Mitch McConnell

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Senate Votes to Repeal 'Liberation Day' Tariffs

Like similar measures this week, resolution has no chance of passing the House

(Newser) - The Senate has voted to roll back President Trump's sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs, with four Republicans joining Democrats to approve a resolution aimed at ending the global trade measures. The bipartisan move, led by GOP Sen. Rand Paul, saw fellow Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, and Lisa...

49-49 Vote in Senate Kills Anti-Tariffs Measure

McConnell and Whitehouse, who both supported the resolution, were absent

(Newser) - A couple of absences in the Senate on Wednesday doomed a bipartisan measure to block President Trump's tariffs. GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell and Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse both had expressed support for the resolution but missed the vote, NBC News reports. That led to a 49-49 tie; the measure...

McConnell Announces He Won't Run Again

Senator tells the chamber on his 83rd birthday

(Newser) - Mitch McConnell said Thursday that he won't seek reelection next year, ending a decades-long tenure as a power broker who championed conservative causes but ultimately ceded ground to the fierce GOP populism of President Trump. The longest-serving Senate party leader in US history chose his 83rd birthday to share...

Trump Dismisses McConnell's Bout With Childhood Polio

Senator had criticized Kennedy's position on vaccines in explaining his vote against the nominee

(Newser) - Sen. Mitch McConnell brought up his history as a polio survivor on Thursday in explaining why he voted against making Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—who has worked to undermine the use of vaccines—the nation's secretary of Health and Human Services. The reference to his childhood battle with...

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Confirmed as Health Secretary

Mitch McConnell is the only 'no' vote among Republicans

(Newser) - The Senate on Thursday confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as President Trump's health secretary, per the AP . Republicans fell in line behind Trump despite hesitancy over Kennedy's views on vaccines, voting 52-48 to elevate the scion of one of America's most storied political—and Democratic—families to...

McConnell May Hold Key to Gabbard's Nomination

If former GOP Senate leader wavers, it could sink her chances for national intelligence post

(Newser) - In public and in private, Mitch McConnell has been silent on whether he'll support President-elect Trump's nominees, sources tell Axios . And for those working on behalf of former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick for director of national intelligence , the silence is becoming alarming. Gabbard's team...

3 Democrat-Appointed Judges Make Rare Move Over Trump

They rescind retirement plans, sparking a warning from Mitch McConnell

(Newser) - One area of feverish activity in the transition from President Biden to President-elect Trump is federal judgeships, and the Washington Post reports on a new wrinkle. Three judges appointed by Democratic presidents have made the unusual decision to reverse their decisions to retire in the wake of Trump's election...

McConnell Bristles at 'Dangerous' Noise Over Polio Vaccine

GOP senator, who had polio as a kid, seems to hint that RFK Jr. should 'steer clear' of anti-vax moves

(Newser) - Mitch McConnell pushed back Friday after it was revealed that an ally of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Trump's nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, petitioned the FDA two years ago to halt the polio vaccine in the US pending further study. Axios reports that the 82-year-old Senate...

Mitch McConnell Sprains Wrist in Capitol Fall

Senator also had a cut to his face, aide says

(Newser) - Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was feeling "good" Tuesday after he tripped and fell while walking out of a GOP luncheon at the Capitol. "He sustained a minor cut to the face and sprained his wrist," an aide to the 82-year-old Republican said, per the...

Pete Hegseth Says He's 'Not Going Anywhere'

He vows to abstain from alcohol as defense secretary to woo hesitant senators

(Newser) - "We're not going anywhere," Pete Hegseth told reporters Wednesday as he tried to convince lawmakers to back his bid to become defense secretary. "I spoke to the president this morning, he supports me fully," said the former Fox News host. President-elect Trump is reportedly considering...

First TNT Plant on US Soil Since '80s Is Coming Our Way

Mitch McConnell announces Army's $435M contract with Repkon to build facility in Kentucky

(Newser) - While many of his GOP colleagues are once more shouting "Make America Great Again" now that Donald Trump is heading back to the White House, Mitch McConnell had a different message on Friday: "Get America ready to prevent war by being strong." That was what the Senate...

Filibuster Is 'Very Secure,' McConnell Says

Election was 'certainly a happy day for the GOP,' Senate Republican leader says

(Newser) - Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell won't be returning to the majority leader role when the 119th Congress is seated in January, but he doesn't expect any big changes to Senate rules when Republicans are back in power. McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader in US history, said Wednesday that...

McConnell Wanted Trump to 'Pay a Price' for Jan. 6

New book says Senate GOP leader was close to voting to convict in impeachment trial

(Newser) - Mitch McConnell says he and Donald Trump are "on the same team now," but a new biography of the Senate Republican leader reveals he wasn't always cheering his party's presidential nominee on. McConnell told journalist Michael Tackett in an interview last year that special counsel Jack...

McConnell: What I Said About Trump Wasn't That Bad

And also, 'we are all on the same team now,' Senate minority leader says

(Newser) - A new biography of Mitch McConnell set to be released this month reveals that after the 2020 presidential election, the then-Senate majority leader had some not-so-nice things to say about then-President Donald Trump, who'd just lost the election. But after those comments were revealed in an Associated Press preview...

Next President to Inherit Fewer Judicial Openings

There are only 43 openings now on federal bench

(Newser) - For presidents who want to shape the federal judiciary, it's been good times for years. The Senate has confirmed President Biden's 213th nominee, and Donald Trump appointed 234 federal judges during his term. But it looks like the next president will be greeted on Inauguration Day by the...

Congress Considers Expanding Draft to Women

Proposal is unlikely to become law amid pushback from Republicans

(Newser) - Congressional lawmakers are considering a proposal to update mandatory conscription to include women for the first time. With fewer than 1% of US adults serving in active duty combat roles and the Pentagon facing recruitment challenges, military experts in 2020 recommended Congress include women in the draft "in the...

Back on Capitol Hill, Trump Makes Some Odd Headlines

An MTG joke, a reported Milwaukee slam, and an odd assertion about Nancy Pelosi

(Newser) - Donald Trump made his first visit to Capitol Hill on Thursday since the 2021 Capitol riot by his supporters, reports NPR . And while the purpose of the visit was ostensibly to talk policy and election strategy with House and Senate Republicans, it also "symbolized his official return to Washington...

Johnson: Supreme Court Will 'Set This Straight'

McConnell also rips verdict but leaves justices out of it

(Newser) - House Speaker Mike Johnson, who slammed Donald Trump's conviction on Thursday as political , has a fix in mind. "I do believe the Supreme Court should step in," the Republican said Friday on Fox News. "I think they'll set this straight but it's going to...

3rd Senator Joins Race to Be Next GOP Leader

Rick Scott, a Trump ally, will run for McConnell's position next year

(Newser) - Florida Sen. Rick Scott said Wednesday that he will run for Senate Republican leader when Mitch McConnell steps down from the post, becoming the third Republican in the race, the AP reports. South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the current No. 2 Republican in the Senate, and Texas Sen. John Cornyn...

Senate GOP Tries to Avoid Rick Scott's Error

McConnell says he's focusing on 51 seats and candidate quality, though Schumer sees a problem there

(Newser) - In 2022, Sen. Rick Scott—chair of the Republican Senate campaign effort—predicted his party would soar to as many as 55 seats after the midterm elections. Instead, Democrats gained a seat. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is staying away from such predictions this time, Politico reports, saying his goal is...

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