Remarks
Debate Advances on Bipartisan Education Reform Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the bipartisan Every Child Achieves Act: "The bipartisan education debate we're having in the new Senate is good for our country. And it was long overdue. "For too long, bureaucrats in Washington tried to dictate top-down, one-size-fits-all education policies to millions of students and families across our country. It was hurting our kids. It needed to change. And so, a… Continue Reading
07.15.15
McConnell Promises Full Senate Review of Iran Nuclear Deal
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the nuclear agreement with Iran: "I said yesterday that the Senate would thoroughly review the White House's deal with Iran. I said we'd hold hearings, call witnesses, and ultimately vote to approve or disapprove of the deal in accordance with the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act. That's what we've long planned to do and - once the Administration fully transmits the tex… Continue Reading
07.14.15
Key Question on Iran Nuke Deal: Does it Leave America and Its Allies Safer?
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the nuclear agreement with Iran: "Two weeks ago, I asked the Obama Administration to step back from the Iran negotiations, press pause, and reexamine the point of having talks in the first place. "That would have been the most rational and reasonable approach for the White House to take, especially considering that its own allies in the Senate were using phrases like "deepl… Continue Reading
07.09.15
Outcome of Fall Elections Will Signal State of Political Reform in Burma
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate Floor today regarding Burma: "A few weeks ago, I came to the floor to discuss the importance of Burma's election this fall. I noted that its conduct would tell us a lot about the Burmese government's commitment to the path of political reform. I said that demonstrating that commitment would be critical to reassuring Burma's friends abroad, and that it could even have consequences for further … Continue Reading
07.09.15
Senate Working Towards Passage of Every Child Achieves Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate Floor regarding the bipartisan Every Child Achieves Act: "No Child Left Behind laid the groundwork for important reforms to our education system. But with its authorization expiring in 2007, and with the previous Senate majority failing to replace it with a serious proposal, many of the original requirements stayed in place anyway and gradually became unworkable. "This resulted in a lot of… Continue Reading
07.08.15
Congressional Ceremony Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Leaders of the U.S. House and Senate held a Congressional Commemoration in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The following are Leader McConnell's remarks delivered during the ceremony, which took place in Emancipation Hall, in the U.S. Capitol: "Each morning, dawn breaks over the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort. "Bars of light stream across the dome. "A hall of democracy brightens with renewed purpose. "And overlooking it, light pours onto 200 tons of granite… Continue Reading
07.08.15
McConnell Urges Support for Bipartisan Every Child Achieves Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate Floor today regarding bipartisan education reform: "Republicans and Democrats have long agreed that the No Child Left Behind law is broken and needs to be fixed. "But the Senate didn't do anything about it for seven long years, missing its deadlines repeatedly. "The new majority in Congress thought it was time to change that dynamic. We thought it was time for bipartisan action instead. "T… Continue Reading
07.07.15
Bipartisan Education Bill Debate Further Confirmation That Senate Is Back to Work
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate Floor today regarding the functioning Senate and the Every Child Achieves Act: "I'd like to share a few lines from an opinion piece Speaker Boehner wrote last week. "Here's how it began: In November, the American people decided to entrust Republicans with control of the U.S. Senate, where common-sense jobs bills too often went to die in recent years. Now, since the start of this year, the R… Continue Reading
06.26.15
PTSD Awareness Day
'So I hope Americans will take action this PTSD Awareness Day to shed some light on an often misunderstood condition, and hopefully to reach out to someone in need.' WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks recognizing Saturday,June 27 as PTSD Awareness Day (click HERE to view his remarks) "Saturday, June 27th is PTSD Awareness Day. Sadly, post-traumatic stress disorder is an affliction that touches too many of our veterans. "Raising awareness … Continue Reading
06.25.15
McConnell on the Supreme Court’s King v. Burwell Ruling
'Today's ruling won't change Obamacare's multitude of broken promises, including the one that resulted in millions of Americans losing the coverage they had and wanted to keep.' WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate Floor today regarding the Supreme Court's ruling on King v. Burwell: "That we're even discussing another of Obamacare's self-inflicted brushes with the brink - again - is the latest indictment of a law that's bee… Continue Reading
06.25.15
Passage of Trade Promotion Bill Underscores Congress Is Back to Work for the American People
'Passing trade wasn't the first bipartisan achievement of the new Congress. I know it won't be the last. But it's significant. It opens the door to more wins for the Middle Class as trade negotiations move forward under this President and the next one.' WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the passage of bipartisan trade legislation: "The road to yesterday's win for the Middle Class on TPA was never go… Continue Reading
06.25.15
McConnell Recognizes Warrior Games 2015, PTSD Awareness Day
'So I hope Americans will take action this PTSD Awareness Day to shed some light on an often misunderstood condition, and hopefully to reach out to someone in need.' WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the Warrior Games and PTSD Awareness Day: "Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting with some of our nation's heroes. "These men and women are taking part in Warrior Games 2015, an annual DoD-organized sp… Continue Reading
06.24.15
Senate Will Pass, Send President Trade Promotion Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding bipartisan trade legislation: "Yesterday's TPA vote was a long-overdue victory for the American worker and the American Middle Class. "It wasn't easy. Many thought it would never happen. We even saw corks pop in the facts-optional lobby a few weeks ago. "But that proved to be premature. "Because here's what we've always known about the legislation we'll vote to send to the … Continue Reading
06.24.15
McConnell Calls for Stronger OPM Response after ‘One of the worst breaches in U.S. History’
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the OPM cyber attack: "Here's a headline from an Associated Press article that ran yesterday: 'Federal Agencies Are Wide Open To Hackers, Cyberspies' "That headline is scary enough. But read just a little further, and it gets even worse. Passwords written down on desks. Outdated anti-virus software. 'Perceived ineptitude' in information technology departments. The federal go… Continue Reading
06.23.15
McConnell Lauds the Advancement of Trade Promotion Authority
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the vote to advance bipartisan trade legislation: "I want to say to our colleagues this is a very important day for our country. We have demonstrated we can work together on a bipartisan basis to achieve something that is extremely important for America. Not only when we confirm this Trade Promotion Authority we will have the mechanism in place for the President to finalize an… Continue Reading
06.23.15
McConnell Urges Senate Support on Trade Bill Vote Today
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding bipartisan trade legislation: "Yesterday, the Senate's top Democrat on trade announced his support for the bipartisan trade legislation we'll vote on today. "It adds to the renewed momentum we're seeing for America's workers. "It's showing that Democrats can join with Republicans to knock down unfair international barriers that discriminate against America's Middle Class - b… Continue Reading
06.22.15
McConnell Optimistic Trade Bills Will Reach President’s Desk This Week
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor urging continued bipartisan cooperation on trade: "When it comes to keeping the American people safe, there are many things Congress can do. "Encouraging reform at the TSA is one important step. But so is leading on trade. "President Obama's own Secretary of Defense recently said that the trade legislation before us was as important to him 'as another aircraft carrier.' But, he cautio… Continue Reading
06.22.15
After Long White House Delay, Senate Ready to Confirm New TSA Administrator
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the nomination of Vice Admiral Neffenger: "We'll vote tonight to bring long-overdue permanent leadership to an agency in urgent need of reform and culture change: the TSA. "I wish the White House hadn't waited six months to send us a nominee to lead this troubled agency; but now that the Administration finally has, we're glad to see it's a highly qualified candidate like Pete… Continue Reading
06.18.15
McConnell Outlines Path Forward on Trade
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the way forward on trade: "Following today's encouraging vote in the House, I'd like to update the Senate on where we stand with trade. "First, a brief look back to how we got where we are today. "Back in April, the Finance Committee came together to advance four trade bills on a big bipartisan vote "It was everyone's goal then to consider all of those bills and to begin th… Continue Reading
06.18.15
Support the Troops, Don’t Block the Defense Funding Bill, McConnell Tells Senate Democrats
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor urging Democrats to support defense funding: "America asks a lot of the men and women of its volunteer military force: to undertake dangerous missions in far-off lands, to spend months or years away from their families, and always to sacrifice, so that we might live in freedom. "These brave men and women do it all without reservation. They ask precious little in return, save for the re… Continue Reading
