News

Recent Press Releases

Senator McConnell Calls on Senate to Pass Veterans Funding Bill; Senate Majority Leader Reid Objects

October 3, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell asked for consent to pass a Veterans funding bill (H.J.RES.72) this morning on the Senate floor.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid immediately objected to funding the Veterans programs.

Prior to asking for the Senate to pass the Veterans funding bill, Senator McConnell said, “Many of us were stunned this week to see the administration blocking the WWII memorial. It was a reminder to all of us of how much we owe the Greatest Generation. Last week, the Senate unanimously agreed to ensure our troops are paid during a shutdown. And the President signed it into law immediately. Today, the House passed a bill to ensure that our veterans continue to get the services and benefits they so richly deserve. If Democrats are unwilling to fund other parts of the government, at the very least they can agree to support our veterans.”

Watch the exchange HERE

 

####

Senate Dems Need to Start Working with Republicans to End the Shutdown

October 3, 2013

‘And the point I’ve been making all week is this: the only thing keeping the government from opening back up is the Democrats’ refusal to apply a simple principle of fairness when it comes to Obamacare. To treat everybody the same. Basically all the House is asking for at this point is a level playing field when it comes to Obamacare. That’s about the only thing standing in the way of the government opening back up. And it’s a pretty reasonable request.’

Washington, D.C.– U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the need for Senate Democrats to negotiate a solution to end the federal shutdown that they created:

“I want to start out this morning with a point that’s obvious to me, but that I think bears repeating.

“Nobody wants this shutdown.

“Democrats say they don’t want it. Republicans certainly don’t want it. 

“So we all agree on that much.

“The question at this point is how do we resolve the issues that truly divide us?

“And the point I’ve been making all week is this: the only thing keeping the government from opening back up is the Democrats’ refusal to apply a simple principle of fairness when it comes to Obamacare. To treat everybody the same.

“Basically all the House is asking for at this point is a level playing field when it comes to Obamacare.

“That’s about the only thing standing in the way of the government opening back up. And it’s a pretty reasonable request.

“And if Washington Democrats can’t agree to that, can they at least join us in making sure Veterans programs are funded, that the Honor Flight Veterans can visit the World War II memorial, and that the National Institutes for Health can continue its research? Can they at least agree to that?

“That’s just the right thing to do. It responds directly to the concerns that a number of our Democrat colleagues have raised. And it’s the same thing this Congress voted to do with the brave men and women of our military.

“So I really hope my friends across the aisle will reflect on the efforts of Republicans in the House – and allow the Senate to quickly vote on all the bills the House sent us last night, so we can get the government reopened as soon as possible.

“That said, yesterday’s meeting at the White House wasn’t particularly encouraging.

“The President basically called us all down there to tell us he’s not interested in negotiating.

“It was essentially a negotiation about not negotiating.

“And now we hear he’s off campaigning today in Rockville, rather than sitting down to get this thing solved. It’s disappointing.

“But here’s the good news: a solution isn’t that far from reach.

“As I said, nobody wants this shutdown. So that’s a good start. And it’s hard to argue with what Republicans are asking for — especially after the embarrassing rollout of the Obamacare exchanges on Tuesday. 

“I mean, one of the folks the President had standing behind him at the White House tried to log on and sign up for Obamacare. And after a couple unsuccessful attempts, the Post reports that she gave up. And here’s the quote she gave afterward: ‘It’s not so great.’

“Not so great. Some Americans might call that an understatement.

“You’d think the Administration would be begging for a delay after stories like that.

“So this should be easy. Congress gets treated the same way as everybody else on the Obamacare exchanges, and individuals get the same break that the President already handed out to employers.

“It’s time for Democrats to start acting reasonably. It’s time to work with us on a way out of this mess.”

####

McConnell Calls on Senate Dems to End the Shutdown They Created

October 2, 2013

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the unsuccessful rollout of Obamacare and the need for Senate Democrats to negotiate a solution to end the federal shutdown that they created:

“Well, if it wasn’t clear earlier this week why Republicans were asking to delay Obamacare, it should be pretty clear to everybody this morning. The rollout of this thing made a trip to the DMV look like a good time.

“The word of the day was ‘glitch.’ And you could probably explain one or two of those glitches away. Maybe three. But not glitches in Nebraska and Maryland and Florida and Wisconsin and Illinois and Kentucky.

“Not glitches all across the country.

“Kentuckians who tried to log in yesterday got a message that read:  'Server Error.’

“Let me translate that: it didn’t work.

“I mean, if the plural of anecdote is data, it seems to me the plural of glitch has to be systemic failure.

“This is the law that Washington Democrats were so adamant about unveiling yesterday, they were willing to shut down the government over it.

“Instead of agreeing to a couple of common-sense proposals related to this law, they stuck to their absolutist position: 100 percent of Obamacare, when and how they want it, no matter what.

“That is, of course, unless the President thinks you’re one of the ‘chosen few’ who deserves a special break.

“So, basically, Washington Democrats shut down the government because they didn’t think middle-class Americans deserved the same kind of treatment as their employers, and because they didn’t think Congress should have to follow the same rules on the Obamacare exchanges as everybody else.

“These were fair things to ask for. They were reasonable. And if the Democrats who run Washington could have brought themselves to be that sensible, they would have voted to keep the government open.

“But in the end, they got their shutdown, which they apparently think will help them politically. And they held onto their absolutist position on Obamacare — regardless of the consequences for American families.

“And two days into this thing, they still refuse to budge.

“The President reiterated again yesterday he's not interested in talking.

“The Majority Leader has made it clear he's not interested in talking either.

“He’s shot down just about every attempt to engage in serious discussions – with the House, or anyone else.

“Look: This week, Washington Democrats had a choice – defend basic principles of fairness when it comes to Obamacare, or shut down the government.

“They chose the latter. It was wrong. And it’s time for them to start finding solutions, to start talking, and put the interests of their constituents ahead of the interests of their party.”

« First < Prev Next > Last »