Mitch McConnell

Breaking the rules to change the rules is un-American.

Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. (born February 20, 1942) is a Republican United States Senator from Kentucky.

Quotes

Nobody is happy about losing lives but, remember, these are not draftees. These are full-time professional soldiers.

1997

• I think the testimony obviously ought to be sworn testimony. And we ought to go all the way into this and take as much time as we can to reassure the American people that this sort of thing’s not going to happen again in the future.
  • On the need for testimonies by Clinton White House staffers Fox News Sunday (June 16, 1996).

1998

• You're more likely to see Elvis again than to see this bill pass the Senate.
  • On the McCain-Feingold Bill on Campaign Reform New York Times, (July 31, 1998)

2007

• With regard to White House officials, it will be up to the President to decide frankly whether and when and under what circumstances members of his [own White House staff] testify.
  • On the need for testimonies by G.W. Bush White House staffers Fox News Sunday (April 1, 2007)

• There was no involvement whatsoever.
  • on WHAS-11, denying his office's spreading lies to the media about Graeme Logan, a brain-damaged recipient of S-CHIP funds, and his family, despite recovery of subject email (see below); October 19, 2007; Countdown

• Nobody is happy about losing lives but, remember, these are not draftees. These are full-time professional soldiers.
  • December 7, 2007 [1].

2010

• We need to say to everyone on Election Day, “Those of you who helped make this a good day, you need to go out and help us finish the job."
  (National Journal): What’s the job?
  The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.
  • Top GOP Priority: Make Obama a One-Term President, National Journal, (October 23, 2010)

2016

• I can’t imagine that a Republican majority in the United States Senate would want to confirm, in a lame duck session, a nominee opposed by the National Rifle Association
  • McConnell On SCOTUS Vacancy on "Fox News Sunday" as Majority Leader of the Senate dismissing the possibility of considering the Supreme Court nominee Merrick B. Garland even after the elections in November (March 20, 2016)
• One of my proudest moments was when I looked Barack Obama in the eye and I said, 'Mr. President, you will not fill the Supreme Court vacancy.'
  • [2]

2017

• Apparently there’s yet a new standard now to not confirm a Supreme Court nominee at all. I think that’s something the American people simply will not tolerate.
  • [3]

• She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.
  • #LetLizSpeak: 'She persisted' becomes rallying cry for Warren supporters, at CNN.com

2019

• The Senate just passed the Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act. I’m especially proud it includes my amendment reaffirming the importance of our nation’s ongoing missions in Afghanistan and Syria.
  • 5 February 2019 reported by McClatchy same day

• Well Mister President, here's what happened: House Democrats decided to add a poison pill the new demand is really extreme: a hard statutory cap on the number of illegal immigrants who can be detained by the federal government
  • 11 February 2019

• I just had an opportunity to speak with President Trump, and he's prepared to sign the bill,
  ..
  He will also be signing a national emergency declaration at the same time.
  • 14 February 2019

• Breaking the rules to change the rules is un-American.
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/04/opinion/senate-filibuster-mcconnell.html

Quotes About McConnell

• Republicans like Kentucky's Mitch McConnell were quick to defend Rice with trivia. (MCCONNELL): Her parents aptly named her Condoleezza, after the Italian musical term "con colcezza," which is a direction to play "with sweetness". (STEWART): Her last name is a starchy side dish, often served with beans. I vote 'yes'!
  • Jon Stewart, on McConnell's odd defense of Rice's nomination to replace Colin Powell as Secretary of State; The Daily Show; January 26, 2005; [4] [5]

• In the Senate yesterday, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell accused Democrats of breaking their promise to confirm a number of presidential judicial nominations. To punish the Dems, McConnell used Senate rules to waste virtually the whole day having the Senate clerk read the bill under consideration, a global warming bill, aloud -- all 491 pages of it. Why? A Republican lobbyist leaked an internal GOP strategy memo to the Democrats (quote): "The GOP very much wants to have this fight, engage in it for a prolonged period, and then make it as difficult as possible to move off the bill." Why? (quote) "The focus is much more on making political points than in amending the bill, changing the baseline text for any future debate, or effecting policy." Making not policy but political points the goal of Mr. Bush's party: and you thought they weren't good at anything.
  • MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, during his daily Bush scandal segment; June 5, 2008; [6]