McConnell on ‘The Daily Briefing’
‘Whether it was the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch, or 12 circuit judges last year —we are now up to 17. Whether it's deregulation, whether it's a fabulous tax bill that has gotten the country growing again. We opened up [ANWR]. We got rid of the individual mandate. It’s been a dream period for conservatives thanks to the president's leadership and our backing him up with a Republican Congress.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) appeared on Fox News’ ‘The Daily Briefing’ with Dana Perino:
On North Korea
“We have watched administrations of both parties not be able to achieve what we have all hoped for in North Korea-- that is a peninsula without nuclear weapons. So, this is as close as we have ever come. I think everybody is a little bit cautious when dealing with the North Koreans for the obvious reasons. This is quite significant we have gotten this far and the president deserves all the credit for getting them in a different position.”
On Iran Nuclear Deal
“I think President Trump will make a better deal. The Iran nuclear deal was a terrible deal. It was not submitted to the Senate for ratification under the Constitution as a treaty because the president [Obama] knew he couldn't get the votes. He simply made an executive branch agreement with the Iranians of which the next president could feel free to walk away from. It was a hopelessly—in my view— flawed agreement.
“I think President Trump did the right thing.”
“I think the appropriate response is likely to be the re-imposition of really tight economic sanctions, which is what brought the Iranians to the table in the Obama era. So I think the president knows how to apply these economic sanctions. They worked well enough the last time to get the Iranians to the table. It's just unfortunate we didn't make a better deal at the time.”
On the Republican Agenda
“I have been in Congress for a good while now and this has been the most effective period --the last year and a half-- right of center; that is, conservative positions, since I have been in the Senate. Whether it was the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch, or 12 circuit judges last year —we are now up to 17. Whether it's deregulation, whether it's a fabulous tax bill that has gotten the country growing again. We opened up [ANWR]. We got rid of the individual mandate. It’s been a dream period for conservatives thanks to the president's leadership and our backing him up with a Republican Congress.”
Appropriations Bills
“[It’s] incorrect that Senate Republicans didn't want to pass appropriation bills last year. Senate Democrats prevented that, which is possible in the Senate. We are hoping to have a more cooperative period this year. It seems to be a better relationship between the Senate and the House, between the Senate Democrats and the Republicans.”
Related Issues: Iran Nuclear Deal, Taxes, Supreme Court, Iran, Appropriations, Judicial Nominations, North Korea
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