spectrumlocalnews.com Open in urlscan Pro
54.86.70.116 Public Scan

Back to summary

Submitted URL:
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2024/02/28/mitch-mcconnell-step-down-senate-republican-leader.html
Effective URL:
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2024/02/28/mitch-mcconnell-step-down-senate-republican-leader
Submission: On March 01 via manual (March 1st 2024, 8:47:31 pm UTC) from US — Scanned from US

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Open in Our App

Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum
News app. Learn More

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Open in Spectrum News App

Continue in Browser

50°
Toggle navigation
Central NY March 1, 2024 10:47AM HT
50° Syracuse, NY EDIT
Watch Live
|
* * Recent Activity
* Log Out

* Recent Activity
* Log In

* LATEST NEWS
* Headlines
* Business & Growth
* Around the State
* Education
* Good News
* Health
* Exploring Your Health
* Everyday Heroes
* Lottery
* Seen On
* SN Challenge

* WEATHER & TRAFFIC
* Today's Forecast
* 7 Day Forecast
* Interactive Radar
* Current Conditions
* Satellite & Radar
* Weather Blog
* Travel Weather
* Watches & Warnings
* Closings & Delays
* Sign Up For Weather Alerts
* Traffic Map
* Traffic News
* Gas Prices

* POLITICS
* Political News
* New York State of Politics
* Capital Tonight
* 2024 Election Results
* Washington, D.C. Bureau
* In Focus

* AROUND SYRACUSE
* Things to Do
* Community Calendar
* Submit an Event

* SPORTS
* Sports Headlines
* Orange Empire
* Scholar Athlete

* PUBLIC SAFETY
* Public Safety News
* Gun Violence Crisis

* Podcasts
* All Podcasts
* Buffalo End Zone
* What Could Be

* OUR JOURNALISTS

* ACCOUNT

* Sign Out
* Recent Activity

* ACCOUNT

* Sign In
* Recent Activity

* LATEST NEWS

* Headlines
* Business & Growth
* Around the State
* Education
* Good News
* Health
* Exploring Your Health
* Everyday Heroes
* Lottery
* Seen On
* SN Challenge

* WEATHER & TRAFFIC

* Today's Forecast
* 7 Day Forecast
* Interactive Radar
* Current Conditions
* Satellite & Radar
* Weather Blog
* Travel Weather
* Watches & Warnings
* Closings & Delays
* Sign Up For Weather Alerts
* Traffic Map
* Traffic News
* Gas Prices

* POLITICS

* Political News
* New York State of Politics
* Capital Tonight
* 2024 Election Results
* Washington, D.C. Bureau
* In Focus

* AROUND SYRACUSE

* Things to Do
* Community Calendar
* Submit an Event

* SPORTS

* Sports Headlines
* Orange Empire
* Scholar Athlete

* PUBLIC SAFETY

* Public Safety News
* Gun Violence Crisis

* Podcasts

* All Podcasts
* Buffalo End Zone
* What Could Be

* OUR JOURNALISTS

× Set Weather Location

Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts.

Please enter a valid zipcode.

Save

State of PoliticsRead up on New York politics with our Capital Tonight team.
WEATHER ALERTSView full list of weather alerts.
Closings and DelaysCheck the latest closings and delays for schools, business,
and churches around CNY and the Mohawk Valley.

5 Videos Left Until Sign-In Required

volume_up

fullscreenmore_vert

closed_caption_disabledCaptionsOffsettingsResolutionAutopicture_in_picture_altPicture-in-PictureOffslow_motion_videoPlayback
speed1xairplayAirPlay
arrow_backCaptionsEnglishOffdone
arrow_backResolution1080p716p576p360p180pAutodone
arrow_backPlayback speed0.5x0.75x1xdone1.25x1.5x1.75x2x

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., listens during a media availability on Capitol
Hill, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Enjoy access to five videos from Spectrum. Log in for unlimited access.
Stay connected to your community. Log in for unlimited access to Spectrum News
content.
SIGN IN
ASK LATER

POLITICS

'IT'S BEEN AN HONOR': MCCONNELL ANNOUNCES HE WILL STEP DOWN AS SENATE GOP LEADER

By Justin Tasolides and Erin Kelly Washington, D.C.
UPDATED 6:55 PM ET Feb. 28, 2024 PUBLISHED 12:24 PM ET Feb. 28, 2024 PUBLISHED
12:24 PM EST Feb. 28, 2024
SHARE

Mitch McConnell announced Wednesday that he will step down as the leader of the
Senate Republican conference, capping off his tenure as the longest-serving
Senate party leader in U.S. history.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

* MITCH MCCONNELL ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY THAT HE WILL STEP DOWN AS THE LEADER OF
THE SENATE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE IN NOVEMBER

* THE 82-YEAR-OLD KENTUCKY REPUBLICAN IS THE LONGEST-SERVING SENATE LEADER IN
HISTORY

* MCCONNELL WAS FIRST ELECTED TO CONGRESS IN 1984 AND AS THE LEADER OF THE
SENATE GOP SINCE 2007

* DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE’S STEPPING DOWN AS LEADER, HE VOWED TO SERVE OUT THE
REMAINDER OF HIS TERM AS KENTUCKY’S SENIOR SENATOR, WHICH ENDS IN JANUARY
2027

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

McConnell’s announcement not only caps off a milestone for the Kentucky
Republican, but signals a changing of the guard in the Senate Republican caucus
— a departure from the brand of conservatism founded by Ronald Reagan in favor
of the populism of Donald Trump.

It was a point that he acknowledged in his remarks on Wednesday afternoon as he
prepared to bid farewell to the power he’s wielded for nearly two decades. He
reflected on his early time in the Senate, which “helped shape my view of the
world,” particularly noting “the irreplaceable role we play as the leader of the
free world.”

“It’s why I worked so hard to get the national security package passed earlier
this month — Believe me, I know the politics within my party at this particular
moment in time. I have many faults, misunderstanding politics is not one of
them,” he joked. “That said, I believe more strongly than ever that America's
global leadership is a central to preserving the shining city on a hill that
Ronald Reagan discussed. As long as I'm drawing breath on this earth, I will
defend American exceptionalism."

McConnell, who turned 82 last week, acknowledged that a recent family tragedy —
the recent death of his wife Elaine Chao’s younger sister, Angela — offered him
a moment of introspection.

“When you lose a loved one, particularly at a young age, there's a certain
introspection that accompanies the grieving process,” he said. “Perhaps it is
God's way of reminding you of your own life's journey, to reprioritize the
impact of the world that we will all inevitably leave behind. I turned 82 last
week. The end of my contributions are closer than I prefer.”

He also expressed his gratitude toward his wife, who served in the last two
Republican administrations as labor secretary under George W. Bush and
transportation secretary under Trump, as well as to Reagan, whose virtues and
leadership he extolled.

“For 31 years, Elaine has been the love of my life,” he said. “And I'm eternally
grateful to have her by my side.”

“My career in the United States Senate began amidst the Reagan Revolution,” he
said. “Truth is when I got here, I was just happy everybody remembered my name.
President Reagan called me Mitch O'Donnell. Close enough, I thought. My wife
Elaine and I got married on President Reagan's birthday, Feb. 6. It's probably
not the most romantic thing to admit, but Reagan meant a lot to both of us.”

On his longevity in the U.S. Senate, including rising up to become its leader
for so long, McConnell said that if you told him four decades ago that he’d
still be standing in the chamber, “I would have thought you'd lost your mind.”

“My goals when I was narrowly elected to the Senate back in 1984 were fairly
modest: Do a good job for the people talking and convince them that by doing so,
they might rehire me for a second term,” he said. “That was it. That was the
plan. If you would have told me 40 years later, that I would stand before you is
the longest-serving Senate leader in American history, frankly I would have
thought you'd lost your mind.”

“I have the honor of representing Kentucky and the Senate longer than anyone
else in our state's history,” he continued. “I just never could have imagined
never could have imagined that happening.”

“After all this time, I feel good a thrill walking into the Capitol and
especially on this venerable floor, knowing that we each of us have the honor to
represent our states and do the important work of our country,” McConnell said.
"But Father Time remains undefeated. I'm no longer the young man sitting in the
back, hoping colleagues would remember my name.”

“To lead my Republican colleagues has been the highest privilege, but one of
life's most under-appreciated talents is to know when it's time to move on to
life's next chapter,” McConnell added.

McConnell's announcement comes after a series of health scares last year. He was
hospitalized after a fall in March of last year, suffering a concussion and did
not return to the Senate for several weeks. He also had a couple of incidents
where he appeared to freeze up during news conferences last year. He vowed to
stay in his position amid questions about his health.

Despite the fact that he’s stepping down as leader, he ended his speech by
making clear that he’s “not going anywhere anytime soon.” He vowed to serve out
the remainder of his term as Kentucky’s senior senator, which ends in January
2027.

“I'll complete my job my colleagues had given me until we select a new leader in
November and they take the helm next January,” he pledged. “I’ll finish the job
that people of Kentucky hired me to do as well, albeit from a different seat,
and I'm actually looking forward to that.”

“I still have enough gas in my tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics and I
intend to do so with all the enthusiasm with which they've become accustomed,”
McConnell quipped.

McConnell finished his speech to a standing ovation from the chamber, as well as
handshakes and hugs from Republicans, Democrats and independents alike.

"During my years in the Senate, Mitch McConnell and I rarely saw eye to eye when
it came to our politics or our policy preferences," Senate Majority Leader Chuck
Schumer, D-N.Y., one of the first to shake McConnell's hand after his speech,
said in a statement. "But I am very proud that we both came together in the last
few years to lead the Senate forward at critical moments when our country needed
us," citing recent efforts to provide funding to Ukraine, passing COVID-19
relief and working to certify the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021.

“I know it’s been a difficult year for him and his family and I wish them the
very best," he added.

In remarks after McConnell's speech, Maine Sen. Susan Collins said that his
"tenure as leader will be remembered not just for his historic longevity, but
also for his unparalleled devotion to this great institution."

"I also admire the leader for stepping forward when it wasn't popular to do the
right thing for our country, and for our world," she added.

The Kentucky Republican leaves behind a powerful legacy, and big shoes to fill
for whoever succeeds him in the role. He built a major super PAC, The Senate
Leadership Fund, which has raised and spent hundreds of millions of dollars to
back Republican candidates to bolster his conference.

He was also a thorn in the side of many Democratic presidents, including in 2016
when he blocked then-President Barack Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to
fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court created by the death of Justice Antonin
Scalia. McConnell called it one of his “proudest moments.” The seat would later
be filled by Trump, who appointed Justice Neil Gorsuch to the bench.

McConnell also warned against efforts by Democrats to change the filibuster. In
2013, after Senate Republicans attempted to filibuster a number of President
Obama’s nominees, then-Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., utilized the nuclear
option to confirm most presidential appointments, but not Supreme Court
nominees.

“You’ll regret this, and you may regret this a lot sooner than you think,”
then-Minority Leader McConnell warned at the time.

Sure enough, in 2017, he utilized the “nuclear option” in 2017 to eliminate the
60-vote threshold for Supreme Court nominees, clearing the way for a simple
majority to confirm Gorsuch.

But McConnell also proved invaluable to President Joe Biden on a number of key
pieces of legislation, including his $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure
bill.

President Biden, who worked with McConnell for decades in the Senate, said
Wednesday that he's "sorry to hear" that he's stepping down from leadership.

"I trusted him, we had a great relationship and we fought like hell," the
president said. "But he never, never, never misrepresented anything. I’m sorry
to hear he’s stepping down.”

"American Democracy is based on elected representatives coming together and
bridging their different points of view to find common ground on behalf of the
American people," Biden said in a statement on Wednesday. "I’m proud that my
friend Mitch McConnell and I have been able to do that for many years, working
together in good faith even though we have many political disagreements. During
his many years of leadership, we could always speak with each other honestly and
put the country ahead of ourselves."

Biden went on to hail the accomplishments that McConnell helped him deliver,
including the infrastructure bill and the CHIPS and Science Act, a bill aimed at
boosting semiconductor production and increasing competition with China.

"America is now being rebuilt by the biggest infrastructure law in nearly 70
years," Biden said. "We’re making critical investments so our economy can
outcompete China. We’re standing up for our values and our most urgent national
security interests in the world because of it. America is making tremendous
strides towards curing cancer. There is nothing America cannot do when we do it
together.

"Mitch has lived the American dream, overcoming polio and going on to become the
longest-serving Senate leader in American history," he concluded. "Jill and I
wish the best to Mitch and Elaine."

With Trump, McConnell reshaped the federal judiciary, including appointing three
conservative justices to the nation’s highest court during the former
president’s sole White House term, and instituted a sweeping overhaul of the
country’s tax code in 2017.

But the relationship between the two men soured, particularly in the wake of the
Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. McConnell laid the blame for the
insurrection squarely at the feet of Trump, saying that his “actions preceding
the riot were a disgraceful dereliction of duty” — though he voted against
convicting him during his second impeachment trial, arguing that he was
ineligible because he was already out of office.

“There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally
responsible for provoking the events of that day,” McConnell said in February
2021. “The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the
wishes and instructions of their President.”

Recently, questions have arisen about if and when McConnell might endorse Trump,
as much of the Senate GOP leadership already has.

“He’ll probably end up endorsing me,” Trump said at a recent Fox News town hall.
I don’t know that I can work with him. He gave away trillions of dollars that he
didn’t have to, trillions of dollars. He made it very easy for the Democrats.”

Trump has referred to the Kentucky Republican as an “old crow” and referred to
his wife Chao, who served in his administration, as “Coco Chow” and McConnell’s
“China-loving wife.”

McConnell’s last vote before announcing his retirement was against a procedural
motion to advance the nomination of Julie Simone Sneed, President Joe Biden’s
pick to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The
motion advanced despite the Kentucky Republican’s opposition.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

spectrumlocalnews.com Open in urlscan Pro 54.86.70.116 Public Scan

Form analysis 0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

spectrumlocalnews.com Open in urlscan Pro
54.86.70.116 Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM