WASHINGTON — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell backed off his demand that Senate Democrats preserve the procedural tool known as the filibuster, easing a standoff with new Majority Leader Chuck Schumer as the two negotiated a power-sharing agreement in the closely divided chamber. McConnell said late Monday he had essentially...
McConnell Said Trump ‘Fed Lies’ to Mob About Biden Election
WASHINGTON — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell opened the Senate on Tuesday saying the pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol was “fed lies” by the president and others in the deadly riot to overturn Democrat Joe Biden's election. McConnell's remarks are his most severe and public rebuke of outgoing President...
McConnell Open to Convicting Trump in Impeachment Trial
WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pointedly did not rule out Wednesday that he might eventually vote to convict the now twice-impeached President Donald Trump, but he also blocked a quick Senate impeachment trial. Minutes after the House voted 232-197 to impeach Trump, McConnell said in a letter to his...
Trump’s $2,000 Checks All but Dead as GOP Senate Refuses Aid
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's push for $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks was all but dead Wednesday as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed an alternative approach of loading up the bill with other White House priorities that appeared destined to fail. The roadblock mounted by Senate Republicans appears unsurmountable, even as pressure...
Senate GOP Blocks Democratic Push for Trump’s $2K Checks
WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday blocked Democrats' push to immediately bring President Donald Trump's demand for bigger $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks up for a vote, saying the chamber would “begin a process” to address the issue. Pressure is mounting on the Republican-led Senate to follow the...
GOP Leader McConnell Finally Acknowledges Biden Won Election
WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell congratulated Democrat Joe Biden as president-elect on Tuesday, saying the Electoral College “has spoken.” The Republican leader's statement, delivered in a speech on the Senate floor, ends weeks of silence over President Donald Trump's defeat. It came a day after electors met and...
Barrett Confirmation Rises as Issue in Kentucky Senate Race
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took a victory lap Wednesday for shepherding Amy Coney Barrett onto the U.S. Supreme Court, while his Democratic challenger questioned his priorities. Amy McGrath said the Republican should have done more to deliver more coronavirus aid to hurting Kentuckians. She called it...
Court Pick Barrett Visits Senate Ahead of Confirmation Fight
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett, is on Capitol Hill on Tuesday for a day of meetings with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other pivotal Republican senators in preparation for her fast-track confirmation before the Nov. 3 election. Joined by Vice President Mike Pence,...
McConnell, Pelosi Dispute Trump, Vow Peaceful Power Transfer
WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders from both parties, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, swiftly pushed back Thursday after President Donald Trump declined to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the Nov. 3 presidential election. Trump said during a Wednesday news conference,...
Who’s a Hypocrite? GOP, Dems Debate Past Comments on Court
WASHINGTON — The “H” word — hypocrisy — is suddenly in vogue at the Capitol as lawmakers debate how quickly to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court following the death of liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has vowed that President Donald Trump’s as-yet unnamed nominee will...