilevel marketer and CEO of the “Existence is Just right Global Industry Academy.”

    In line with prosecutors, Vasilenko paid Benton’s consulting company $100,000 to get him right into a political tournament to take a photograph with then-candidate Trump within the fall of 2016.

    Benton labored a lot of campaigns, together with as a strategist at the Nice The us PAC, a great Pac supporting Donald Trump’s 2016 win, in addition to the campaigns of Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell and Sen. Rand Paul, each Republicans from Kentucky, and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas.

    Benton then purchased a $25,000 price ticket to a Trump tournament in Philadelphia on Sept. 22 and “gave” the price ticket to Vasilenko, who went directly to publish his picture with Trump on his Instagram web page below the caption, “Two Presidents.”

    When Benton paid the Trump Victory committee for the price ticket, he used his personal bank card, pocketing the remainder $75,000 from Vasilenko.

    Benton used to be at the start prosecuted at the side of the overdue Republican pundit Roy Douglas “Doug” Wead, who died in overdue 2021.

    Thursday’s conviction marks the second one time that Benton has been discovered to blame of a marketing campaign finance crime.

    In 2016, a jury convicted Benton and two different defendants of conspiring to bribe an Iowa state senator to endorse then-presidential hopeful Rep. Ron Paul within the 2012 Iowa Republican Caucus.

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    The senator, Kent Sorenson, later admitted to accepting greater than $70,000 in bribes to change his beef up from then-Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., to Ron Paul, whose marketing campaign Benton additionally labored on. Sorenson used to be sentenced to greater than a 12 months in the back of bars for the crime.

    Benton won six months of house confinement and two years of probation. Particularly, Benton’s sentence within the Ron Paul case used to be passed down on Sept. 20, 2016, simply two days earlier than the Sept. 22 tournament that Benton had organized for Vasilenko to wait with then-candidate Trump.

    In overdue 2020, Trump issued Benton a complete pardon for the 2016 conviction, a transfer that used to be championed via Sen. Rand Paul.

    Benton isn’t the one one who has been convicted of serving to overseas nationals give a contribution to Trump’s political profession.

    In 2018, any other Republican strategist, Sam Patten, admitted to serving to a pro-Russian member of Ukraine’s parliament make a donation to Trump’s Inaugural Committee. Like campaigns, inaugural committees are prohibited from accepting donations from foreigners.

    Probably the most leader questions at factor in Benton’s most up-to-date trial used to be whether or not Vasilenko’s reason for searching for a photograph with Trump used to be political in nature, or whether or not he used to be simply in search of a photograph with a well-known individual.

    Proof used to be offered at trial that Wead and Vasilenko had mentioned looking to get a photograph with Oprah Winfrey or Michelle Obama, however settled on Trump.

    “If Oprah used to be to be had, we would not also be right here,” protection legal professional Brian Stolarz reportedly mentioned in his remaining argument.

  • Mitch McConnell Simply Wins Reelection As Senate GOP Chief

    Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) on Wednesday simply gained reelection as Senate GOP chief, warding off a conservative problem led by means of Sen. Rick Scott (Fla.).

    The general vote was once 37-10, with one Republican balloting “provide.”

    The closed-door, secret-ballot vote was once held within the Previous Senate Chamber, an ornate semicircular room within the Capitol the place lawmakers met previous to the Civil Warfare.

    A vote to lengthen the management elections till after subsequent month’s Georgia Senate runoff was once defeated, 32-16.

    The convention participants then voted for McConnell to steer them once more, which is able to make him the longest-serving Senate birthday party chief when the brand new Congress convenes in January.

    Scott introduced Tuesday that he would tackle McConnell for the seat, arguing that “the established order is damaged and massive trade is wanted.” His lawsuits about GOP management adopted months of feuding with McConnell over marketing campaign technique that devolved into open struggle after Democrats maintained keep watch over of the Senate remaining week.

    Scott, who chairs the Nationwide Republican Senatorial Committee, which oversees the Senate GOP’s campaigns, argued in a letter to colleagues that they want to get started being “way more daring and resolute than now we have been previously. We will have to get started announcing what we’re for, no longer simply what we’re towards.”

    In contrast to McConnell, Scott has detailed plans to overhaul entitlement methods and has embraced excessive applicants counseled by means of Donald Trump. McConnell, in the meantime, has clashed with the previous president, who in flip has spoke back by means of calling for McConnell’s impeachment.

    However McConnell’s place was once by no means severely in query going into Wednesday’s election. He has led his convention since 2015, and he struck a defiant tone on Tuesday as Scott made his case for changing him.

    “I’ve the votes. I will be able to be elected,” McConnell advised journalists on Capitol Hill. “The one factor is whether or not we do it one day.”

    Scott was once a curious selection for taking up McConnell. His better ambitions apart, the Florida Republican simply oversaw a sequence of humiliating Senate GOP defeats within the midterm elections, with candidate high quality being a significant issue.

    “In case you’re going to evaluate blame for election losses, I don’t understand how you business within the chief for the chairman of the NRSC,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) mused to journalists on Tuesday.

  • We won’t know who controls the U.S. Senate till December; Area may well be determined a lot quicker

    The query of which political events regulate one or each chambers of Congress for the following two years may take till early December to type out, particularly within the Senate the place one of the most races is headed for a runoff.

    Whether or not Republicans have controlled within the midterm elections to narrowly wrest majority regulate clear of Democrats within the U.S. Area of Representatives may well be resolved throughout the coming days as ballots are processed in 11 states.

    Republicans are projected to win 220 seats within the Area, two greater than the 218 had to take the bulk, whilst Democrats appear to be they’ll take 215 seats as of Friday morning, in line with NBC Information. That estimate has a margin of error of 7 seats. And election officers are nonetheless counting ballots in a minimum of 27 races as of Friday morning.

    That ultimate seat tally may well be extended, even though, if a number of of the Area races is so shut it triggers a recount.

    As of Friday morning, 3 days after polls closed across the country, 3 seats within the Senate had but to have winners projected via NBC Information.

    All 3 of the ones seats, in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada, are lately held via Democrats.

    The result of the ones races will resolve if Democrats retain the slimmest conceivable majority within the Senate, with the possible to if truth be told build up the bulk somewhat.

    Whilst the result of Senate races in Arizona and Nevada may each be identified via subsequent week, Georgia is headed to a runoff particular election on Dec. 6, as a result of neither of the key birthday celebration applicants garnered greater than 50% of the vote.

    Recently, there are 48 Democratic senators and two independents who caucus with them, in comparison with 50 Republican senators who make up the rest of the chamber.

    Democrats cling the bulk there since Vice President Kamala Harris has the facility to wreck ties as president of the Senate.

    To deal with that regulate beginning in January, Democrats wish to win a minimum of two of the 3 elections that have not been known as but.

    The birthday celebration received some respiring room after Pennsylvania’s Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman defeated GOP contender Dr. Mehmet Ounces for the Senate seat being vacated via Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, who’s retiring.

    “Like every of you, I am simply staring at and looking forward to them to complete counting the votes,” Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, instructed journalists Thursday. McConnell is preferred to grow to be majority chief, once more, if Republicans win a minimum of two of the rest Senate races

    In Arizona, incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly had 51.7% of the votes forged as of Friday, in comparison with 46.1% of the votes held via Blake Masters, his Republican challenger, who used to be trailing him via greater than 115,000 votes.

    NBC Information reported that 80% of the anticipated votes had been in Arizona as of Friday morning, with greater than 527,000 ballots final.

    Arizona’s rely has a tendency to be slower than different states as a result of the wish to check the signatures of citizens who dropped off so-called early ballots on Election Day. About 290,000 early ballots, which may have been became in earlier than Tuesday, had been submitted that day — an build up of 115,000 from the collection of ballots observed on that day in 2020.

    In Nevada, Republican challenger Adam Laxalt used to be main Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat, via 49% to 48%. NBC estimated that 88% of the anticipated vote were counted, with more or less 130,000 ballots final.

    Nevada’s race may take a number of extra days to get to the bottom of. Lots of the votes had been submitted via mail, and ballots that had been postmarked via Election Day may also be counted if they come via 5 p.m. PT Saturday,

    Nevada’s Clark County, which is the country’s eleventh biggest county via inhabitants, in a observation Thursday driven again on claims via former President Donald Trump that forged doubt on its vote-counting procedure.

    “We’ve got heard his outrageous claims, however he’s clearly nonetheless misinformed concerning the legislation and our election processes that be certain that the integrity of elections in Clark County,” the county stated. “First, shall we now not accelerate the method even though we needed to.”

    The county identified that via legislation it has to “take a look at each and every signature on each mail poll envelope, and if one does now not fit what’s in our data, we’re required via legislation to provide that voter till 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 14, to treatment their signature.”

    “As well as, there are provisional ballots to procedure, and we will be able to now not be capable to entire that job till we obtain reviews from the Nevada Secretary of State’s Place of business on Wednesday, Nov. 16. This procedure guarantees that people don’t vote two times in Nevada,” the observation stated.

    In Georgia, the runoff on Dec. 6 used to be set after incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, gained 49.6% of the vote, in comparison to 48.3% via his Republican challenger Herschel Walker, the previous professional and school soccer superstar, whilst a 3rd candidate were given simply over 2% of the votes. Georgia legislation calls for a runoff of the highest two applicants if no person will get greater than 50% of the vote.

    Warnock, who is looking for his first complete time period, received a different election runoff for the seat in January 2021, at the side of Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. That double victory gave Democrats majority regulate of the Senate.

    The most important collection of uncalled Area seats are in California, the place 14 races had but to be known as as of Friday afternoon.

    Arizona, Colorado and Oregon each and every have two uncalled Area races.

    Alaska, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Nevada and Washington each and every have one uncalled Area race.