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Post by Press Release on Jul 27, 2012 15:26:48 GMT -5
McConnell Talks to Agriculture Secretary about Drought Impact on Kentucky Farmers Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell spoke with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today regarding the devastation Kentucky’s farmers are experiencing because of the severe drought conditions. During the conversation, Senator McConnell updated Secretary Vilsack on the latest conditions in Kentucky, including the fact that nearly all of Kentucky’s counties are being impacted by the drought. McConnell also thanked Secretary Vilsack for declaring a disaster declaration in 33 counties in Kentucky. Senator McConnell told him that “Kentucky farmers and livestock operators are very concerned they don’t have the tools readily available to enable them to manage the risk caused by the drought.” The Senator also urged him to “look at all legal authorities and budgetary options to assist Kentucky farmers.”
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Post by Press Release on Aug 1, 2012 22:21:13 GMT -5
House Votes to Protect American Families From President’s Tax Hikes Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement Wednesday after a bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives voted to prevent a massive tax hike on American families and job creators: “A bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives stood up for small businesses and their hardworking employees today, rejecting the President’s call for new tax hikes in a slow economy. The Republican House has now acted to prevent a massive tax hike and the President’s defense cuts that would be so devastating to our national security. It’s time for Senate Democrats and the President to work with Republicans to solve these problems, rather than telling these hardworking Americans they’re not responsible for their own success while holding political show votes and ignoring the issue altogether.”
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Post by Press Release on Sept 17, 2012 16:41:51 GMT -5
Senator McConnell Honors Constitution Day Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement Monday regarding Constitution Day: “Today, our Nation celebrates one of our greatest founding documents—the document that has guided the discourse of our great Nation for 225 years. On September 17, we celebrate Constitution Day. Americans of all walks of life are united by the ideals of equal justice, limited government, and the rule of law. It was the vision and determination of the Founders who wrote and signed the Constitution that makes our celebration today possible.
“More than two centuries ago, the Founders met in Philadelphia to create a constitution that would preserve liberty and foster freedom. They established three separate branches of government, and a system of checks and balances among them. Ours is still the oldest written constitution in use in the world. The most important purpose of Constitution Day is to teach these lessons to the younger generations. I’m pleased to say that the Kentucky Department of Education has made resources available to secondary schools across the Commonwealth to help them recognize this special day.
“The University of Kentucky is marking Constitution Day by inviting speakers and holding historical forums. And at the University of Louisville, Constitution Day was celebrated with a Constitution quiz bowl and Constitution cupcakes. So on this day, we recognize the students, teachers, and community leaders in Kentucky and across the Nation who promote and protect the ideals of our glorious Constitution.
“We also say a special thanks for our men and women in uniform who defend it.
“More than two centuries ago, the 39 signers of our Constitution gave us a more perfect Union through a document that endures and guides us here today. They understood, as we all must, that above all, government serves to secure the blessings of liberty for the people of our great Nation. It is an honor to stand on this floor and recognize how we have reaped the fruit of their efforts these many years later.”
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Post by Press Release on Sept 20, 2012 19:39:36 GMT -5
CBO Confirms Obamacare to Tax Millions of Middle-Class Americans Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell released the following statement today regarding a new CBO report that says Obamacare will result in tax hikes for 6 million mainly middle-class Americans: “For years, the President and his Democrat allies in Congress have sworn up and down that failing to comply with the individual mandate did not result in a tax on individuals or families. And the reason was obvious: if Americans knew that failure to comply resulted in a tax hike, it never would have passed. And now the non-partisan CBO makes clear that the tax will hit 6 million Americans—mainly middle-class individuals and families. This is just one more reason among many for why Obamacare must be repealed.”
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Post by Press Release on Sept 21, 2012 17:56:05 GMT -5
Democrats have treated Senate floor like a campaign studio Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor Friday in an effort to urge Democrats to meet their responsibilities and allow a vote on the CR: “Yesterday dozens of Republican senators came to the Senate floor one after the other to register their frustration with the way Democrats are running this place. Never before have a President and a Majority Party in the Senate done so little to address challenges as great as the ones our nation faces right now—never. We’ve got a $16 trillion debt and they haven’t bothered to put together a budget in three years.
“They haven’t passed a single appropriations bill this year or a defense authorization bill, even though the Senate has passed one every year for more than half a century. These things are usually as standard as turning the lights on. They haven’t done any of it. It’s a disgrace. The Middle East is in turmoil and they won’t even pass a Defense Authorization Bill.
“So we’re fed up with the Democrat leadership. No legislation. No amendments. No action on taxes. No action on defense cuts. Nothing. And now we’re at it again. All Republicans want to do is extend government funding for a few months, and the Majority Leader won’t even do that unless he can squeeze in yet another political vote.
“The Democrats have treated the Senate floor like a campaign studio for two years. Now they’re holding the CR hostage for no other reason than to help one of their members on the campaign trail. Well, we’re ready to vote on three bills—the same three bills the Majority Leader agreed to earlier this week.
“This isn’t a campaign studio. It’s the Senate. We’ve got responsibilities to meet. Let’s meet them. And leave the politics out of it for once.”
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Post by Press Release on Sept 26, 2012 16:37:04 GMT -5
President Obama’s Unconstitutional Recess Appointments forcing family run business to go Union Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell announced today that he and 41 of his Senate colleagues filed an amicus brief in a challenge (Noel Canning v. NLRB) to the constitutionality of President Obama’s so-called “recess” appointments to the National Labor Relations Board in January. The case is pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The suit is being brought by Noel Canning, a local, family-owned business in Washington State that bottles and distributes soft drinks. The company is challenging the NLRB’s determination that it must enter into a collective bargaining agreement with a labor union. “The President’s decision to circumvent the American people by installing his appointees at a powerful federal agency while the Senate was continuing to hold sessions, and without obtaining the advice and consent of the Senate, is an unprecedented power grab,” Sen. McConnell said. “We will demonstrate to the Court how the President’s unconstitutional actions fundamentally endanger the Congress’s role in providing a check on the excesses of the executive branch.”
The 42 Senate Republicans retained former Assistant to the Solicitor General Miguel Estrada to file the amicus brief. Mr. Estrada is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and serves as Co-Chair of the firm's Appellate and Constitutional Law Practice Group.
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Post by Press Release on Oct 6, 2012 8:06:52 GMT -5
It’s Time for A Sustainable Solution to Grow Our Economy Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell released the following statement today regarding the Congressional Budget Office’s Monthly Budget Review showing the fourth straight year of trillion-dollar deficits in the Obama economy: “Never before have a President and a majority party in the Senate done so little to address challenges as great as the ones our nation faces right now. Every single year the President has been in office, the nation has racked up a deficit of over $1 trillion, and now we have an unsustainable $16 trillion debt. Yet, Senate Democrats haven’t bothered to put together a budget in three years. Americans have been looking for leadership from the White House, and while the President claims to have offered a ‘balanced and comprehensive deficit reduction’ approach, his plan was so unserious that it was rejected by every single member of Congress. It’s time for leadership, time for a much different approach to get our economy growing and our nation on a sustainable path.”
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Post by Press Release on Oct 9, 2012 17:59:32 GMT -5
Democrats Continue Call For More Job-Killing Tax Hikes Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell released the following statement today regarding Sen. Schumer’s call for even more job-killing tax hikes rather than a bipartisan solution to reform and strengthen entitlements and reduce the growing national debt: “Sen. Schumer is now the second member of the Senate Democrat leadership to endorse ‘Thelma and Louise economics.’ Senior Democrats are now openly acknowledging their plan to hold the economy hostage to massive, job-killing tax hikes, and espousing the fiscally irresponsible view that says the country should be driven off the fiscal cliff rather than Congress working toward bipartisan solutions to reform and strengthen entitlements without killing jobs. And he admits that Democrats don’t intend to reform entitlements or our tax code as a means to restore fiscal sanity, create jobs, or protect our seniors, but rather to use the effort as a lure to entice support for even more job-killing tax hikes. The Speaker and I have called for extending all the income tax rates for a year, ensuring that no one sees an income tax hike in January and preventing the economic harm and massive job loss that will come if Sen. Schumer and Washington Democrats follow through on their threats to drive us off the fiscal cliff. This uncertainty needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later. We need to find a way to deal with the sequester not by cutting a penny less, but by intelligently making the decisions that are necessary to keep our promise to reduce the debt by $2.1 trillion and to get our economy back on track.”
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Post by Press Release on Oct 16, 2012 12:44:46 GMT -5
McConnell Statement on the Passing of Arlen Specter Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell released the following statement Sunday regarding the passing of former U.S. Senator Arlen Specter: "A legendary figure in his beloved Pennsylvania, Arlen Specter brought his fierce intellect and a prosecutor's drive to countless battles in the Senate. He was a fighter to the end, and Elaine and I send our deepest condolences to Joan and the entire Specter family."
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Post by Press Release on Oct 27, 2012 16:50:57 GMT -5
David Williams
Statement of Senator McConnell on David Williams Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following comments today regarding the appointment of Senator David Williams as judge on the 40th Judicial Circuit: "I congratulate Senator David Williams on his appointment to serve as a judge on the 40th Judicial Circuit. For anyone who knows David Williams, it comes as no surprise that he has found yet another way to serve the people of Kentucky. David’s twenty-five years in the State Senate stand as one of the most accomplished tenures in the history of the Commonwealth. His legacy is carried out every day through the countless communities across Kentucky that have benefited from his leadership. The next chapter in David’s life will undoubtedly share the same commitment to public service that he’s demonstrated throughout his entire career."
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Post by Press Release on Nov 7, 2012 17:44:43 GMT -5
McCONNELL STATEMENT ON THE RE-ELECTION OF PRESIDENT OBAMA Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement today regarding President Barack Obama: “I extend my sincere congratulations to President Obama and Vice President Biden on their hard-fought victory, and I would like to thank Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan for running a great campaign based on concrete solutions to the tremendous economic challenges we continue to face. The American people did two things: they gave President Obama a second chance to fix the problems that even he admits he failed to solve during his first four years in office, and they preserved Republican control of the House of Representatives. The voters have not endorsed the failures or excesses of the President’s first term, they have simply given him more time to finish the job they asked him to do together with a Congress that restored balance to Washington after two years of one-party control.
Now it’s time for the President to propose solutions that actually have a chance of passing the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and a closely-divided Senate, step up to the plate on the challenges of the moment, and deliver in a way that he did not in his first four years in office. To the extent he wants to move to the political center, which is where the work gets done in a divided government, we’ll be there to meet him half way. That begins by proposing a way for both parties to work together in avoiding the ‘fiscal cliff’ without harming a weak and fragile economy, and when that is behind us work with us to reform the tax code and our broken entitlement system. Republicans are eager to hear the President’s proposals on these and many other pressing issues going forward and to do the work the people sent us here to do.”
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Post by Press Release on Nov 7, 2012 17:52:04 GMT -5
Andy Barr
Statement of Senator McConnell on Kentucky Congressional Elections Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell released the following statement regarding the elections in Kentucky: “Kentucky elected two exciting new Congressmen last night, Thomas Massie and Andy Barr. Their message of reining in outrageous Washington spending and the overreaching policies of the Obama Administration resonated throughout our state. They ran great campaigns and they will be incredibly strong voices for their constituents. I know they will make Kentucky proud.”
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Post by Press Release on Nov 9, 2012 18:06:16 GMT -5
McConnell Calls on President to Offer ‘Realistic and Specific’ Economic Proposal Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell released the following statement today regarding America’s looming fiscal cliff and the need for a specific proposal from the President to resolve it: “I was glad to hear the President’s focus on jobs and growth and his call for consensus. But there is no consensus on raising tax rates, which would undermine the jobs and growth we all believe are important to our economy. While I appreciate and share the President’s desire to put the election behind us, the fact is we still have yet to hear an actual plan from the President for addressing the great economic challenges we face. What’s needed now is a realistic and specific proposal from the President that can actually pass the Congress. For the last two years, the President avoided outlining these kinds of realistic solutions. Now that the election is over, the American people expect a plan that reduces spending, reforms the entitlement system, and puts us on a path to ending our chronic annual deficits—without harming an already fragile economy. While the Speaker and Republicans in Congress have sought common ground by calling for pro-growth tax reform without raising tax rates, we have yet to hear from Democrats on spending and entitlement reform. Every one of us wants to help the American people by helping the economy grow, and Republicans are eager to hear the President’s proposals on this and many other pressing issues going forward. The President has a duty to lead. We implore him again to do so.”
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Post by Press Release on Nov 9, 2012 18:16:57 GMT -5
Senator McConnell Honors Kentucky’s Veterans Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
‘On Veterans Day, we express our deepest thanks to the men and women in uniform, past and present, who have served our country with honor and distinction’
U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement today honoring America’s veterans: “On Veterans Day, we express our deepest thanks to the men and women in uniform, past and present, who have served our country with honor and distinction. From veterans of long ago who fought in the War of 1812, which we mark the 200th anniversary of this year, to today’s veterans who fought bravely in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world, this is a day to pay tribute to their service and sacrifice.
“Here in Kentucky, we have a proud and honorable military history, as home to both Fort Knox and Fort Campbell, with thousands of soldiers and their families. The Commonwealth also looks with great pride upon the scores of brave National Guard members and Reservists who have given so much to defend our nation.
“Kentucky is also home to 335,000 veterans whom I am proud to represent in the U.S. Senate. They risked their all for their country.
“So this Veterans Day, we pay tribute to those who bore arms in service of country. We should express our thanks and our gratitude to those who are still with us. And we must honor in our memories those who did not return home.
“We pay tribute to the families of our service members too, because they have made a sacrifice as well by sharing with America their sons, daughters, husbands and wives.
“And finally, we pay tribute to the indomitable American spirit that is essential to the survival of liberty. It is thanks to America’s veterans, and their exceptional service, that we have upheld this spirit.”
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Post by Press Release on Nov 14, 2012 20:55:48 GMT -5
Presidential Leadership Is Essential to Solving the Fiscal Crisis Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today welcoming the new members of the Senate and calling on the President to work with both Republicans and Democrats to find solutions to the fiscal crisis: “I want to begin by welcoming all the new members who are here today, Republican and Democrat. Congratulations on your victories, and welcome to the Senate. I assure you: it’s not as terrible a job as they say it is. We welcome your ideas, your energy, and your enthusiasm. And we wish you every success in your time here. “I also want to congratulate the President and Vice President once again on their own hard-fought victory last week. And I’d like to say just a brief word of thanks to our own nominees as well, Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan. They may not have won the race, but they earned our respect and admiration in the effort. They fought valiantly for the cause of limited government, free enterprise, opportunity for all, and a stronger social safety net that’s there when people need it most. “In short, they fought for the kind of constitutional conservatism so many Americans believe in so strongly. And their loss does nothing to diminish the importance of these enduring principles, or our commitment to keep fighting for them. So we thank them, and their families, for making the sacrifices any presidential campaign demands. And I want to assure everyone: the cause goes on. “Now, onto the task at hand. “In politics, there is always a temptation among those who win office to think they have a mandate to do what they will. But it’s important to remember that in this case the voters also re-elected a Republican-controlled House last week, and a closely divided Senate. And in a government of three equal branches, that’s hardly irrelevant. “Most people may focus on the White House, but the fact is, the government is organized no differently today than it was after the Republican wave of 2010. “Look out across the heartland, and you’ll see vast regions of the country wary of the President’s vision for the future. The country is sharply divided about the right path forward. If the President wants to unite America, as he has always claimed to, if he truly realizes that he was elected to represent all of its citizens, not just the ones who voted to give him a second term last Tuesday, then he’ll seek the common ground he avoided so strenuously in his first term. “That’s his task. That’s the duty that comes with being President. “I hope that in this term he rises to the challenge. It starts by realizing he’s the only man in America who can sign a piece of legislation into law, and that while the voters may have given him a second term, they’ve also given those of us in Congress the power and the duty to ensure that he uses that power wisely. And that’s what we intend to do. “The campaign is over. The time for slogans and pep rallies is passed. If the President is really serious about solving current crises and avoiding future ones, he has to step up and lead. “So let me be clear: when it comes to the great economic challenges of the moment, saying that you want a balanced approach is not a plan. Saying people need to pay their fair share isn’t a plan. The tedious repetition of poll-tested talking points is simply that. And the longer the President uses them as a substitute for leadership, the more difficult it will be to solve our problems. “The President needs to lead. And that means offering a concrete plan that takes into account the fact that half the Congress opposes tax hikes. Not because we’re selfish or stubborn. But because we know it’s the wrong thing to do, because we know it will hurt the economy and destroy jobs. “This isn’t partisan politics. It’s economics. As the President might say, it’s math. “According to a recent, independent non-partisan study, raising tax rates on top earners, as the President has proposed, would destroy over 700,000 jobs. It would slow the economy, meaning less revenue would come into the Treasury. As a result, it wouldn’t do much to reduce the deficit, even if Democrats actually followed through and used it for that purpose. “Think about it: the amount of revenue for which they’re prepared to push us over the fiscal cliff wouldn't fund the government for a week. So why in the world would we want to do it? What’s the point? To make people feel good about whacking somebody else? That’s not what we were sent here to do. That’s certainly not what the people of Kentucky sent me here to do. That’s not how you set economic policy — because it makes you feel good. You set economic policy because you think it will lead to investment here in America, create jobs, and give more people an opportunity to lift up themselves up, boosting middle-class incomes now and ensuring security for the future. “This is the kind of vision that Speaker Boehner laid out for the country last week. And I can’t think of any good reason why the President wouldn’t embrace it. “Some on the other side have said we should just go off the cliff, and just hope for the best. “I don’t think that’s what the American people had in mind when they went to the polls last week. I think what they had in mind is that we put the staring contests of the past two years behind us, and work it out. The best way forward, the way that will lead to jobs and growth, a smaller deficit, and fewer political fights, is to keep everybody’s tax rates right where they are for now, figure out a way to avoid the automatic defense cuts scheduled to hit at the end of the year without cutting a penny less than we promised, and committing to the kind of comprehensive tax and entitlement reform next year that we all claim to want. A simpler tax code that lowers rates and clears out certain deductions and special interest loopholes would trigger economic growth, create jobs, and result in more revenue without raising anyone’s rates. We know this because we’ve seen it before. It works. “Personally, I don’t think Washington should get any of that extra revenue. I don’t think we need it. As I’ve said many times before, Washington’s problem isn’t that it taxes too little, but that it spends too much. But in a good faith effort to make progress on boosting the economy and government’s long-term solvency, Republicans like me have said for more than a year now that we’re open to new revenue in exchange for meaningful reforms to the entitlement programs that are the primary drivers of our debt, so that we can reduce the deficit, protect these programs for today’s seniors, and strengthen them for future generations. “In other words, we’d do it if we thought we could make progress in creating more middle-class jobs and address what is by far the single biggest obstacle to fiscal balance. This is the basic outline of a plan, and it reflects our seriousness as a party. “So make no mistake: Republicans are offering bipartisan solutions. Now it’s the President's turn. “It’s his turn to demonstrate similar seriousness, bring his party to the table, and take the lead. “We’re ready to find common ground on revenue not, as I said, because any of us actually thinks that the government needs even more of it, but because Democrats from the President on down have said they’re willing to punish everyone if they don’t get it. And we’re not about to let that happen. But we’re also not about to further weaken the economy by raising tax rates and hurting jobs. “Look: this shouldn’t be that difficult. Recent history gives us two examples of Presidents who solved big problems by finding ground with the other side. Ronald Reagan did it with a Democratic-led House after a far more resounding second-term victory that President Obama’s, as did Bill Clinton with a Republican-controlled House after a more resounding second-term victory than President Obama’s. “Both examples illustrate the rare opportunity that divided government presents. “President Obama can follow suit, or he can take the extremist view that both Reagan and Clinton rejected, by thumbing his nose at the other side and insisting that if Republicans aren’t willing to do things his way, he won’t do anything at all. “If the President’s serious, he’ll follow the lead of Presidents Reagan and Clinton. If he’s really serious, he’ll put the campaign rhetoric aside, propose a realistic solution that can pass a Republican-controlled House and a divided Senate, and work to get it done. And if the President acts in this spirit, I have no doubt that he’ll have the support of his own party and a willing partner in ours. And the American people will breathe a sigh of relief, knowing not only that we’ve avoided a crisis, but that Washington can still serve their interests. "Unless we act, in a few short weeks Americans will face a combination of defense cuts and automatic tax hikes that threaten to plunge us in another recession and undermine our national defense. “This looming crisis is made worse by the backdrop of a massive federal debt that we’ll never be able to tackle as long as Democrats refuse even the smallest of reforms to strengthen and protect the entitlement programs that are driving it. “That’s why Republicans have remained firm on this point: any serious solution, must include real spending cuts and meaningful entitlement reforms, to strengthen and protect these programs for future generations. We got into this mess because we promised cuts that never materialized, and because we couldn’t muster the will to match entitlements with changing demographics. “We’re not going to get out of it until we agree to do both, together.
“Republicans have reached out, made offers beyond our preferred approach in an effort to attract bipartisan solutions. Meanwhile, all we get from Democrats are letters saying they won’t even consider reforming the very programs that lie at the heart of our fiscal imbalance. “Instead of a showing faith and a willingness to solve the problem, we get the same tired talking point — that we can’t cut our way to prosperity. Well, that may poll well. But it isn’t a plan. It’s a cliché that’s meant to shut down debate and prevent a serious proposal from ever taking shape. “How do we get around the stalemate? That’s simple: presidential leadership. We will arrive at a plan when the President presents one. Or we won’t get anywhere at all. “That’s how we get out of this jam. That’s what the moment requires. It’s the President’s move. “There’s no question we can avert these job-killing tax hikes before they strike and replace the defense portion of the so-called sequester with cuts of equal size in areas that both sides already agreed to during last summer’s debt limit negotiations. “We can do all of it in the weeks ahead, with a promise to do even bigger things next year. And that’s exactly what we should do. This is one of those moments where the only thing standing between success and failure is presidential leadership, and that’s why we’re calling on the President to seize the moment and do something he hasn’t done before, but which successful predecessors have so often done before. “We’re calling on him to lead, to take the initiative, propose a plan that’s actually designed to succeed. And if he does, I’m confident he’ll find he has more Republican friends over here than he thought. I’m not asking the President to agree with us on the proper role of government or the dangers of a creeping regulatory state. I’m not asking him to adopt our principles. I’m simply asking him to respect our principles by not insisting that we compromise them. Because we won’t. “But we’ll happily work with him on a plan to avert the coming crisis, and lay the groundwork for further successes down the road. The campaign is behind us. Let’s get this done.”
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Post by Press Release on Nov 15, 2012 6:29:16 GMT -5
Mitch McConnell
Senator McConnell Re-elected Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senator Mitch McConnell was unanimously re-elected by his colleagues on Wednesday to serve as Republican Leader for the 113th Congress. Senator McConnell is only the second Kentuckian to lead his party in the U.S. Senate. The other Senator from Kentucky to serve as his party’s leader was Alben Barkley. “I am honored that my colleagues once again supported me and invested their trust in me to lead the team as Republican Leader for another two years,” McConnell said. “We have an energized leadership team that is committed to finding solutions to the critical issues facing our country. I will also use my leadership post to work on behalf of all Kentuckians to ensure they have a strong voice in the Nation’s Capital.” Sen. McConnell was nominated by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Pat Toomey (R-PA), who each spoke on his behalf. This is the fourth time that Sen. McConnell was elected to serve as Republican Leader in the U.S. Senate.
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Post by Press Release on Nov 21, 2012 13:14:15 GMT -5
Thanksgiving: A Time to Recognize America’s Many Blessings Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell released the following Thanksgiving message: “Nearly one hundred fifty years ago, in the midst of a terrible civil war, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the first national day of Thanksgiving. His point was to recognize God’s mercy in ensuring that beyond the field of battle the United States had prospered, freedom had increased, and peace with other nations had been maintained. These many years later, despite great challenges at home and abroad, the United States continues to be a nation blessed by prosperity, freedom, and opportunity. We may have our political differences, as the past year has shown, but ours has always been a nation where people of different backgrounds and beliefs could express themselves freely, without fear of reprisal, and that’s something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Day. We are also grateful today in a special way for those who have served at home and abroad to preserve and protect our God-given freedoms, and we remember those who do not enjoy as fully as we do the benefits of our nation’s prosperity. Today is a day to put aside the political disagreements of the moment and join together in recognition of our many blessings, knowing that among the greatest of these is the ability to call ourselves Americans. May all of you and your families have a happy Thanksgiving.”
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Post by Press Release on Nov 26, 2012 20:59:05 GMT -5
President Needs to Lead on a Fiscal Plan that Can Pass Congress Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the need for the President to present a serious plan to prevent automatic tax hikes that could devastate our nation’s fragile economy: “As most Americans know by now, the next few weeks are critically important in the life of our nation. Unless the President leads and Congress acts, a combination of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts will go into effect that could have a devastating effect on our national defense and on an already painfully-slow economy. What’s more, the nation’s finances are teetering on the edge, threatening even greater hardship for millions, unless we bring federal spending in balance.
“The question is, what are we going to do about all this? How do we face up to the fiscal irresponsibility and can-kicking that got us here, and finally do what’s right?
“Well, I don’t think it’s a secret that for our part, Republicans have shown a clear willingness to make tough choices in order to find a solution to the trillion-dollar deficits of the last four years.
“We’ve been open to revenue by closing loopholes, as long as it’s tied to spending cuts and pro-growth tax reform that broadens the base and lowers rates. This is the model laid out by the Bowles-Simpson commission, and it’s a model both parties should step forward and embrace.
“Without compromising our principles, we’ve put skin in the game in recognition of the fact that while Democrats don’t run this town, neither do we. We’ve been reasonable, even as we’ve remained firm on this point: no tax increases now for promised spending cuts that won’t materialize later. The American people have seen that game before. They won’t be fooled again.
“The only balanced approach is one that includes real and lasting reforms. So Republicans have stepped out of our comfort zone. We’ve been clear about what we’ll do and what we won’t. And yet we remain at an impasse.
“Why? Because a vocal minority on the hard-left continues to argue to the leaders of their party — from the President on down — that Democrats in Washington should do absolutely nothing about short-term or long-term spending problems.
“This is the Thelma and Louise crowd, the ones who dream about higher taxes and the bigger government it will pay for, regardless of the impact on jobs or the economy or America’s standing in the world.
“These are the ones who recklessly ignore the fact that we can’t keep running trillion dollar deficits every year and throw a tantrum if somebody suggests that maybe the taxpayers shouldn’t keep subsidizing every last program Washington ever dreamed up.
“Their reckless and ideological approach threatens our future. And anyone who’s serious about solving the problems we face should ignore it, starting with the President.
“The election is over, but the economic and fiscal problems of the past several years have only gotten worse. It’s time for the President to present a plan that rises above these reckless and radical voices on the hard-Left, that goes beyond the talking points of the campaign trail, and that has a realistic chance of passing the Congress. The time for campaigning is over.
“It’s time for the President to lead.
“A little over a week ago, I attended a meeting with the President down at the White House; it was positive and productive, and afterward I was confident that all sides are eager to figure out a solution to the present challenges that respects our respective principles. But as I have said repeatedly, the only person in America who can really make or break it is the President; he’s the only one who can lead his party to do something they wouldn’t ordinarily do, to do what’s needed now. And that’s why he’s the one who has to present a plan for success.
“So we’ll continue to wait on the President, and hope that he has what it takes to bring people together to forge a compromise. If he does, we’ll get there. If he doesn’t, we won’t. It’s that simple.”
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Post by Press Release on Nov 27, 2012 17:49:42 GMT -5
President Should Skip Campaign Trail, Focus Instead on Bipartisan Fiscal Negotiations Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the need for the President to skip the campaign trail and participate in bipartisan fiscal negotiations to prevent the country from going over the Fiscal Cliff: “Yesterday, I came to the floor to discuss what is known as the Fiscal Cliff — a mix of automatic tax hikes and defense cuts that are set to hit at the end of the year, jeopardizing our security and our economy.
“My message was simple: A solution is possible, Republicans have been reasonable, and the President needs to lead. He’s the only one who can get us to a solution. If that’s what he wants, we’ll succeed.
“So it was with some concern that I read this morning that the President plans to hit the road this week to drum up support for his own personal approach to the short and long-term fiscal challenges we face. In other words, rather than sitting down with lawmakers of both parties and working out an agreement, he’s back out on the campaign trail, presumably with the same old talking points we’re all familiar with.
“Look: we already know the President is a very good campaigner. What we don’t know is whether he has the leadership qualities necessary to lead his party to a bipartisan agreement on a big issue likes this.
“So let me suggest that if the President wants a solution to the challenges of the moment, the people he needs to be talking to are the members of his own party, so he can convince them of the need to act.
“We’re not going to solve this problem by creating villains and drumming up outrage. We’ll solve this problem by doing the hard work of sitting down and figuring out a solution that involves tough choices on all sides. Which gets at another point I made yesterday.
“In the past, Democrats have demanded tax hikes now for spending cuts that never happened. Not this time. A balanced approach means real cuts, now. I’m not saying this because it’s the Republicans position, though it is. I’m not saying it because I have anything against the government, which I don’t. I’m saying it because it’s the only approach that will work.
“No credible deficit reduction plan we’ve seen over the past few years excludes real cuts. And if we want to prevent this crisis, Democrats need to be as serious about cuts as they are about spending. It’s that simple.
“By the way, this is also an approach Americans overwhelmingly support. According to a recent AP poll, voters prefer spending cuts to tax hikes 62 to 29 percent; a more than two-to-one margin. There’s a reason for this. The American people aren’t stupid. They know the problem with Washington isn’t that it taxes too little, but that it spends too much. They also know the only reason we’re even talking about a looming fiscal crisis right now is because Democrats spent the last four years creating it.
“And that’s what I’d like to focus on this morning: how we got into this mess in the first place. Because amid all the talk about plans and proposals, it’s easy to forget that we didn’t get here by accident. We got here because Washington Democrats — from the President on down — have done two things exceedingly well over the past four years: spent other peoples’ money, and kicked cans down the road.
“For four years, Democrats spent money we didn’t have in the misguided hope it would help the economy. They borrowed trillions of dollars to keep unemployment pretty much right where it was when they started, and here’s what we have four years later: a mountain of debt, and a looming national budgetary crisis.
“So Republicans are happy to talk about how to solve this mess, but make no mistake: we’ll also talk about how we got here. The reason we’re having these negotiations is because Washington Democrats have spent money without any care for the cost or the future, and refused to do anything to protect long-term spending programs like Medicare, a failure that’s among the biggest single drivers of our debt.
“All this reflects a philosophy. For Washington Democrats, every dollar that’s ever been secured for anything is sacred. And they’ll defend it to the death, regardless of what it means for jobs or the economy. But those days are over. Because you don’t eliminate trillion dollar deficits by taxing the rich — not even close. It may be an effective talking point, but as a matter of policy it’s minor. And Democrats know it.
“So as we move into the final stretch, it’s time, as I’ve said, to put the talking points away and get real. The first step to recovery is to admit you’ve got a problem. And if borrowing more than 40 cents for every dollar you spend doesn’t convince you you’ve got a spending problem, frankly, I don’t know what will.
“If Democrats can’t admit that we’ve got a spending problem, they need to talk to their constituents more. They need to get real, and that means changing the way things have been done around here over the past few years. Independent budget experts have been telling us for ages that our long-term budget deficits are driven by unsustainable health care entitlements. What was the Administration’s response? Their response was to add trillions more by creating an entirely new health care entitlement program.
“We were promised that the President’s health care law would reduce health care costs. What did it do? We’re now told health care costs will rise as a share of our economy and the taxpayers’ liability.
“By one estimate, those costs will go up by more than half a trillion dollars over the next ten years.
“We know that the number of Americans 65 or older will increase by one-third over the next 10 years. According to the Census Bureau, there were 40 million older Americans in 2010. There will be 54 million of them a decade after that, and more than 72 million older Americans a decade after that. What are Democrats doing to ensure that the programs they rely upon will be there for these Americans?
“We can’t ignore the facts. We need to prepare for the demographic changes we know are coming. Medicare is simply too important for millions of seniors to let it continue down the road to insolvency. We must preserve it for today’s seniors and strengthen it for those who will retire in the years ahead.
“And as Congress looks for savings, we need to look at the new health care entitlements too. While Democrats and Republicans may disagree on Obamacare — it’s ridiculous to suggest that we make changes to Medicare and Medicaid, while leaving $1.6 trillion in new Obamacare spending untouched.
“For four years, Democrats have been completely unbalanced in the way they’ve spent taxpayer dollars. Yet now that the crisis is upon us, they solemnly advise us that we need to be balanced in our solution.
“This is how you ensure the expansion of government. This is how you end up with a $16 trillion debt. But it’s not how you get out of it. It’s not how you solve the problem. You solve the problem by taking tough medicine, and tough votes. You solve it by doing something different than what you’ve been doing. You solve it with the help of a President who’s willing to lead his party.
“You don’t just change your rhetoric and your talking points while telling your base behind closed doors you aren’t going to give any ground. You change your behavior. And for Democrats in Washington, as I’ve said, that means getting serious for a change about cuts. The time for campaigning is over. It’s time to act.”
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Post by Press Release on Nov 28, 2012 17:43:32 GMT -5
Statement of Senator Mitch McConnell on University of Louisville Joining the ACC Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senator Mitch McConnell made the following statement today regarding the University of Louisville joining the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC): “It’s been my privilege during my career to get to know a number of people in all walks of life who have been highly successful. However, I am hard pressed to think of a more conspicuous example of success than what Tom Jurich has accomplished for UofL athletics in the last 15 years. Membership in the ACC is the culmination of his extraordinary leadership.”
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Post by Press Release on Nov 29, 2012 18:39:40 GMT -5
Mitch McConnell
McConnell Statement on Geithner Meeting Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell released the following statement today after his meeting with Secretary Geithner on the need to take serious action to prevent our country from going over the fiscal cliff: “Republicans have been very clear on the need for the President to put forward a specific, balanced plan for protecting jobs and promoting economic growth for middle class Americans while reducing the debt by strengthening entitlements, reducing Washington spending, and preventing a tax hike on every American taxpayer. “To date, the administration has remained focused on raising taxes and attending campaign-style events, with no specific plans to protect Medicare and Social Security or reduce our national debt in a meaningful way. And today, they took a step backward, moving away from consensus and significantly closer to the cliff, delaying again the real, balanced solution that this crisis requires. This is a real problem—every day they delay brings us one step closer to the fiscal cliff that we simply must avoid. “It’s well past time for the administration to get serious about solving the problems created by years of trillion-dollar deficits and kicking the can down the road. While Republicans have made a good-faith effort to move out of our comfort zones and find real solutions, the administration has yet to provide any realistic alternatives. We have a hard deadline here and the only reason we will go over the cliff is if the White House continues to fail to show the leadership necessary to get an agreement that reflects the compromise the American people expected when they elected a divided government.”
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Post by Press Release on Dec 4, 2012 19:49:43 GMT -5
Unlike Senate, House Majority is Allowing the Minority to Represent its Constituents Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding an effort by the Democratic Majority to alter the rules of the Senate, further marginalizing the minority party in the Senate and the constituents they represent: “We have been discussing the plans of the Democratic Majority to repudiate its clear commitment to respect the rights of the minority, which is a hallmark of the Senate, and instead to ‘break the Rules to change the Rules.’ That’s how my friend from Nevada repeatedly described it when Republicans considered doing something similar several years ago. Of course, Republicans never did break the rules to change the rules, but Democrats are contemplating doing so in the name of ‘efficiency.’ “Last week I noted how my Democratic colleagues seek to minimize this major change in how the Senate governs itself by calling this heavy-handed power-play ‘tiny’ and a ‘minor change,’ and adjusting the Senate’s Rules just ‘a little bit.’ “But this eleventh hour rhetoric stands in stark contrast to what they have previously said and what they have systemically done. “My friend, the Majority Leader, told one of my new Members, in essence, that even if this new so-called ‘tiny’ rules change removed all chance that this new Member would have any recourse to get an amendment to a bill, that new Member could simply ‘vote against the bill.’ And my friend told Senator McCain this fall that “’the amendment days are over’ in the Senate. “But of course, it’s much more than what has been said that’s at issue. It’s what the Democratic Leadership has systemically done to marginalize the voice of the minority. “As I noted, it has used, to an unprecedented extent, Senate Rule 14. This rule allows the Majority to bypass committees and write bills behind closed doors. Doing so deprives all of us—Republicans and Democrats—of the chance to have their committee work matter. “According to the Congressional Research Service, the Majority has used this Rule to bypass committees nearly 70 times. When Republicans were last in the Majority under Senator Frist, we used that Rule less than half as often, only 30 times. “And when a bill that has bypassed committee goes straight to the floor under the current Majority, there often isn’t an opportunity to participate there either. Again, according to the Congressional Research Service, the current Democratic Leadership has blocked Senators from both sides of the aisle from offering amendments on the floor 68 times. “This is 70 percent greater than the number of times the six prior Majority Leaders combined shut their colleagues out of the amendment process. “The Majority Leader dismissed this unprecedented practice, saying it has ‘no bearing on what’s going on around here.’ “Well, maybe it doesn’t to him. But he’s the only one who, under this unprecedented amendment blockade, is picking amendments. It’s a little bit bigger deal to the other 99 of us who are shut out from representing our constituents by blocking our ability to offer any amendments on their behalf. “By the way, that’s not how the Majority Leader viewed this practice when he was in the minority. When Senator Frist, as Majority Leader, blocked his colleagues from offering amendments a relatively modest 15 times in four years, my friend from Nevada said it was ‘a bad way to run the Senate’ and a ‘very bad practice’ and that it ran ‘against the basic nature of the Senate.’ “That’s when Senator Frist did it 15 times over four years. This Democratic Majority has done it nearly 70 times in their tenure. What would be a fair way to describe that record? “But the current Democratic Leadership hasn’t been content there to stop there in marginalizing the minority. They have prevented the minority from offering amendments in committee; they have prevented them from offering amendments on the floor before cloture; and then they changed Senate procedure with a heavy-handed majoritarian motion to stop the minority from offering motions after cloture was invoked. “Since such motions to suspend the rules require 67 votes to be successful. I gather that having even to deal with such motions interfered with ‘efficiency,’ as did allowing bills to be marked up in committee, as did allowing senators of both parties to have amendments on the floor. So our Democratic colleagues have shut out the minority there, too. “But even that’s not enough. Now, the same Democratic Leadership now wants to take away the right to extended debate on motions to proceed to a measure. “Throughout its history, the unique role of the Senate has been to protect the voice of the minority, expressed through the equal rights of all Senators to debate and amend legislation. This has stood in contrast with the House of Representatives, where a simple majority rules. So it should be startling to every United States Senator and to the people who elected us to represent them, to look at the facts. “How does the Senate compare with the House of Representatives? At the same time that the current Senate Majority is finding every way it can to marginalize the minority, the Majority in the House is moving in the opposite direction. “The Wall Street Journal reported last year that the Majority in the House was ‘giving lawmakers more opportunity to amend bills on the floor,’ and that ‘even some Democrats acknowledged that GOP leaders have done better than their predecessors.’ “According to the article, last year the House held more votes on amendments on the floor than the two previous years combined when Congressional Democrats were in the Majority. “How does that compare to the Senate? According to the Congressional Research Service, this year the Majority in the House has given the Minority in the House 214 occasions to effect legislation on the House floor through amendments and motions to commit or recommit. “By contrast, the Majority in the Senate has only allowed the Minority in the Senate 67 occasions to effect legislation on the Senate floor in the same way. So the Minority in the House has had more than three times the opportunity to express its views and to represent its constituents than has the Minority in the Senate. “It appears that in terms of respect for minority rights and the constituents the minority represents, the House is becoming more like the Senate; and unfortunately, the Senate is becoming more like the House. “Now, it doesn’t have to be this way in the Senate, of course. “Senators Levin and McCain are reminding those of us who have been here awhile, and showing those of us who haven’t, that it’s possible for the Senate to actually legislate. “Despite the fact that the Senate has devoted much less floor time to the Defense Authorization bill than is the historical practice, and many fewer amendments than is the historical practice, the Majority is allowing amendments to receive votes, and the minority, for our part, is not insisting that we get to vote on every amendment we want. “We need to get back to conducting business that way again, and the Majority Leader and I need to discuss how to achieve that. “But what the Democratic Majority must not do is change the Senate by using a bare-majority to ram through a rules change, as if this were the House. “Such a rules change won’t do them any good in the short term with the House in the hands of Republicans, but it will do the institution irreparable damage in the long term and will establish a precedent in the Senate for breaking the rules to change the rules that our Democratic colleagues will have to endure when they are in the minority again. “We should work together instead to resolve our differences. As I said last week, that is what the Standing Rules of the Senate anticipate. And that has been how changes to the Senate Rules have occurred.”
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Post by Press Release on Dec 6, 2012 13:37:57 GMT -5
President Demands a Permanent Debt Ceiling Increase Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the President’s attempt to raise the debt ceiling whenever he wants by as much as he wants in order to continue wasteful Washington spending: “Yesterday afternoon, I came to floor and offered President Obama’s proposal on the fiscal cliff to show that neither he, nor Democrats in Congress, are acting in good faith in these negotiations. “With just a few weeks to go before a potentially devastating and entirely avoidable blow to the economy, the President proposed a plan that the members of his own party won’t even vote for. “So I think it’s safe to say at this point that the President isn’t interested in a balanced agreement. He’s not particularly interested in avoiding the fiscal cliff. And he’s clearly not interested in cutting spending. “What the President’s really interested in, as we all learned yesterday, is getting as much taxpayer money as he can — first by raising taxes on small businesses that he thinks make too much money, and then on everybody else — not so he can lower the debt or the deficit, but so he can spend to his heart’s content. “For months, the President has been saying all he wants is to raise taxes on the top two percent so he can tackle the debt and the deficit. Yesterday, he finally revealed that’s not really his true intent. By demanding the power to raise the debt limit whenever he wants by as much as he wants, he showed what he’s really after is assuming unprecedented power to spend taxpayer dollars without any limit. “This isn’t about getting a handle on deficits or debt for him. It’s about spending even more than he already is. Why else would he demand the power to raise the debt limit on his own? “And by the way, why on earth would we even consider giving a President who’s brought us four years of trillion dollar deficits unchecked authority to borrow – he’s the last person who should have limitless borrowing power. “Look: the only way we ever cut spending around here is by using the debate over the debt limit to do it. Now the President wants to remove that spur to cut altogether. It gets in the way of his spending plans. “I assure you: it’s not going to happen. The American people want Washington to get spending under control. And the debt limit is the best tool we have to make the President take that demand seriously. “The American people want us to fight to cut spending. It’s a fight they deserve. We’re happy to have it.”
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Post by Press Release on Dec 10, 2012 13:55:04 GMT -5
Senator McConnell Honored by the American Farm Bureau Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was named a “Friend of Farm Bureau” on Friday by the American Farm Bureau Federation. The award, for the 112th Congress, is given at the end of each Congress and is based upon members’ voting records and their accessibility and responsiveness to their state’s farmers. McConnell was nominated for the award by the Kentucky Farm Bureau, and will receive it today at their annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. “It comes as no surprise that the American Farm Bureau Federation is presenting Senate Republican Leader McConnell with the 2012 ‘Friend of Farm Bureau’ Award,” said Mark Haney, president of Kentucky Farm Bureau. “When agriculture in Kentucky and our nation needs support, Farm Bureau confidently turns to leaders like Senator McConnell. His efforts in Washington to help farmers succeed in a global economy are recognized and appreciated throughout the Commonwealth.” “I am proud to accept this honor on behalf of the farmers of Kentucky whom I proudly serve in the United States Senate,” Senator McConnell said. “Kentucky farmers are vitally important to the Commonwealth’s economy, and it’s a privilege to represent them in the Nation’s Capital.
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Post by Press Release on Dec 11, 2012 18:51:54 GMT -5
A Balanced Fiscal Plan Must Include Spending Cuts Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the need for the President to offer specific spending cuts as part of a balanced plan to avoid the Fiscal Cliff: “With the Fiscal Cliff fast-approaching, I feel the need to point out something this morning that’s perfectly obvious to most Americans, but which Democrats in Washington still don’t seem to grasp. I’m referring to the fact that any solution to our spending and debt problem has to involve cuts to out-of-control Washington spending. I know that might sound obvious, but for all the President’s talk about the need for a balanced approach, the truth is, he and his Democrat allies simply refuse to be pinned down on spending cuts.
“Americans overwhelmingly support some level of cuts to government spending as part of a plan to cut the federal deficit — yet the President won’t commit to it. He refuses to lead on this issue. The President seems to think that if all he talks about are taxes, and that’s all reporters write about, somehow the rest of us will magically forget that government spending is completely out of control, and that he himself has been insisting on balance.
“A couple weeks ago, we saw his plan. After four straight trillion dollar deficits and two years of running around calling for a balanced approach to bring those deficits under control, we saw his idea of ‘balance’: a $1.6 trillion tax hike, new and totally unprecedented power to raise the federal debt limit at his whim, and $50 billion in Stimulus-type infrastructure programs — in other words, even more spending.
“So when it came to offering his idea of a balanced approach, the President was vague about cuts but very specific in his request for more government spending, something no reasonable person had publicly contemplated previously. It raises the question: do Democrats even believe their own rhetoric on spending? Or, contrary to the clear wishes of the majority of Americans, do they just want more tax revenue to fund a government without any limits whatsoever, which just keeps getting bigger and bigger with every passing year.
“Think about it: the federal government spent $1.8 trillion in 2001 and $3.6 trillion last year. These are nominal dollars, I realize, but by any measure the size of government has grown beyond its means. Government spending is totally out of control. We need to start acting like it.
“Yesterday, the Government Accountability Office revealed that government workers and private contractors are doing the same exact work on Medicaid claims, leading to billions in waste. Meanwhile, Senator Coburn has shown all of us some of the ridiculous things the taxpayers are paying for with their tax dollars, some of the things that cause us to spend a trillion dollars more than we take in every year.
“Last year, he put out a report showing how we could save more than $100 billion — or about one tenth of the annual deficit — just by eliminating duplicative and overlapping government programs. We’ve got 94 federal initiatives aimed at encouraging ‘green building’ through 11 federal agencies. We’ve got 14 programs with the sole purpose of reducing diesel emissions.
“A few weeks ago, Senator Coburn issued a study that showed taxpayers are funding Moroccan pottery classes, promoting shampoo and other beauty products for cats and dogs, and a video game that allows them to relive prom night. Get this: taxpayers also just spent $325,000 on a Robotic squirrel name RoboSquirrel.
“The President just sent us a 73-page report detailing how $60 billion in Sandy funds would be spent. Don’t you think he could put together a list of spending cuts that at least includes RoboSquirrel?
“We’re still waiting. Why? Because for Democrats, apparently, every dollar in federal spending is sacred. Once secured, it can’t be cut. That’s why we’ve got trillion dollar deficits.
“And the truth is, until the President gets specific about cuts, nobody should trust Democrats to put a dime in new revenue toward real deficit reduction — or to stop their shakedown of the taxpayers at the top two percent. As one liberal lawmaker put it last week, that’s just the beginning.
“When it comes to deficit deals, the taxpayers need to trust but verify. On cuts, that means specifics.”
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Post by Press Release on Dec 12, 2012 21:58:01 GMT -5
Cutting Spending Is Essential for Fiscal Agreement Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the need for the President to shelve his campaign talking points and offer specific spending cuts as part of a balanced plan to avoid the Fiscal Cliff: “Yesterday, I came to the floor to point out something that shouldn’t need repeating but does: any agreement on debt and deficit reduction has to include cuts to government spending.
“The reason I shouldn’t have to repeat this is because the President himself has been running around the country for two years saying any agreement has to be balanced, meaning revenue and cuts. This was the message he ran on — and it also happens to be one that an overwhelming majority of Americans support, especially the part about cuts, which more than three fourths say they support. If you heard some of the wasteful projects I detailed yesterday, you’d see why.
“I don’t think there’s a single person outside of Washington, D.C. who doesn’t think we waste massive amounts of money in this town and who doesn’t wonder why it’s so hard for us to agree to cut back. Yet now, with the election behind him, President Obama is suddenly silent on the need for spending cuts. He keeps talking about balance. That polls well. But when it comes to specific cuts, he’s silent. All of a sudden it’s all tax hikes all the time. Forget balance, let’s just raise taxes and spend even more.
“The President and his allies have taken so many things off the table the only thing left is the varnish. The President now seems to think, after his re-election, that if all he talks about are the need for tax hikes, and that’s all reporters write about, we’ll all magically forget the part about needing balance. It’s a classic bait and switch. And we’re seeing new versions of it nearly every day now.
“Democrats campaigned for two years saying we needed to take a balanced approach to our problems. Yet now that the President’s been reelected, they’re walking back, and the only thing left are the taxes. What the President should be doing after his re-election is bringing people together and showing that he has the desire and the ability to lead the two parties to an agreement that’s good for the economy and good for the country. So far, he’s chosen a different path — a path aimed at pleasing the most partisan elements of his base. A month after his re-election and weeks before the fiscal cliff, he’d still rather campaign than cooperate. And we’ll find out this week if he has the will to change paths and get something done, or just double down on campaigning.
“Look: the election is over. The President may enjoy these political rallies, but it’s time to get serious. The American people are gravely concerned about the nation’s future. They’re counting on us to prevent the kind of crisis here that we’ve seen unfolding across Europe. Republicans have engaged in these discussions in good faith. We’ve agreed to make tough choices.
“The question is, where’s the President? Where’s the only man in the country who can make it happen? Well, it appears that with just a couple weeks left to resolve this crisis, he’s busy moving the goal posts. Instead of leading as he was elected to do, he’s out campaigning and playing games with the nation’s future.
“So my sincere plea this morning is that the President get serious — that he put the campaign behind him and lead. If he does, he’ll have willing partners. And the first sign is seriousness about spending cuts.”
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Post by Press Release on Dec 14, 2012 18:17:06 GMT -5
McConnell Statement on the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell released the following statement today regarding the tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut: “We are all crushed by the news of today's horrifying massacre in Newtown. I invite everyone to lift their hearts in prayer for the victims and their families and to unite around the hope that there will soon come a day when parents no longer fear this kind of violence in our nation again.”
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Post by Press Release on Dec 17, 2012 18:23:13 GMT -5
We Stand With the People of Newtown Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut: “I want to start by extending my deepest sympathies to the families of the victims of Friday’s massacre, and to the whole community, and to thank the first responders and all those who are helping in the aftermath of this darkest of tragedies. Three days after the horrors of Newtown, we’re all still reeling from what happened. Any time there’s a shooting like this we’re crushed with sorrow, but there’s no escaping the fact that the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary stands out for its awfulness. The murder of so many little children and the adults who tried to save them doesn’t just break our hearts, it shatters them. The last few days have been searing for all of us, and the days ahead will be too.
“Over the weekend, we began to see the faces of the children, and to hear their stories. One parent, Robbie Parker, stood up in front of the cameras on Saturday and shared with the nation an impromptu eulogy of his six-year old daughter, Emilie. It was a remarkable moment. Emilie was bright, and creative, and very loving, he said. And we marveled at his courage. And now the funerals — ten of them this week in one church alone. It’s been said many times that no words are adequate to lift the agony of a parent like Robbie Parker. What happened in Newtown on Friday is something no parent of a young child could ever prepare for. But I think President Obama spoke for all of us in the very moving meditation he offered last night on the singularity of parental love. There is nothing we wouldn’t do for our kids. And that’s one of the things that makes this massacre so terrible, and which makes the stories of courage we’ve heard so inspiring.
“The young teacher who stood between the gunman and her students, and lost her life in the process. The principal and the school psychologist who sprang into action, and gave their lives too. As the President said, these luminous acts of self-sacrificing love are the moments that will define this tragedy in the years ahead, because the heroism and the courage that we never fail to see in the midst of tragedies like this point to something better and more lasting than the vagaries of this life. They give us the hope we need in the face of so much evil and sorrow.
“So we stand with the people of Newtown today and in the days ahead. We can do nothing to lessen their anguish, but we can let them know that we mourn with them, that we share a tiny part of their burden in our own hearts. And that we lift the victims and their families and the entire community in prayer. Scripture says that while ‘Now we only know in part, in the life to come we shall know, even as we are known.’ Scripture also says that in that day, ‘every tear will be wiped away, because there will be no more death, or sorrow, or crying, or pain, for the former things will have passed away.’
“May the people of Newtown and all Americans be consoled by this certain hope. May their burdens be lightened by the loving care of their neighbors and friends and even strangers in the days and weeks ahead. And may this terrible tragedy prompt all of us to cherish the lives we’ve been given, our family members and friends, and all who surround us in our daily tasks. This is no lasting city, we know. May we pass through it with a little more gratitude, and with a firmer determination to live the kind of lives we’ve been called to live.”
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Post by Press Release on Dec 19, 2012 17:20:46 GMT -5
President Still Has Time to Show He Can Lead Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the need for swift, bipartisan action to prevent the country from going over the Fiscal Cliff: “There’s still time to prevent further damage to the economy and to stop the automatic tax hike on every American that’s scheduled to go into effect at the beginning of the New Year. The President has a real opportunity, the second in two years, to do something significant about our debt crisis and jumpstart our economy. He has a real opportunity to show he can govern. He’s letting that opportunity slip away.
“Senate Democrats and the White House now say that a ‘balanced approach’ is one that can pass both the House and Senate. But we know that neither the Democrat bill in the Senate, nor the President’s plan for more than a trillion dollars in tax hikes meets their own new test of ‘balance.’
“Speaker Boehner, like me, would like to prevent a tax hike on everyone. But given the President’s failure to act, the House will soon vote on legislation to prevent a tax hike on anyone making less than a million dollars a year — rather than letting taxes go up on every American taxpayer.
“In other words, a plan that 53 of our Democrat colleagues here in the Senate already voted to support. It’s a plan that would ensure far more American families and small businesses are protected from tax hikes than anything our Democrat friends have proposed.
“Democrats will have an opportunity to offer and vote on changes if they no longer agree with their previous positions. But what they can’t do is sit on their hands and let taxes go up on every American taxpayer.
“Senate Democrats have wasted precious time all year with show votes designed to fail. That’s left us with little time to do the real work that needs to be done. But there’s still enough time for us to finish all of our work before this weekend, if we’re all willing to stay late and work hard. For the sake of the people who sent us here, it can and should be done.”
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Post by Press Release on Dec 20, 2012 17:41:08 GMT -5
Enough is enough. Let’s get this done Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Press Release
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the need for Senate Democrats to finally take action to prevent a massive tax hike at the end of the year: “I want to start out today with a little context. For more than a year, President Obama and Democrats in Congress have known as well as I do that every single taxpayer is scheduled to get slammed with an automatic tax hike on January 1. And for an entire year they’ve been running out the clock. Think about it: for President Obama, there is no better outcome than for taxes to go up on everybody — everybody. Why?
“Because the only way to pay for the big government this President wants is by raising taxes on everybody — the super-rich, the rich, middle class, lower class, you name it. “If all you do is whack the so-called rich, you only get enough money about a week of government. So let’s be clear about something: he wants to soak everybody. That’s the only way to do it. And that is exactly what he gets if we do nothing. If that wasn’t obvious before this week, it should be perfectly obvious now.
“Here we are less than a week before Christmas, and what’s this President doing?
“What’s his quarterback here in the Senate, the Majority Leader doing?
“They’ve been playing Lucy and the Football with the American people for months. They’ve said no to every single proposal that’s been offered to avoid this tax hike — including their own. They’re running out the clock. Moving the goal posts. Sitting on their hands. They aren’t doing anything. Well I say ‘Enough’. Enough. The time for games is over.
“This President may want to soak the American people to fund his vision of a social welfare state. But we’re not going to let him do it. Later today, Republicans in the House will pass a bill that protects more than 99 percent of the American people from the tax hike Democrats want to slap them within two weeks.
“As I’ve said endlessly, we don’t want to see taxes go up on anybody or anything. The problem isn’t that government taxes too little, but that it spends too much. But if the President is determined to leap off this cliff, we’re not going to let him take the middle class with him.
“We’re going to do everything we can to protect the American people from this scheme. And there is no reason in the world that Democrats shouldn’t join us. “I’ve got a book of quotes from Democrats saying they want to protect the middle class. Well, here’s your chance folks. We’re at the end of the line.
“You’ve got one chance to put your money where your mouth is — and that’s by voting on the bill the House sends over today. It will be up to the Majority Leader to act. Will the majority act to protect the American taxpayers? Or will he sit on his hands and do absolutely nothing? Will the Senate just sit back and watch the tax rates go up or will the Senate act?
“Enough is enough.
“Let’s get this done. Let’s show the American people we’re working on their behalf. It’s time to act."
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