Op-Eds
OP-ED: Administration and Congress should work together to address the Zika virus
by Mitch McConnell
Like many Kentuckians, I'm concerned about the Zika virus and the growing number of reports of people infected. In a recent meeting with President Obama at the White House, I raised the spread of this virus and what it could mean for Kentucky and the country as we head into warmer weather this spring and summer. Millions of people in Latin America and the Caribbean have been diagnosed with the Zika virus, which is transmitted primarily by mosquitoes. There are several isolated cases of American… Continue Reading
12.10.15
OP-ED: Promise kept: Senate passes Obamacare repeal legislation
by Mitch McConnell
When I became the Senate Majority Leader one year ago, I pledged to Kentuckians and to the American people that a new Republican Senate would work to repeal Obamacare, the most disastrous law in a generation. So I'm proud to report that the Senate has succeeded in this important task. Under my leadership, a majority of the U.S. Senate voted to repeal Obamacare, and passed the first repeal bill out of the Senate since this law's enactment. For the first time, the President will be forced to make … Continue Reading
11.27.15
OP-ED: Obama takes his reckless energy plan to the United Nations
by Mitch McConnell
It would obviously be irresponsible for an outgoing president to purport to sign the American people up to international commitments based on a domestic energy plan that is likely illegal, that half the states have sued to halt, that Congress has voted to reject and that his successor could do away with in a few months' time. But that's just what President Obama is proposing to do at a U.N. climate conference in Paris starting Monday. The president's international negotiating partners at that c… Continue Reading
11.06.15
OP-ED: Fighting Back Against Administration’s Costly Power Plan
by Mitch McConnell
Here we go again. The Obama Administration has fired its latest salvo in the War on Coal by publishing the final version of its so-called "Clean Power Plan"-regulations that would effectively shut down most coal-fired power plants and prevent new ones from being built. These regulations would shrink our state's economy by almost $2 billion. And they would hurt Kentucky workers and their families by raising electricity rates by double digits while cutting coal jobs across the state. What the adm… Continue Reading
11.02.15
OP-ED: President’s foreign policy blunders have weakened U.S. influence abroad
by Mitch McConnell
Former President Jimmy Carter recently said of President Obama's foreign policy that America's "influence and prestige and respect in the world is probably lower than it was six or seven years ago," adding "…I can't think of many nations in the world where we have a better relationship now than when he took over." Having recently returned from Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Afghanistan with Congressman Andy Barr and several of my Senate colleagues, it's clear that Carter's critique is devastat… Continue Reading
08.25.15
OP-ED: Many questions about Iran deal
by Mitch McConnell
Earlier this summer, President Obama announced a deal had been struck between Iran and the United States and other countries that purports to curtail, but not end Iran's nuclear program. Kentuckians have the right to know whether this deal will actually make America and her allies safer. I want to assure those in the Commonwealth that America's safety will be my foremost concern when the U.S. Senate takes up this issue and gives the proposed deal a thorough and fair review in the coming weeks. … Continue Reading
07.31.15
OP-ED: Kentucky taxpayers should fund women’s health, not Planned Parenthood
by Mitch McConnell
Like many Kentuckians, I am horrified by the videos revealing Planned Parenthood's apparent role in the harvesting and sale of the organs of unborn babies. The callousness and lack of compassion for women and their babies in these videos absolutely shocks the conscience. As Kentucky's senior senator, I am grateful to represent a state where so many people value and cherish the dignity of life in all its stages. I've heard from many of you who share my outrage over these videos. And many of you … Continue Reading
07.16.15
OP-ED: Obamacare pushing toward mergers
by Mitch McConnell
Five years after its passage, I continue to hear from my constituents about how disastrous Obamacare has been for them and their families. It's caused increased premiums, reduced coverage and choice, and in some cases, the closing of hospitals altogether. Now the announced sale of Kentucky-based Humana, a health insurance company, reveals yet another pitfall of the law. The sale is the inevitable result of Obamacare's push toward consolidation as doctors, hospitals, and insurers merge in respon… Continue Reading
06.30.15
OP-ED: It’s Time to Pause Negotiations with Iran
by Mitch McConnell
The Obama Administration recently announced another extension of nuclear negotiations with Iran after failing to abide by its own, already-extended June 30 deadline. President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry should use the opportunity to pause negotiations, take a step back and re-examine the point of the talks in the first place. Because, as a senior Democrat Senator recently put it, "the trend lines of the Iran talks are deeply worrying" and "our red lines have turned into green lights." T… Continue Reading
04.20.15
OP-ED: EPA climate rule a disaster worth fighting against
by Mitch McConnell
The Herald-Leader's recent attempt to equate those who work in the Kentucky coal fields - along with those of us who support and defend their way of life - with the Southern plantation owners who once enriched themselves off the backs of slaves is a depressing new low. It's no secret that liberal progressives have a hard time moderating their passions or prioritizing outrage. But drawing a moral equivalence between America's original sin of slavery and the fight for Kentucky coal reveals a prof… Continue Reading
03.03.15
OP-ED: States should reject Obama mandate for clean-power regulations
by Mitch McConnell
The Obama administration's so-called "clean power" regulation seeks to shut down more of America's power generation under the guise of protecting the climate. In reality, this proposed regulation would have a negligible effect on global climate but a profoundly negative impact on countless American families already struggling. The regulation is unfair. It's probably illegal. And state officials can do something about it; in fact, many are already fighting back. I'm calling for others to join.… Continue Reading
02.24.15
OP-ED: Pipeline veto purely political
by John Boehner and Mitch McConnell
Tuesday, as promised, the new Congress is sending the White House legislation that would approve the Keystone XL pipeline. This project will support tens of thousands of American jobs. It will bolster the nation's infrastructure and energy security. And it enjoys a broad base of support from Republicans and Democrats, labor unions and small business owners, not to mention an overwhelming majority of Americans. Keystone is a no-brainer in every way, but the White House says the president will ve… Continue Reading
02.09.15
OP-ED: Right-to-Work is really about worker freedom
by Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul
Union membership may be in decline across America, but here in the Bluegrass State, unions still have the power to force workers into becoming dues-paying members against their will. That means if you work for an employer who contracts with a union, you can be forced to pay union dues as a condition of employment. That's outrageous. It's long past time Kentucky follow the lead of 24 other states and pass right-to-work legislation. Right-to-work laws are simple enough. They empower employees… Continue Reading
01.12.15
OP-ED: Bipartisanship, Progress Up to Obama
by Mitch McConnell
Last week, members of the 114th Congress took the oath of office and ushered in a new Republican majority. It's a fresh beginning for our country that I'm optimistic about. And I was honored and humbled to be elected unanimously by my Republican colleagues as Senate majority leader - only the second Senate majority leader from Kentucky in history. The first was Alben Barkley, who led the Democrats from 1937 to 1949. His portrait hangs on the wall in my Capitol office. So does a portrait of Kent… Continue Reading
01.07.15
OP-ED: How Congress, President Obama can get things done
by Mitch McConnell
Yesterday, members of the 114th Congress took the oath of office and ushered in a new Republican majority. It's a fresh beginning for our country, and I'm optimistic. A lot can be achieved if President Obama and his party work with us to advance common-sense jobs ideas for the middle class. In the Senate, we welcome many new senators determined to achieve serious results. These men and women share my party's resolve to end Washington's dysfunction and get things done for the middle class again.… Continue Reading
