News

‘It’s irresponsible, and has set back every effort the Senate made on a bipartisan basis to enact responsible national security legislation this year’

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement Friday regarding the House Democratic Leadership’s most recent, inadequate FISA proposal:

“This House vote represents a ‘cover vote’ which the Democratic leadership believes will allow them to go on their Easter recess claiming to have passed a bill that protects America. But instead, they’ve done great harm to the effort to enact a responsible strengthening of our anti-terror laws during this session of the Congress. Democrats passed a bill which would drag patriotic private companies into court for answering their government’s call for help, created yet another Commission to investigate the administration, and failed our intelligence professionals by denying them the tools they need to track and stop foreign terrorists before they act.

“This latest House Democrats’ bill will not be signed into law. It’s irresponsible, and has set back every effort the Senate made on a bipartisan basis to enact responsible national security legislation this year. Senate Republicans remain committed to enacting legislation providing our intelligence professionals what they need to catch terrorists before the can harm us and we will not play along with a fake effort to do otherwise.”

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‘I agree with the sponsors of the amendment that Congress must consider ways to ensure greater transparency and accountability and we will work together toward that goal’

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement on Thursday after voting for the DeMint-McCain Amendment:

“Although we've taken steps in the past to reform the spending process, more can and should be done to restore the public’s trust and bring greater transparency to the way the federal government spends taxpayers’ money.

“The DeMint-McCain amendment would have provided an important pause to allow us all—those who oppose earmarks and those who favor them—to take a step back, build a better oversight system, and allow these reforms to be implemented. We must now work toward the implementation of these additional reforms so that they can be in place and in use before consideration of any spending bills this year.

“I agree with the sponsors of the amendment that Congress must consider ways to ensure greater transparency and accountability and we will work together toward that goal. I also believe the Constitution gives Congress an important role in spending decisions and I take that obligation very seriously. If any President decides that he or she opposes what’s good for my state, I will not stand idly by leaving Kentucky’s families and military installations defenseless.

“In sum, Congress must be good stewards of taxpayers’ dollars and we should continue to fight for responsible spending levels, not only in discretionary accounts – as with the $22 billion we saved taxpayers at the end of the last Congress – but also to the other two-thirds of the federal budget that is mandatory entitlement spending. Sadly, this Democrat budget does nothing to address that looming crisis threatening the economy our children will inherit from us.”

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‘The fact is, under the Democrat plan, a lot of people will wake up happy to hear they’re rich — only to realize the only change in their lives is a hefty tax sock to their wallets’

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday regarding the Democrats’ tax hikes for middle-class families:

“Democrats have campaigned hard on the promise of tax relief for the ‘middle class.’ They say any tax hikes they propose would only affect ‘the rich.’

“This, of course, raises a question. Who exactly are Democrats calling rich? Let’s take a look.

“According to Democrats, the ‘rich’ include single workers who earn $34,000 a year. First year schoolteachers in Jefferson County, Kentucky, earn $35,982 a year. I don’t think they’re rich.

“According to Democrats, Couples are rich if they earn $63,000 a year. I doubt that couples with children who make $63,000 a year think that they’re rich.

“The fact is, under the Democrat plan, a lot of people will wake up happy to hear they’re rich — only to realize the only change in their lives is a hefty tax sock to their wallets. So much for the good news. It’s what Patrick Moynihan might have called ‘defining wealthy down.’

“But there’s a purpose behind the rhetoric. Democrats couldn’t support their $1.2 trillion in spending — and the largest tax hike in history — unless they cast their tax hike nets far and wide.

“So they’ve propose to raise taxes on tens of millions individuals and families that they call ‘rich.’

“Under the Democrat plan for taxing the ‘rich,’ a single mother who earns $45,000 a year would see her taxes go up.

“Under the Democrat plan for taxing the ‘rich,’ 7.8 million low-wage earners will be added back to the tax rolls — workers who are now considered too low-income to pay any income tax at all.

“Under the Democrat plan for taxing the ‘rich,’ 43 million families would be hit with an average tax increase of $2,300 next year.

“These are the people that Democrats’ in Washington are calling ‘rich’ – folks who’d laugh if you told them that after a monthly budgeting session around the kitchen table.

“One would think that as the economy slows and fears spread about the cost of fuel, health care and food rising even higher, our friends on the other side could resist reverting to type.

“The last thing middle-class families can afford is a higher tax bill this year.

“So, as the debate over the budget continues, let’s be clear about who will be picking up the tab for the largest tax hike in U.S. history. It’s not just the rich.”

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Recent Press Releases

Democrats’ FISA Bill a ‘Cover Vote’

March 14, 2008

McConnell: We Should Continue to Fight for Responsible Spending Levels

March 13, 2008

Democrat Tax Hikes: ‘Defining Wealthy Down’

March 12, 2008