WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate Floor today calling on Senate Democrats to pass a bipartisan highway bill and border security, instead of focusing on yet another campaign show vote that failed to pass two years ago during an election year:

“Later today, the President will sign a bipartisan workforce training bill into law.

“It’s common-sense legislation that will help my constituents gain new skills to become more competitive. I was proud to support it, and I’m glad to see the President signing it.

“Unfortunately, though, bipartisan accomplishments like this one have become increasingly rare in the current Democrat-controlled Senate.

“Last week, President Obama took to the campaign trail to urge Congress to pass a new highway bill.

“He didn’t really need to, though. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives had already passed a highway bill earlier in the week.”

“It sailed through on an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 367-55.

“And the President has said he would sign it if Congress sent it to his desk. I expect that the Senate will do just that in fairly short order.

“But only if the Democrats who run the Senate can put their never-ending political campaign on hold for a minute. Because rather than focus on passing bipartisan legislation – not to mention the dozens of job-creation bills the House has already sent our way – the Democrat Majority seems to spend all its time on bills designed primarily to create jobs for campaign consultants.

“We got an especially vivid glimpse of this earlier this year when Senate Democrats admitted they were working with their campaign committee to craft a so-called “agenda” that was more about saving their own seats than anything else. And ever since, they’ve pretty much abandoned governing to use the Senate floor as a campaign studio.

“We saw the latest example last night, when the Majority brought up another recycled, designed-to-fail bill that’s already been rejected by the Senate. It’s a bill that’s designed for campaign rhetoric and failure – not to create jobs here in the U.S.  But that’s not stopping our friends on the other side from bringing it up again – just as they did right before the last big election too.  

“So look: We’ve seen this movie before. Everyone knows that the Democrats aren’t being serious here. They specifically want this bill to fail.

“And what I’m saying is, let’s just skip the campaigning and get something done for the Middle Class instead. Let's focus on bipartisan bills that can help families and create jobs here at home. Let’s focus on things like repealing the job-killing medical device tax…and helping create energy jobs…and reducing the tax burden on small businesses…and restoring the 40-hour work week…and providing relief to Kentucky’s coal families.  

“If we’re going to have a debate about creating jobs here at home, then let's really have a debate about creating jobs here at home.

“But this isn’t it. And Senate Democrats know it.

“They also know that all their campaigning is getting in the way of focusing on passing bipartisan legislation…bipartisan legislation like the highway bill.

“Now, of course, we know the current highway bill isn’t perfect. Over the longer term, Republicans have a lot of good ideas for reforming the Highway Trust Fund in a more permanent way, so that it can be made sustainable for years to come. But for now, we have to at least keep road and bridge projects moving forward in the meantime.

“The extension of the Highway Trust Fund could be used to fund projects like the resurfacing of several parkways that many Kentuckians use to commute to work. And it could be used to fund the widening of I-65 between Bowling Green and Elizabethtown.

“The judge-executive of Hart County, Terry Martin, knows that this transportation safety project is important for the commonwealth, and he notes that the expansion to six lanes would allow for a smoother and safer flow of traffic for Kentuckians. 

“So let’s focus on scoring bipartisan wins – and jobs – for our constituents instead of scoring political points.

“If Democrats can do that, then I’m confident we’ll get this done.

“Because the American people didn’t send us here to campaign 24/7. And when Senate Democrats do choose to work with us, there’s a lot we can get done for the people of this country.”