Mitch McConnell

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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...

Denied One Endorsement, Trump Scores Another

Mitch McConnell gets behind the man he once called 'disgraceful'

(Newser) - On the heels of Nikki Haley dropping out of the 2024 race, and notably refraining from endorsing rival Donald Trump , the former president has picked up the endorsement of Mitch McConnell, reports the Washington Post . Calling it "abundantly clear" that Trump "has earned the requisite support of Republican...

Forget the 'Three Johns,' It Might Be a Steve

Donald Trump is encouraging Montana Sen. Daines to run for McConnell's leadership position

(Newser) - Prior to Thursday, the smart money in DC was that one of "three Johns" would take over Mitch McConnell's leadership position in the Senate in January. But now it appears that a "Steve" might be a top contender—Montana Sen. Steve Daines. And the reason is Donald...

McConnell's Legacy Isn't in Congress
McConnell's Legacy
Isn't in Congress
THE RUNDOWN
Feb 29, 2024 11:05 AM CST

McConnell's Legacy Isn't in Congress

'Rulings from judges he helped confirm will be shaping American life for decades to come'

(Newser) - Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, history's longest-serving Senate leader, plans to step down as after November's elections . The 82-year-old has led Senate Republicans since 2007, but his real legacy will be outside the chamber, analysts say. He helped build a conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court by blocking...

Longest-Serving Senate Leader Ever to Hang Up His Hat

It's been a record run in the job for Mitch McConnell

(Newser) - Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader in history who maintained his power in the face of dramatic convulsions in the Republican Party for almost two decades, will step down from that position in November. The AP reports McConnell, who turned 82 last week, is set to announce his decision Wednesday....

In Rare All-Nighter, Senate Passes $95B Aid Package

Funds going to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

(Newser) - The Senate early Tuesday passed a $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, pushing ahead amid growing divisions in the Republican Party over the role of the United States abroad. The vote came after a small group of Republicans opposed to the $60 billion for Ukraine held...

Two-Thirds of Senate Backs Aid to Ukraine, Israel

Test vote puts measure on track for final approval this week

(Newser) - The Senate voted to move ahead with emergency aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan on Sunday, capping a weekend of negotiations. "I can't remember the last time the Senate was in session on Super Bowl Sunday, but as I've said all week long, we're going to...

Senate Border Deal Collapses
Senate Border Deal Collapses
Feb 6, 2024 4:59 PM CST

Senate Border Deal Collapses

'We have no real chance here to make a law,' McConnell says

(Newser) - It took months of bipartisan negotiations to craft it, but the Senate border deal didn't survive long enough for House Speaker Mike Johnson to make good on his promise to declare it "dead on arrival in the House." The deal suffered what the AP calls a "...

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