Remarks
McConnell on Charleston Tragedy
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the tragic shootings in Charleston, South Carolina: "At this time I would like to take a moment to discuss the terrible news out of Charleston. "This is a true tragedy. It's always awful when a tragedy like this occurs, but to happen at a house of worship makes it even worse. Churches should be a place of refuge, a place where people feel safe and secure, a place of mer… Continue Reading
06.17.15
McConnell Urges Senate Democrats to Allow Debate and Vote on Defense Spending Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor urging bipartisan support for the defense authorization and appropriations bills: "It was heartening to see so many Democrats join us yesterday in advancing a good defense authorization bill by a big bipartisan margin. It now puts the Senate on a path to bring the bill to final passage tomorrow. "Once that happens, the Senate will have taken a significant step toward doing right by the … Continue Reading
06.16.15
McConnell Urges Senate Democrats to Support Nation’s Military, Not Washington Bureaucrats
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor urging Senate Democrats not to filibuster defense authorization legislation: "Later this afternoon, the Senate will decide whether to advance or filibuster the defense authorization legislation before us. "Senators will take a vote and make a choice. "One option is for Senators to follow the bipartisan example of the House of Representatives and the Senate Armed Services Committee, bo… Continue Reading
06.15.15
McConnell to Senate Democrats: Don’t Hold Defense Bill Hostage to Partisan Politics
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding defense authorization legislation: "The National Defense Authorization Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation Congress considers each year. That's why the new majority has made it one of our top priorities. It's why we've reversed the worrying trend of recent years when we'd see such an important bill crammed in at the very last minute, with little time for deb… Continue Reading
06.11.15
McConnell Urges Passage Of Bipartisan Cybersecurity Legislation To Deter Future Attacks
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the bipartisan cybersecurity amendment: "In just a moment, the Senate will consider an important cybersecurity measure. "I urge every one of my colleagues to support it. "USA Today recently cited a cybersecurity expert who noted that this 'Senate legislation has the potential to greatly reduce the number of victims targeted' by the kind of hackers we've seen in recent attack… Continue Reading
06.11.15
Senate Democrats’ Plans for ‘Filibuster Summer’ Would Hold America’s Military Hostage
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today urging Senate Democrats to support American troops: "The bill the cyber measure has been offered to is the annual defense authorization act. "It's a related issue. It's about protecting our country. It makes sense to consider these issues together. "Now the defense bill is another measure that should be sailing to passage with strong bipartisan support. It does so almost every ye… Continue Reading
06.11.15
McConnell Calls for Passage of Senate Cybersecurity Measure
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the bipartisan cybersecurity measure: "I think a lot of people were shocked to hear that the Obama Administration was unable to prevent the information of 4 million Americans from being compromised by hackers. "Officials in the White House now owe it to every American to let Congress help them get out of the past and up to speed with the cybersecurity realities of the 21st Ce… Continue Reading
06.11.15
Tribute to Dr. James Billington, the Librarian of Congress
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding retirement of Librarian of Congress Dr. James Billington: "We recently learned that Dr. James Billington, the Librarian of Congress who's been with us for almost 30 years, will be retiring in January. "He plans to spend more time with his wife of nearly 58 years, Marjorie. He wants to see more of his 4 children and 12 grandchildren. I'm sure he'd also like to catch up with hi… Continue Reading
06.10.15
Senate to Consider Bipartisan Cybersecurity Measure as part of Defense Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding a bipartisan cybersecurity amendment as part of the defense authorization bill: "The massive cyberattack Americans just read about reminds us all of the need for action on this issue. Building America's public and private cyber defenses won't be easy. But the bipartisan cybersecurity measure that passed out of the Intelligence Committee with the support of every single Republi… Continue Reading
06.10.15
Obamacare: Broken Promises, Higher Costs, Massive Failures
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the negative effects of Obamacare on the Middle Class: "The President put forth a mighty Obamacare spin effort yesterday. You have to give him credit for trying to salvage a law that only 1 out of every 9 Americans think is actually working. But I don't think condescending to Obamacare's victims was the best approach for him to take. "Consider this cringe-inducing assertion: A… Continue Reading
06.09.15
Rising Premiums, Costs Continue to Plague Obamacare
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the failures of Obamacare: "Sometimes, the divide between the White House and reality can be stark. "That was on evident display yesterday, when President Obama told us that Obamacare was 'working' and that essentially 'none' of the warnings of the law's failures and broken promises had come to pass. "I imagine the families threatened with double-digit premium increases would … Continue Reading
06.04.15
McConnell Outlines Challenges, Opportunities Facing Burma in 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding Burma: "Several weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting with Shwe Mann, Speaker of the Burmese Parliament, on his visit to Washington. It was the third time we'd met. "We had a cordial but frank discussion about the challenges and opportunities facing his country in 2015. There are obviously many issues that fall into both categories. "When it comes to challenges: "There's… Continue Reading
06.04.15
Obamacare: Skyrocketing Costs, Broken Promises, Repeated Failures
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the burdensome costs of Obamacare: "We've heard a lot about the Supreme Court's imminent decision on Obamacare's latest problems. No one can say for sure how the court will rule, but one thing we do know is this: Obamacare is a mess. It's a law filled with broken promises, one that's been plagued by failure, and one that's caused costs to skyrocket for millions - after the sup… Continue Reading
06.03.15
McConnell Urges Senate Democrats Not to Play Partisan Politics with Defense Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor urging cooperation on the defense bill: "Today, the Senate turns to consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2016. "This legislation, which authorizes funds and sets out policy for our military annually, is always important. But it's especially important now, given the multitude of threats that challenge us as a nation: for instance, the aggressive rise of ISIL, Iran'… Continue Reading
06.02.15
McConnell Opposes Bill that Weakens Counter-Terrorism Tools
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the USA Freedom Act: "Earlier this year I observed that President Obama's national security policy has been noteworthy for its consistent objectives: drawing down our conventional and nuclear forces, withdrawing from Iraq and Afghanistan, ending the tools developed by the previous administration to wage the War on Terror and placing a greater reliance upon international organi… Continue Reading
06.02.15
McConnell Calls for ‘Sensible Improvements’ to House-Passed FISA Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today urging members to support FISA amendments: "I wish we'd been able to move the cloture and amendment votes we'll consider today to yesterday. "I made an offer to do so because it was hard to see the point in allowing yet another day to elapse when everyone's already had a chance to say their piece, when the end game appeared obvious to all, and when the need to move forward in a t… Continue Reading
06.01.15
McConnell Urges Adoption of Amendments to Improve House-Passed FISA Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding FISA amendments: "Last night, the Senate voted to advance the House-passed FISA bill. We'll have a vote on that legislation as soon as we can. "On our way there, we should take some common-sense steps to ensure the new system envisioned by that legislation - a system we would soon have to rely upon to keep our country safe - will, in fact, work. "The amendments filed last ni… Continue Reading
05.31.15
Senate Working to Continue Key Counterterrorism Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding legislation to preserve important counterterrorism tools to protect American lives: "Last week, I proposed giving the Intelligence Committee the time it would need to work toward the kind of bipartisan legislative compromise Americans deserve - a compromise that would preserve important counterterrorism tools necessary to protect American lives. "That effort was blocked. "Jus… Continue Reading
05.22.15
Anti-Terror Tools Protect Americans
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding a 60-day extension of FISA: "Following the attacks of September 11, the United States improved its laws and legal authorities in an effort to better understand the terrorist threat and - rather than treat it as a crime to be handled by civilian prosecution - to combat it as a matter of warfare. But that doesn't mean Al Qaeda and its affiliates stood still. The terrorist threat… Continue Reading
05.22.15
Senate Working to Pass Trade Promotion, FISA and Highway Funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor urging passage of bipartisan trade legislation: "I'm glad the Senate voted yesterday to take another step forward on the important trade legislation before us. "This bill represents an opportunity for Republicans and Democrats to stand strong, together, for the Middle Class. "So I hope our friends across the aisle will allow us to seize it. I'm optimistic. "We all know that trade is im… Continue Reading
