News

‘The path forward is clear. The only question now is whether Democrats will take it’

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell spoke on the Senate floor Monday regarding spending restraint for the remaining appropriations bills:

“House Democrats will soon propose a half-trillion dollar spending bill.

“They’ve left it to the Senate to make sure that bill includes troop funding.

“And we’ve got another responsibility to keep in mind as we wait for the House to act — and that’s our responsibility to the taxpayers.

“Nearly a quarter of the way into the fiscal year, we’re still 11 appropriations bills short —that’s out of a total of 12 bills.

“We need to act on these, but do so in a fiscally responsible way that ensures they become law.

“As I’ve said, and as we’ve all seen here, there’s a way to make law and there’s a way to make a political statement.

“On these appropriations bills, the middle-class tax hike known as the AMT, the Farm Bill, the energy bill, and FISA updates so that we can track terrorists and prevent attacks, the path forward is clear.

“The only question now is whether Democrats will take it.”

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‘While I appreciate the movement in the right direction on the part of Congressional Democrats, we must not overspend the taxpayer's money’

LOUISVILLE – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement Saturday regarding reports that Congressional Democrats were negotiating among themselves on ways to meet the Pentagon’s request for troop funding, but significantly exceed the President’s request on other funding bills:

“While it’s certainly encouraging to see Congressional Democrats stand up to the anti-war fringe and start the process of living up to Congress’ commitment to fund the troops in harm’s way, the rest of their self-negotiated ‘deal’ described in today’s press reports remains unacceptable to Congressional Republicans. The funding levels they are reportedly prepared to offer for their 11 unfinished funding bills is too much to ask of the American taxpayer.

“Moreover, the funds they reportedly are prepared to provide the troops are insufficient to adequately provide for our troops in the field and they deserve better from Congress than that.

“Finally, while I appreciate the movement in the right direction on the part of Congressional Democrats toward concluding this Congress, we must not overspend the taxpayer's money and we must protect our troops; the deal described in recent press reports falls short of that mark.

“We need to keep working together until we meet these two goals.”

‘The bill we are voting on today is a massive tax hike, not a serious attempt to make law’

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor Friday on cloture on the House-passed energy bill:

“There's a difference between passing bills—and actually making laws.

“The bill before us is a prime example: The Democrat leadership started with a bipartisan agreement that could be passed in both houses and signed by the President. In other words, it could become law. They’ve chosen, instead, to add the twin millstones of utility rate hikes and massive tax increases.

“The end result is that the House passed a bill—but it won’t become law.

“There's a difference between making a partisan point, and having an accomplishment.

“Again, we can look to this current bill as an example. Rather than take the elements of the bill that had near-universal support and have an accomplishment on behalf of their constituents, the Democrat leadership chose instead to make a partisan point.

“Now, I understand that the House is a different place, that the Speaker rules, as the Senate Majority Leader put it Wednesday, with an ‘Iron fist.’ And while she can muscle bills through the House on a party-line vote, it doesn’t work that way over here.

“We’ve shown that all year on the numerous political votes the majority has put on the floor. And we’ve shown that already this week on the AMT: When the Democrat leadership tried the my-way-or-the-highway approach, the bill failed; when they worked with us on a bill that could pass, we succeeded by a vote of 88-5. That was a success.

“The same is true of the farm bill: When the Democrat leadership tried to dictate to the minority what amendments we could offer, the Senate spun its wheels and got nowhere. But when the majority worked with us, the result was a mutually beneficial agreement that will soon lead to an accomplishment.

“But the bill we are voting on today is a massive tax hike, and a utility rate increase for consumers across the southeast. It is not a serious attempt to make law, and is not a serious attempt at an accomplishment. It is a partisan bill that must be improved or set aside.

“So let’s not waste even more time relearning the lessons of the past 11 months. If you're serious about an accomplishment, let’s fix this bill. Walking away from a bipartisan deal in favor of raising taxes and utility rates, as the Democrats in the House have done, will not make law. But working with us to find common ground to increase the use of renewable fuels and raise fuel economy standards to historic levels without costing American jobs, will.

“I stand ready to work with my colleagues on a realistic, bipartisan bill. But I will vote no on this partisan tax increase, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.”

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Recent Press Releases

Unfinished Business

December 10, 2007

McCONNELL: DEM FUNDING ‘DEAL’ UNACCEPTABLE

December 8, 2007

Energy Bill is Another Choice: Bipartisan Accomplishment or Partisan Failure

December 7, 2007