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Mitch McConnell

April 27, 2023

"Senator McConnell" redirects here. For other uses, see Senator McConnell (disambiguation).

Addison Mitchell McConnell III[1] (born February 20, 1942) is an American politician and retired attorney serving as the senior United States senator from Kentucky, a seat he has held since 1985. McConnell has been the Senate leader of the Republican Party since 2007 and has served as minority leader since 2021, having previously held that post from 2007 to 2015 and was majority leader from 2015 to 2021.

Mitch McConnell
Official portrait, 2016
Senate Minority Leader
Assumed office
January 20, 2021
WhipJohn Thune
Preceded byChuck Schumer
In office
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2015
WhipTrent Lott
Jon Kyl
John Cornyn
Preceded byHarry Reid
Succeeded byHarry Reid
Senate Majority Leader
In office
January 3, 2015 – January 20, 2021
WhipJohn Cornyn
John Thune
Preceded byHarry Reid
Succeeded byChuck Schumer
Leader of the Senate Republican Conference
Assumed office
January 3, 2007
Preceded byBill Frist
Senate Majority Whip
In office
January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007
LeaderBill Frist
Preceded byHarry Reid
Succeeded byDick Durbin
Chair of the Senate Rules Committee
In office
January 20, 2001 – June 6, 2001
Preceded byChris Dodd
Succeeded byChris Dodd
In office
January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2001
Preceded byJohn Warner
Succeeded byChris Dodd
United States Senator
from Kentucky
Assumed office
January 3, 1985
Serving with Rand Paul
Preceded byWalter Dee Huddleston
Judge/Executive of Jefferson County
In office
December 1, 1977 – December 21, 1984
Preceded byTodd Hollenbach III
Succeeded byBremer Ehrler
United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative Affairs
Acting
In office
February 1, 1975 – June 27, 1975
PresidentGerald Ford
Preceded byVincent Rakestraw
Succeeded byMichael Uhlmann
Personal details
Born
Addison Mitchell McConnell III

(1942-02-20) February 20, 1942 (age 81)
Sheffield, Alabama, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouses
Sherrill Redmon
​
​
(m. 1968; div. 1980)​
​
(m. 1993)​
Children3
Residence(s)Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Education
Signature
WebsiteSenate website
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of serviceJuly 9, 1967, to August 15, 1967 (37 days) (medical separation)
UnitUnited States Army Reserve
Mitch McConnell's voice
Senator Mitch McConnell on working with President Obama
Recorded November 5, 2014

McConnell first served as a Deputy United States Assistant Attorney General under President Gerald Ford from 1974 until 1975 and went on to serve as Jefferson County Judge/Executive from 1977 until 1984 in his home state of Kentucky. McConnell was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1984 and is the second Kentuckian to serve as a party leader in the Senate.[2] During the 1998 and 2000 election cycles, he was chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He was elected Majority Whip in the 108th Congress and re-elected to the post in 2004. In November 2006 he was elected Senate minority leader – the post he held until Republicans took control of the Senate in 2015.

McConnell holds conservative political positions, although he was known as a pragmatist and a moderate Republican early in his political career. He led opposition to stricter campaign finance laws, culminating in the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Citizens United v. FEC that partially overturned the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold) in 2010. McConnell worked to withhold Republican support for major presidential initiatives during the Obama administration, having made frequent use of the filibuster, and blocked many of President Obama's judicial nominees, including Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland.

During the Trump administration, the Senate Republican majority under his leadership passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act in 2018, the First Step Act, the Great American Outdoors Act, and confirmed a record number of federal appeals court judges during a president's first two years. McConnell invoked the "nuclear option" to eliminate the 60-vote requirement to end a filibuster for Supreme Court nominations, after his predecessor Harry Reid had previously eliminated the filibuster for all other presidential nominations; Trump subsequently won confirmation battles on Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court. While supportive of many of Trump's domestic and foreign policies, McConnell was critical of Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, and despite voting to acquit on Trump's second impeachment trial on reasons related to the constitutionality of impeaching a former president, deemed him "practically and morally responsible" for the January 6 United States Capitol attack.[3]

McConnell is married to former secretary of transportation and former secretary of labor Elaine Chao. In 2015, 2019, and 2023 Time listed McConnell as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.[4][5]

Early life and education (1942–1967)

 
McConnell in duPont Manual High School's 1960 yearbook

McConnell was born on February 20, 1942, to Julia Odene "Dean" (née Shockley; 1919–1993) and Addison Mitchell "A.M." McConnell II (1917–1990).[6] McConnell was born in Sheffield, Alabama, and grew up in nearby Athens, Alabama, where his grandfather, Robert Hayes McConnell Sr., and his great uncle, Addison Mitchell McConnell, owned McConnell Funeral Home.[7] He is of Scots-Irish and English descent. One of his ancestors fought on the American side in the American Revolutionary War.[6][8]

In 1944, at the age of two, McConnell's upper left leg was paralyzed by a polio attack.[6][9] He received treatment at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation. The treatment potentially saved him from being disabled for the rest of his life.[10] McConnell said his family "almost went broke" because of costs related to his illness.[11]

In 1950, when he was eight, McConnell moved with his family from Athens to Augusta, Georgia, where his father, who was in the Army, was stationed at Fort Gordon.[12]

In 1956, his family moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where he attended duPont Manual High School.[12] McConnell was elected student council president at his high school during his junior year.[12] He graduated Omicron Delta Kappa from the University of Louisville with a B.A. in political science in 1964 with honors.[13] He was president of the Student Council of the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.[14]

McConnell attended the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King Jr. gave the "I Have a Dream" speech.[15] In 1964, at the age of 22, he attended civil rights rallies,[16] and interned with Senator John Sherman Cooper. He has said his time with Cooper inspired him to run for the Senate later in life.[17][18]

In 1967, McConnell graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law, where he was president of the Student Bar Association.[14][19]

Early career (1967–1984)

In March 1967, shortly before the expiration of his educational draft deferment upon graduation from law school, McConnell enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve as a private at Louisville, Kentucky.[20] This was a coveted position because the Reserve units were mostly kept out of combat during the Vietnam War.[20][21]: 11–12  His first day of training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, was July 9, 1967, two days after taking the bar exam, and his last day was August 15, 1967.[14][20] Shortly after his arrival he was diagnosed with optic neuritis and deemed medically unfit for military service, and was honorably discharged.[20][22] His brief time in service has repeatedly been put at issue by his political opponents during his electoral campaigns.[20][22][23]

From 1968 to 1970, McConnell worked as chief legislative assistant to Senator Marlow Cook in Washington, D.C., managing a legislative department consisting of five members as well as assisting with speech writing and constituent services.[24]

In 1971, McConnell returned to Louisville, where he worked for Tom Emberton's candidacy for Governor of Kentucky, which was unsuccessful.[24] McConnell attempted to run for a seat in the state legislature but was disqualified because he did not meet the residency requirements for the office.[24] He then went to work for a Louisville law firm, Segal, Isenberg, Sales and Stewart, for a few years.[25][24] During the same time period, he taught a night class on political science at the University of Louisville.[19][26][27]

In October 1974, McConnell returned to Washington to fill a position as Deputy Assistant Attorney General under President Gerald Ford, where he worked alongside Robert Bork, Laurence Silberman, and Antonin Scalia.[19][24] He also served as acting United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative Affairs under President Ford in 1975. [28] [29]

In 1977, McConnell was elected the Jefferson County judge/executive, the top political office in Jefferson County, Kentucky, at the time, defeating incumbent Democrat Todd Hollenbach, III, 53% to 47%. He was re-elected in 1981 against Jefferson County Commissioner Jim "Pop" Malone, 51% to 47%, outspending Malone 3–1, and occupied this office until his election to the U.S. Senate in 1984.[17][24]

U.S. Senate (1985–present)

 
President Ronald Reagan in a meeting with McConnell in the Oval Office, March 1987
 
President George H. W. Bush with McConnell and Elaine Chao in February 1991
 
Mitch McConnell in 1992
 
President George W. Bush shakes hands with McConnell at Bush's first inauguration, January 2001

In his early years as a politician in Kentucky, McConnell was known as a pragmatist and a moderate Republican.[17][21] Over time he shifted to the right and became more conservative.[17][21] According to one of his biographers, McConnell transformed "from a moderate Republican who supported abortion rights and public employee unions to the embodiment of partisan obstructionism and conservative orthodoxy on Capitol Hill."[21] McConnell has widely been described as an obstructionist.[30]

From 1997 to 2001, McConnell was chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the body charged with securing electoral victories for Republicans.[31][32] On February 12, 1999, he was one of fifty senators to vote to convict and remove Bill Clinton from office.[33] He was first elected as Majority Whip in the 108th Congress[34] and was unanimously re-elected on November 17, 2004.[citation needed] Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist did not seek re-election in the 2006 elections. In November, after Republicans lost control of the Senate, they elected McConnell as the minority leader.[35] After Republicans took control of the Senate following the 2014 Senate elections, McConnell became the Senate Majority Leader.[36] In June 2018 he became the longest-serving Senate Republican leader in the history of the United States.[37] McConnell is the second Kentuckian to serve as a party leader in the Senate (after Alben W. Barkley led the Democrats from 1937 to 1949)[13] and is the longest-serving U.S. senator from Kentucky in history.[38]

McConnell has a reputation as a skilled political strategist and tactician.[39][40][41][42] This reputation dimmed after Republicans failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in 2017 during consolidated Republican control of government.[43][44][45][46]

McConnell regularly obtained earmarks for businesses and institutions in Kentucky, until the practice was banned by Congress in 2010.[47] McConnell has received criticism for funding "temporary patches" to Kentucky's long-term healthcare problems, while simultaneously opposing and obstructing national programs that seek to improve healthcare more systematically, such as Obamacare and Medicaid expansion.[27]

Relationships with presidential administrations

Obama

As the leading Republican senator, McConnell confronted and pressured other Republican senators who were willing to negotiate with Democrats and the Obama administration.[48] According to Purdue University political scientist Bert A. Rockman, "pure party line voting has been evident now for some time ... but rarely has the tactic of 'oppositionism' been so boldly stated as McConnell did."[49] According to University of Texas legal scholar Sanford Levinson, McConnell learned that obstruction and Republican unity were the optimal ways to ensure Republican gains in upcoming elections after he observed how Democratic cooperation with the Bush administration on No Child Left Behind and Medicare Part D helped Bush's 2004 re-election.[50] Levinson noted, "McConnell altogether rationally ... concluded that Republicans have nothing to gain, as a political party, from collaborating in anything that the president could then claim as an achievement."[50] A number of political scientists, historians, and legal scholars have characterized McConnell's obstructionism and constitutional hardball as contributors to democratic erosion in the United States.[51][52][53][54]

In October 2010, McConnell said "the single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president." Asked whether this meant "endless, or at least frequent, confrontation with the president", McConnell clarified that "if [Obama is] willing to meet us halfway on some of the biggest issues, it's not inappropriate for us to do business with him."[55] According to political scientists Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson, "Facing off against Obama, [McConnell] worked to deny even minimal Republican support for major presidential initiatives – initiatives that were, as a rule, in keeping with the moderate model of decades past, and often with moderate Republican stances of a few years past."[56] The New York Times noted early during Obama's administration that "on the major issues – not just health care, but financial regulation and the economic stimulus package, among others – Mr. McConnell has held Republican defections to somewhere between minimal and nonexistent, allowing him to slow the Democratic agenda if not defeat aspects of it."[57] The Republican caucus threatened repeatedly to force the United States to default on its debt, McConnell saying he had learned from the 2011 debt-ceiling crisis that "it's a hostage that's worth ransoming."[58][59]

McConnell worked to delay and obstruct health care reform and banking reform, two of the most notable pieces of legislation that Democrats navigated through Congress early in Obama's tenure.[60][61] Political scientists noted that "by slowing action even on measures supported by many Republicans, McConnell capitalized on the scarcity of floor time, forcing Democratic leaders into difficult trade-offs concerning which measures were worth pursuing. ... Slowing the Senate's ability to process even routine measures limited the sheer volume of liberal bills that could be adopted."[61]

Use of the filibuster

One of McConnell's most common tactics as minority leader to delay or obstruct legislation and judicial appointments has been the filibuster. A filibuster is an attempt to "talk a bill to death", forcing Senate leadership to abandon a proposed measure instead of waiting out the filibuster―or at least to delay the measure's passage. In the United States Senate, any senator may speak for unlimited duration unless a 60-person majority votes to invoke cloture, or end debate, and proceed to a final vote. Political scientists have referred to McConnell's use of the filibuster as "constitutional hardball", referring to the misuse of procedural tools in a way that undermines democracy.[56][59][52][62]

Political scientists Hacker and Pierson describe the rationale behind McConnell's filibusters, "Filibusters left no fingerprints. When voters heard that legislation had been 'defeated', journalists rarely highlighted that this defeat meant a minority had blocked a majority. Not only did this strategy produce an atmosphere of gridlock and dysfunction; it also chewed up the Senate calendar, restricting the range of issues on which Democrats could progress."[56]

In 2012, McConnell proposed a measure allowing President Obama to raise the debt ceiling, hoping some Democratic senators would oppose the measure, thus demonstrating disunity among Democrats. However, all Democratic senators supported the proposal, which led McConnell to filibuster his own proposal.[63]

In 2013, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid eliminated the filibuster for all presidential nominations except the Supreme Court. By that time, nearly half of all votes to invoke cloture in the history of the Senate had occurred during Obama's presidency.[53] In April 2017, Senate Republicans led by McConnell eliminated the filibuster for Supreme Court nominations in order to end debate on the nomination of Neil Gorsuch.[64][65][66] In August 2019, McConnell wrote an editorial for The New York Times, strongly opposing the elimination of the filibuster on legislation.[67]

Trump

 
Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Paul Ryan, and McConnell celebrate the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, December 2017

McConnell initially endorsed fellow Kentucky senator Rand Paul during the 2016 presidential campaign. Paul withdrew from the race following the Iowa caucus, and McConnell endorsed presumptive nominee Donald Trump on May 4, 2016.[68] However, McConnell disagreed with Trump on multiple subsequent occasions. In May 2016, after Trump suggested that federal judge Gonzalo P. Curiel was biased against Trump because of his Mexican heritage, McConnell responded, "I don't agree with what he (Trump) had to say. This is a man who was born in Indiana. All of us came here from somewhere else." In July 2016, after Trump had criticized the parents of Capt. Humayun Khan, a Muslim-American soldier who was killed in Iraq, McConnell said, "All Americans should value the patriotic service of the patriots who volunteer to selflessly defend us in the armed services." On October 7, 2016, following the Donald Trump Access Hollywood controversy, McConnell said, "As the father of three daughters, I strongly believe that Trump needs to apologize directly to women and girls everywhere, and take full responsibility for the utter lack of respect for women shown in his comments on that tape."[69] In private, McConnell reportedly expresses disdain for Trump[70] and "abhors" his behavior.[71]

In October 2017, White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon and other Trump allies blamed McConnell for stalling the Trump administration's legislation. In response, McConnell cited the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court to show that the Senate was supportive of Trump's agenda.[72]

After Joe Biden won the election of 2020 against Donald Trump, McConnell at first refused to recognize Biden as the winner of the election.[73][74][75] In his public statements, McConnell did not repeat any of Trump's false claims of voter fraud, but did not contradict them, ignoring questions about evidence and instead arguing that Trump had the right to challenge the results.[74][76][77] At the same time that McConnell refused to recognize Biden, he did celebrate Republicans who won their races in the Senate and the House in the same elections.[74][76][78]

On December 15, one day after the electoral college vote, McConnell reversed his previous stance and publicly acknowledged Biden's win, stating "Today, I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden."[79] On January 6, during the Electoral College vote count, McConnell spoke out against the efforts of Trump and his allies to overturn the election:

Trump claims the election was stolen. The assertions range from specific local allegations to constitutional arguments to sweeping conspiracy theories ... nothing before us proves illegality anywhere near the massive scale – the massive scale – that would have tipped the entire election. ... If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral. We'd never see the whole nation accept an election again. Every four years would be a scramble for power at any cost.[80]

Later that day, he described the storming of the Capitol building (which occurred while the Electoral College votes were being counted) as a "failed insurrection" which "tried to disrupt our democracy".[81]

On April 10, 2021, Trump called McConnell a "dumb son of a bitch". Trump added: "I hired his wife. Did he ever say thank you?"[82] Trump has continued to attack McConnell in personal terms since then, but McConnell has not responded publicly.[83][84]

First impeachment
Main article: First impeachment of Donald Trump

On November 5, 2019, as the House of Representatives began public hearings on the impeachment of President Trump, McConnell said, "I'm pretty sure how [an impeachment trial is] likely to end. ... If it were today, I don't think there's any question – it would not lead to a removal."[85]

On December 14, 2019, McConnell met with White House counsel Pat Cipollone and White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland. Later that day, McConnell declared that for Trump's impeachment trial, he would be in "total coordination with the White House counsel's office" and Trump's representatives.[86][87] He also declared that there was "no chance" the Senate would convict Trump and remove him from office.[88]

On December 17, 2019, McConnell rejected a request to call four witnesses for Trump's impeachment trial because, according to McConnell, the Senate's role was to "act as judge and jury", not to investigate. Later that day, McConnell told the media: "I'm not an impartial juror [in this impeachment trial]. This is a political process. There's not anything judicial about it."[89][90]

After Trump's acquittal, McConnell was noted for his ability to block witnesses, to secure Trump's acquittal, and to maintain party unity during the impeachment process. Commentators noted that McConnell had kept Republican senators "marching in lockstep" throughout the process.[91][92][93]

Second impeachment
Main article: Second impeachment of Donald Trump

On January 12, 2021, it was reported that McConnell supported impeaching Trump for his role in inciting the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, believing it would make it easier for Republicans to purge the party of Trump and rebuild the party.[94] On January 13, despite having the authority to call for an emergency meeting of the Senate to hold the Senate trial,[failed verification] McConnell did not reconvene the chamber, claiming unanimous consent was required.[95] McConnell called for delaying the Senate trial until after Joe Biden's inauguration.[96] Once the Senate trial started, McConnell voted to acquit Trump on February 13, 2021, and said it was unconstitutional to convict someone who was no longer in office.[97]

The vote was a bipartisan majority (57–43) but not enough to pass the two-thirds threshold.[98] After the vote McConnell lambasted and condemned Trump, despite his vote to acquit, in a 20-minute speech on the floor of the Senate, saying he believes Trump to be guilty of everything alleged by the House managers.[99][100] He stated that:

Former President Trump's actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful dereliction of duty ... There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day ... If President Trump were still in office, I would have carefully considered whether the House managers proved their specific charge.[101]

McConnell also said that Trump remains subject to the country's criminal and civil laws, stating, "He didn't get away with anything yet." He also said why he voted to acquit: "Article II, Section 4 must have force. It tells us the President, Vice President, and civil officers may be impeached and convicted. Donald Trump is no longer the president. Clearly that mandatory sentence cannot be applied to somebody who has left office. The entire process revolves around removal. If removal becomes impossible, conviction becomes insensible."[101]

In 2021, McConnell sought to organize Republican Senators into filibustering a bipartisan commission to investigate the storming of the Capitol on January 6.[102]

On May 28, 2021, McConnell voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the January 6 United States Capitol attack.[103]

Biden

McConnell's relationship with the Biden administration has been portrayed in media as one of comity. Biden has described McConnell as "a friend, colleague and 'man of his word.'" McConnell, for his part, has praised bipartisan legislation they worked on together, and had been the only Republican to attend the funeral of Biden's son, Beau (in 2015).[104]

Judicial nominees

Under Obama

See also: Barack Obama Supreme Court candidates and Barack Obama judicial appointment controversies

Throughout Obama's tenure McConnell led Senate Republicans in what has been called "a disciplined, sustained, at times underhanded campaign to deny the Democratic president the opportunity to appoint federal judges".[105] In June 2009, following President Obama's nominating Sonia Sotomayor as Associate Justice, McConnell and Jeff Sessions opined that Sotomayor's seventeen years as a federal judge and over 3,600 judicial opinions would require lengthy review and advocated against Democrats hastening the confirmation process.[106] On July 17, McConnell announced that he would vote against Sotomayor's confirmation.[107] In August, McConnell called Sotomayor "a fine person with an impressive story and a distinguished background" but added he did not believe she would withhold her personal or political views while serving as a justice. Sotomayor was confirmed days later.[108]

In May 2010, after President Obama nominated Elena Kagan to succeed the retiring John Paul Stevens, McConnell said during a Senate speech that Americans wanted to make sure Kagan would be independent of influence from White House as an associate justice and noted Obama's referring to Kagan as a friend of his in announcing her nomination.[109] McConnell announced his opposition to Kagan's confirmation, saying she was not forthcoming enough about her "views on basic principles of American constitutional law".[110] Kagan was confirmed the following month.[111]

In 2014, Republicans gained control of the Senate, and McConnell became majority leader; he used his newly heightened power to start what was considered "a near blockade of Obama's judicial appointments." According to The New York Times, Obama's final two years as president saw 18 district court judges and one appeals court judge confirmed, the fewest since President Harry S. Truman. In comparison, the final two years of the presidencies of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Ronald Reagan had between 55 and 70 district court judges each confirmed and between 10 and 15 appeals court judges confirmed.[105] According to the Los Angeles Times, McConnell brought about an "extraordinary two-year slowdown in judicial confirmations," detailing 22 confirmations of Obama's judicial nominees, the lowest since President Truman in 1951–1952. The number of federal judicial vacancies more than doubled comparing the figure near the end of Obama's term to the figure at the end of George W. Bush's term.[112][113] Later in a 2019 interview, McConnell credited himself for the large number of judicial vacancies created in the last two years of Obama's presidency.[86]

On February 13, 2016, Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia died.[114] Shortly thereafter, McConnell issued a statement indicating that the U.S. Senate would not consider any Supreme Court nominee put forth by Obama.[18][115] "The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president," McConnell said at the time.[115] On March 16, 2016, President Obama nominated Merrick Garland, a Judge of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, to the Supreme Court.[116] Under McConnell's direction, Senate Republicans refused to take any action on the Garland nomination.[117] Garland's nomination expired on January 3, 2017, with the end of the 114th Congress.[118]

In an August 2016 speech in Kentucky, McConnell made reference to the Garland nomination, saying that "one of my proudest moments was when I looked Barack Obama in the eye and I said, 'Mr. President, you will not fill the Supreme Court vacancy.'"[119][120] In April 2018, McConnell said the decision not to act upon the Garland nomination was "the most consequential decision I've made in my entire public career".[121] McConnell's refusal to hold Senate hearings on Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland during Obama's final year in office was described by political scientists and legal scholars as "unprecedented",[122][123] a "culmination of [his] confrontational style",[124] a "blatant abuse of constitutional norms",[54] and a "classic example of constitutional hardball".[59]

Under Trump

See also: Donald Trump Supreme Court candidates and Donald Trump judicial appointment controversies

In January 2017, Republican president Donald Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left after Scalia's death.[125] Gorsuch's nomination was confirmed on April 7, 2017, after McConnell eliminated the filibuster on Supreme Court nominees.[126]

On July 18, 2018, with Andy Oldham's Senate confirmation, Senate Republicans broke a record for largest number of appeals court judiciary confirmations during a president's first two years; Oldham became the 23rd appeals court judge confirmed in Trump's term.[127] McConnell said he considers the judiciary to be the item of Trump's first two years with the longest-lasting impact on the country. The record for the number of circuit court judges confirmed during a president's first year was broken in 2017, while the previous two-year record took place under President George H. W. Bush, and included 22 nominations.[128] By March 2020, McConnell had contacted an unknown number of judges, encouraging them to retire prior to the 2020 election.[129][130] He confirmed 260 federal judges over the course of Trump's four-year term, shifting the federal judiciary to the right.

 
McConnell (left) with then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh (middle), the nominee to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, 2018.

In July 2018, President Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to replace the retiring Anthony Kennedy as an associate justice of the Supreme Court. McConnell accused Democrats of creating an "extreme" distortion of Kavanaugh's record during his hearing process.[131] In September 2018, Christine Blasey Ford publicly alleged that she had been sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh in 1982. After a report came out of Democrats' investigating a second allegation against Kavanaugh, McConnell said, "I want to make it perfectly clear. ... Judge Kavanaugh will be voted on here on the Senate floor."[132] Kavanaugh was confirmed on October 6.[133][134] McConnell afterward admitted the confirmation process was a low point for the Senate, but also downplayed reports of dysfunction in the Senate; he said claims that the Senate was "somehow broken over this [were] simply inaccurate".[135]

In October 2018, McConnell said if a Supreme Court vacancy were to occur during Trump's 2020 re-election year he would not follow his 2016 decision to let the winner of the upcoming presidential election nominate a justice. He noted that in 2016 the Senate was controlled by a party other than the president's – and argued that for that reason, the 2016 precedent was not applicable in 2020, when the presidency and Senate were both controlled by Republicans.[136] In September 2020, following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, he announced the Senate would vote on Trump's nominated replacement.[137] On October 23, 2020, McConnell set in place the Senate debate for the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to fill Ginsburg's seat. Barrett was confirmed on October 26, 2020.[138]

Government shutdowns

The United States federal government shut down October 1–17, 2013, following a failure to enact legislation to fund the government. McConnell later vowed Republicans would not force the U.S. to default on its debt or shut down the government in 2014, when stop-gap funding measures were set to expire. He also said he would not allow other Republicans to obstruct the budget-making process.[139][140]

In July 2018, McConnell said funding for the Mexico–United States border wall would likely have to wait until the midterms had concluded. President Trump tweeted two days later that he was willing to allow a government shutdown to get funding.[141] Several spending bills were approved that August; the approvals were seen as a victory for McConnell in his attempts to prevent another government shutdown.[142]

Shutdown of 2018–2019

From December 22, 2018, until January 25, 2019, the federal government was shut down when Congress refused to give in to Trump's demand for $5.7 billion in federal funds for a U.S.–Mexico border wall.[143] In December 2018, the Republican-controlled Senate unanimously passed an appropriations bill without wall funding, and the bill appeared likely to be approved by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and Trump. After Trump faced heavy criticism from some right-wing media outlets and pundits for appearing to back down on his campaign promise to "build the wall", he announced that he would not sign any appropriations bill that did not fund its construction.[144]

During this shutdown, McConnell blocked the Senate from voting on appropriations legislation, and said it was not his place to mediate between the Senate and Trump.[145][146][147] Privately, McConnell had advised Trump against initiating the shutdown.[18] Democrats criticized McConnell for not putting appropriations legislation up for a vote, noting that the Republican-controlled Senate had unanimously passed an appropriations bill without wall funding and that the Senate could override Trump's veto.[145][146][147]

By January 23, McConnell had blocked four Senate bills to reopen the government and a bill funding the Homeland Security Department through February 8. McConnell called for Democrats to support a Trump administration-backed measure that included $5.7 billion in wall funding, together with a temporary extension of protections for DACA recipients, a Democratic priority.[148] Privately, other Republican senators pressured McConnell to stop blocking appropriations legislation.[149][150]

The shutdown ended on January 25, when President Trump signed a three-week funding measure reopening the government until February 15 without any funds for a border wall.[151] This was the longest government shutdown in American history.[18][152]

COVID-19 response

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, McConnell initially opposed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, calling it a Democratic "ideological wish list".[153][154] He subsequently reversed his position when Trump endorsed the proposed package.[155] The bill passed in the Senate by a vote of 90–8.

McConnell also directed Senate Republicans in negotiations for two other COVID-19 response packages: the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020, and the CARES Act. The CARES Act was the largest economic stimulus package in U.S. history,[156] amounting to 10% of total U.S. gross domestic product.[157] It passed both houses of Congress with bipartisan support.[158]

Speaking on the Hugh Hewitt radio show on April 22, 2020, McConnell suggested that states should be able to declare bankruptcy instead of receiving additional COVID-19 aid funds – funds which he implied would be used to save insolvent state pension funds, instead of COVID-19 relief as intended. His comments were met with sharp criticism from various state and local officials. States currently cannot declare bankruptcy.[159]

After the passage of the CARES Act, McConnell waited several months before advancing any additional COVID-19 relief measures in the Senate, saying in May "I don't think we have yet felt the urgency of acting immediately," and that Congress should "[hit] pause" to evaluate how the allocated funds were working before approving more.[160] In negotiations between congressional Democrats and White House officials for an additional aid package, McConnell was absent from the talks.[161][162][163]

On September 10, a pared-down COVID-19 relief bill crafted by McConnell failed to advance the Senate past a Democratic filibuster.[164] Democrats panned the bill as "completely inadequate" given the scope of the crisis brought on by the COVID-19[165] – and as a partisan maneuver to help Republican senators up for reelection.[166] McConnell called the bill a choice between "do[ing] something" and "do[ing] nothing",[167] and said he was holding the procedural vote to get lawmakers on the record about their willingness to compromise on COVID-19 legislation.[168]

Approval ratings

As the leader of the Senate Republicans, McConnell has been at the receiving end of much of the criticism and disapproval that Republicans receive from Democratic voters, receiving near uniform disapproval from left-of-center voters. Furthermore, as a result of his unpopularity with Trump and the more populist base, McConnell has had historically low approval for a senator when looking at the electorate as a whole, as a 2012 poll and a 2016 poll each found that McConnell had the lowest home-state approval rating of any sitting senator.[169][170] With a 49% disapproval rate in 2017, McConnell had the highest disapproval rating of all senators.[171]

In September 2019, the Morning Consult found that his approval rating had been underwater since the first quarter of 2017, when it was 44% positive and 47% negative. The best rating since that time was in the fourth quarter of 2018, when he had a 38% positive rating and a 47% negative rating among Kentuckians.[172] At that time he was briefly not the least popular Senator, and was surpassed by Senators Claire McCaskill and Jeff Flake.[173] As of the second quarter of 2019, however, McConnell's ratings were 36% positive and 50% negative. He netted −56 among Democrats, +29 among Republicans, and −24 among Independents.[172] An average of polls by the Economist/YouGov, Politico/Morning Consult, and Harvard-Harris from the end of July through August 2019 (7/31–8/27), was 23% favorable and 48% unfavorable (−25.0 spread).[174]

In 2020, according to Morning Consult, Susan Collins edged out McConnell as the most unpopular senator with a 52% unfavorable rating from Maine voters compared to 50% unfavorable for McConnell.[175]

Committee assignments

McConnell's committee assignments for the 118th Congress are as follows:[176]

Political positions

Main article: Political positions of Mitch McConnell

McConnell has taken conservative stances for the past several decades. During his Senate tenure, McConnell led opposition to stricter campaign finance laws,[177] culminating in the Supreme Court ruling that partially overturned the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold) in 2010. He led opposition against Obamacare,[178] first through efforts to delay or prevent the law's passage, and later to repeal or replace it, including via the American Healthcare Reform Act. McConnell has opposed stronger regulations, gun control measures and efforts to mitigate climate change. He has criticized proposed legislation by House Democrats such as the Green New Deal and Medicare for All,[179] and was criticized by Nancy Pelosi for withholding votes on measures passed by the Democratic-controlled House during his time as Senate Majority Leader, including the For the People Act of 2019, the Equality Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act.[180] McConnell has supported stronger border security, free trade agreements and reductions in taxes. As Senate Majority Leader, he led the passing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act in 2018. His foreign policy views have included support of sanctions on Cuba, Iran and Russia,[181] opposition to the Iran nuclear deal and support of Israel. He voted for the Iraq Resolution, which authorized military action against Iraq,[182] and supported the Iraq War troop surge of 2007 in public.[183]

Earlier in his political career, during the 1960s and 1970s, McConnell held moderate stances, including support of abortions, support of unions, and support of the civil rights movement.[184]

Electoral history

Year Office Type Party Main opponent Party Votes for McConnell Result Swing
Total % P. ±%
1984 Senator Primary Republican C. Roger Harker Republican 39,465 79.22% 1st N/A Won N/A
General Walter Dee Huddleston (I) Democratic 644,990 49.90% 1st +13.03% Won Gain
1990 Primary Republican Tommy Klein Republican 64,063 88.52% 1st +9.30% Won N/A
General Harvey I. Sloane Democratic 478,034 52.19% 1st +2.28% Won Hold
1996 Primary Republican Tommy Klein Republican 88,620 88.59% 1st +0.07% Won N/A
General Steve Beshear Democratic 724,794 55.45% 1st +3.27% Won Hold
2002 General Republican Lois Combs Weinberg Democratic 731,679 64.68% 1st +9.22% Won Hold
2008 Primary Republican Daniel Essek Republican 168,127 86.09% 1st -2.50% Won N/A
General Bruce Lunsford Democratic 953,816 52.97% 1st -11.7% Won Hold
2014 Primary Republican Matt Bevin Republican 213,753 60.19% 1st -25.9% Won N/A
General Alison Lundergan Grimes Democratic 806,787 56.19% 1st +3.22% Won Hold
2020 Primary Republican Wesley Morgan Republican 342,660 82.80% 1st +22.61 Won N/A
General Amy McGrath Democratic 1,233,315 57.76% 1st +1.57% Won Hold

1984

Main article: 1984 United States Senate election in Kentucky

In 1984, McConnell ran for the U.S. Senate against two-term Democratic incumbent Walter Dee Huddleston. The election race was not decided until the last returns came in, when McConnell won by 3,437 votes out of more than 1.2 million votes cast, just over 0.4%.[185] McConnell was the only Republican Senate challenger to win that year, despite Ronald Reagan's landslide victory in the presidential election.[186]

McConnell's campaign was noted for a series of television campaign spots called "Where's Dee", which featured a group of bloodhounds trying to find Huddleston,[187][better source needed][188] implying that Huddleston's attendance record in the Senate was poor.[189][190] He was the first Republican to win a statewide election in Kentucky since 1968, and benefited from the popularity of President Ronald Reagan, up for re-election, who was supported by 60% of Kentucky voters in the same year.[39]

1990

Main article: 1990 United States Senate election in Kentucky

In 1990, McConnell faced former Louisville Mayor Harvey I. Sloane, winning by 4.4%.[191]

1996

Main article: 1996 United States Senate election in Kentucky

In 1996, he defeated Steve Beshear by 12.6%,[192] even as Bill Clinton narrowly carried the state. McConnell's campaign ran television ads warning voters to not "Get BeSheared" and included images of sheep being sheared.[190]

2002

Main article: 2002 United States Senate election in Kentucky

In 2002, he was unopposed in the Republican primary. He then defeated Lois Combs Weinberg by 29.4%.[193]

2008

Main article: 2008 United States Senate election in Kentucky

In 2008, McConnell faced his closest contest since 1990. He defeated Bruce Lunsford by 6%.[19]

2014

Main article: 2014 United States Senate election in Kentucky

In 2014, McConnell faced Louisville businessman Matt Bevin in the Republican primary.[194] The 60.2% won by McConnell was the lowest voter support for a Kentucky U.S. senator in a primary since 1938.[195] He faced Democratic Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes in the general election, and defeated Grimes, 56.2–40.7%.[196][197]

2020

Main article: 2020 United States Senate election in Kentucky

In the November 2020 general election, McConnell faced Democratic nominee Amy McGrath, a former Marine fighter pilot; and Libertarian nominee Brad Barron, a businessman and farmer.[198][199] During the campaign, McConnell and McGrath agreed to one hour-long, socially distanced debate on October 12.[200][201] McConnell was elected to his seventh term on November 3 when he defeated McGrath.[202]

Personal life

 
McConnell and his wife, Elaine Chao

Family

McConnell is a Southern Baptist, baptized at age 8.[203] He was married to his first wife, Sherrill Redmon, from 1968 to 1980 and had three daughters, Porter, Eleanor (Elly), and Claire.[204][205][206] Porter McConnell is the campaign director for Take on Wall Street, a left-wing advocacy coalition.[207][208] Following her divorce from McConnell, Redmon became a feminist scholar at Smith College and director of the Sophia Smith Collection.[209][210] His second wife, whom he married in 1993, is Elaine Chao, Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush and Secretary of Transportation under President Donald Trump.[211]

In May 2019, McConnell's brother-in-law Gordon Hartogensis, who is married to Chao's sister Grace, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), a part of the Labor Department.[212][213][214][215] McConnell voted to confirm.[216]

Health and other activities

In February 2003, McConnell underwent a triple heart bypass surgery in relation to blocked arteries at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.[217]

In 1997, he founded the James Madison Center for Free Speech, a Washington, D.C.-based legal defense organization.[218][219] McConnell was inducted as a member of the Sons of the American Revolution on March 1, 2013.[220] McConnell is on the Board of Selectors of Jefferson Awards for Public Service.[221]

In 2018, the OpenSecrets website ranked McConnell one of the wealthiest members of the U.S. Senate, with a net worth of more than $25 million.[222] His personal wealth was increased after receiving a 2008 personal gift to him and his wife, given by his father-in-law James S. C. Chao after the death of McConnell's mother-in-law, whose value has been estimated to be $5–25 million.[223]

In March 2023, McConnell was hospitalized after a fall, and was treated for a concussion.[224]

In popular culture

McConnell's detractors have called him by a number of nicknames, including "Moscow Mitch",[225] "Cocaine Mitch",[225] the "Grim Reaper",[179] "Darth Vader",[226] "Rich Mitch",[227] "Nuclear Mitch",[226] "Midnight Mitch",[228] and "Old Crow".[229] McConnell is known to embrace several of them; however, he objected strenuously to the nickname "Moscow Mitch".[225][230]

Host Jon Stewart repeatedly mocked McConnell on The Daily Show for his resemblance to a turtle or tortoise.[231][232] McConnell has been portrayed by Beck Bennett in various sketches on Saturday Night Live.[233] In 2017, McConnell was portrayed satirically on an episode of South Park.[234]

During the 2014 campaign season, McConnell was lampooned for posting campaign B-roll footage online for use by allied PACs. Various Internet posters satirically interspersed the B-roll with footage from sitcoms and movies, and popular music. The practice – either of posting B-roll footage online for usage by PACs, or of lampooning the B-roll – was termed "McConnelling".[235][236][237]

In 2015 and 2019, Time listed McConnell as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.[4][5]

In 2021, McConnell was named one of the US' top 'climate villains' by The Guardian.[238]

See also

References

  1. ^ McConnell, Mitch (2016). "Chapter One: A fighting spirit". The Long Game: a Memoir. New York, NY: Sentinel. p. 9. ISBN 9780399564123. from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2020. ...my mother graduated from Wadley High School in 1937. Soon after graduation, she found her way out of rural Alabama and into Birmingham...It was here that she met A.M. McConnell II.
  2. ^ "About Mitch McConnell | Republican Leader". Republican Leader. from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
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 Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative Affairs
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1975 		Succeeded by
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1995–1997 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chair of the Senate Rules Committee
1999–2001 		Succeeded by
Chair of the Joint Inaugural Ceremonies Committee
2000–2001 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee
2001–2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Senate Majority Whip
2003–2007 		Succeeded by
Senate Minority Leader
2007–2015 		Succeeded by
Harry Reid
Senate Majority Leader
2015–2021 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Senate Minority Leader
2021–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Senate Majority Leader Order of precedence of the United States
as Senate Minority Leader 		Succeeded byas Senate Majority Whip
Preceded by United States senators by seniority
2nd 		Succeeded by

April 27, 2023
mitch, mcconnell, senator, mcconnell, redirects, here, other, uses, senator, mcconnell, disambiguation, addison, mitchell, mcconnell, born, february, 1942, american, politician, retired, attorney, serving, senior, united, states, senator, from, kentucky, seat,. Senator McConnell redirects here For other uses see Senator McConnell disambiguation Addison Mitchell McConnell III 1 born February 20 1942 is an American politician and retired attorney serving as the senior United States senator from Kentucky a seat he has held since 1985 McConnell has been the Senate leader of the Republican Party since 2007 and has served as minority leader since 2021 having previously held that post from 2007 to 2015 and was majority leader from 2015 to 2021 Mitch McConnellOfficial portrait 2016Senate Minority LeaderIncumbentAssumed office January 20 2021WhipJohn ThunePreceded byChuck SchumerIn office January 3 2007 January 3 2015WhipTrent LottJon KylJohn CornynPreceded byHarry ReidSucceeded byHarry ReidSenate Majority LeaderIn office January 3 2015 January 20 2021WhipJohn CornynJohn ThunePreceded byHarry ReidSucceeded byChuck SchumerLeader of the Senate Republican ConferenceIncumbentAssumed office January 3 2007Preceded byBill FristSenate Majority WhipIn office January 3 2003 January 3 2007LeaderBill FristPreceded byHarry ReidSucceeded byDick DurbinChair of the Senate Rules CommitteeIn office January 20 2001 June 6 2001Preceded byChris DoddSucceeded byChris DoddIn office January 3 1999 January 3 2001Preceded byJohn WarnerSucceeded byChris DoddUnited States Senatorfrom KentuckyIncumbentAssumed office January 3 1985Serving with Rand PaulPreceded byWalter Dee HuddlestonJudge Executive of Jefferson CountyIn office December 1 1977 December 21 1984Preceded byTodd Hollenbach IIISucceeded byBremer EhrlerUnited States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative AffairsActingIn office February 1 1975 June 27 1975PresidentGerald FordPreceded byVincent RakestrawSucceeded byMichael UhlmannPersonal detailsBornAddison Mitchell McConnell III 1942 02 20 February 20 1942 age 81 Sheffield Alabama U S Political partyRepublicanSpousesSherrill Redmon m 1968 div 1980 wbr Elaine Chao m 1993 wbr Children3Residence s Louisville Kentucky U S EducationUniversity of Louisville BA University of Kentucky JD SignatureWebsiteSenate websiteMilitary serviceAllegiance United StatesBranch service United States ArmyYears of serviceJuly 9 1967 to August 15 1967 37 days medical separation UnitUnited States Army ReserveMitch McConnell s voice source source Senator Mitch McConnell on working with President ObamaRecorded November 5 2014McConnell first served as a Deputy United States Assistant Attorney General under President Gerald Ford from 1974 until 1975 and went on to serve as Jefferson County Judge Executive from 1977 until 1984 in his home state of Kentucky McConnell was first elected to the U S Senate in 1984 and is the second Kentuckian to serve as a party leader in the Senate 2 During the 1998 and 2000 election cycles he was chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee He was elected Majority Whip in the 108th Congress and re elected to the post in 2004 In November 2006 he was elected Senate minority leader the post he held until Republicans took control of the Senate in 2015 McConnell holds conservative political positions although he was known as a pragmatist and a moderate Republican early in his political career He led opposition to stricter campaign finance laws culminating in the U S Supreme Court ruling Citizens United v FEC that partially overturned the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act McCain Feingold in 2010 McConnell worked to withhold Republican support for major presidential initiatives during the Obama administration having made frequent use of the filibuster and blocked many of President Obama s judicial nominees including Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland During the Trump administration the Senate Republican majority under his leadership passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 the Economic Growth Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act in 2018 the First Step Act the Great American Outdoors Act and confirmed a record number of federal appeals court judges during a president s first two years McConnell invoked the nuclear option to eliminate the 60 vote requirement to end a filibuster for Supreme Court nominations after his predecessor Harry Reid had previously eliminated the filibuster for all other presidential nominations Trump subsequently won confirmation battles on Neil Gorsuch Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court While supportive of many of Trump s domestic and foreign policies McConnell was critical of Trump s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and despite voting to acquit on Trump s second impeachment trial on reasons related to the constitutionality of impeaching a former president deemed him practically and morally responsible for the January 6 United States Capitol attack 3 McConnell is married to former secretary of transportation and former secretary of labor Elaine Chao In 2015 2019 and 2023 Time listed McConnell as one of the 100 most influential people in the world 4 5 Contents 1 Early life and education 1942 1967 2 Early career 1967 1984 3 U S Senate 1985 present 3 1 Relationships with presidential administrations 3 1 1 Obama 3 1 1 1 Use of the filibuster 3 1 2 Trump 3 1 2 1 First impeachment 3 1 2 2 Second impeachment 3 1 3 Biden 3 2 Judicial nominees 3 2 1 Under Obama 3 2 2 Under Trump 3 3 Government shutdowns 3 3 1 Shutdown of 2018 2019 3 4 COVID 19 response 3 5 Approval ratings 3 6 Committee assignments 4 Political positions 5 Electoral history 5 1 1984 5 2 1990 5 3 1996 5 4 2002 5 5 2008 5 6 2014 5 7 2020 6 Personal life 6 1 Family 6 2 Health and other activities 7 In popular culture 8 See also 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External linksEarly life and education 1942 1967 McConnell in duPont Manual High School s 1960 yearbook McConnell was born on February 20 1942 to Julia Odene Dean nee Shockley 1919 1993 and Addison Mitchell A M McConnell II 1917 1990 6 McConnell was born in Sheffield Alabama and grew up in nearby Athens Alabama where his grandfather Robert Hayes McConnell Sr and his great uncle Addison Mitchell McConnell owned McConnell Funeral Home 7 He is of Scots Irish and English descent One of his ancestors fought on the American side in the American Revolutionary War 6 8 In 1944 at the age of two McConnell s upper left leg was paralyzed by a polio attack 6 9 He received treatment at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation The treatment potentially saved him from being disabled for the rest of his life 10 McConnell said his family almost went broke because of costs related to his illness 11 In 1950 when he was eight McConnell moved with his family from Athens to Augusta Georgia where his father who was in the Army was stationed at Fort Gordon 12 In 1956 his family moved to Louisville Kentucky where he attended duPont Manual High School 12 McConnell was elected student council president at his high school during his junior year 12 He graduated Omicron Delta Kappa from the University of Louisville with a B A in political science in 1964 with honors 13 He was president of the Student Council of the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity 14 McConnell attended the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where Martin Luther King Jr gave the I Have a Dream speech 15 In 1964 at the age of 22 he attended civil rights rallies 16 and interned with Senator John Sherman Cooper He has said his time with Cooper inspired him to run for the Senate later in life 17 18 In 1967 McConnell graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law where he was president of the Student Bar Association 14 19 Early career 1967 1984 In March 1967 shortly before the expiration of his educational draft deferment upon graduation from law school McConnell enlisted in the U S Army Reserve as a private at Louisville Kentucky 20 This was a coveted position because the Reserve units were mostly kept out of combat during the Vietnam War 20 21 11 12 His first day of training at Fort Knox Kentucky was July 9 1967 two days after taking the bar exam and his last day was August 15 1967 14 20 Shortly after his arrival he was diagnosed with optic neuritis and deemed medically unfit for military service and was honorably discharged 20 22 His brief time in service has repeatedly been put at issue by his political opponents during his electoral campaigns 20 22 23 From 1968 to 1970 McConnell worked as chief legislative assistant to Senator Marlow Cook in Washington D C managing a legislative department consisting of five members as well as assisting with speech writing and constituent services 24 In 1971 McConnell returned to Louisville where he worked for Tom Emberton s candidacy for Governor of Kentucky which was unsuccessful 24 McConnell attempted to run for a seat in the state legislature but was disqualified because he did not meet the residency requirements for the office 24 He then went to work for a Louisville law firm Segal Isenberg Sales and Stewart for a few years 25 24 During the same time period he taught a night class on political science at the University of Louisville 19 26 27 In October 1974 McConnell returned to Washington to fill a position as Deputy Assistant Attorney General under President Gerald Ford where he worked alongside Robert Bork Laurence Silberman and Antonin Scalia 19 24 He also served as acting United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative Affairs under President Ford in 1975 28 29 In 1977 McConnell was elected the Jefferson County judge executive the top political office in Jefferson County Kentucky at the time defeating incumbent Democrat Todd Hollenbach III 53 to 47 He was re elected in 1981 against Jefferson County Commissioner Jim Pop Malone 51 to 47 outspending Malone 3 1 and occupied this office until his election to the U S Senate in 1984 17 24 U S Senate 1985 present President Ronald Reagan in a meeting with McConnell in the Oval Office March 1987 President George H W Bush with McConnell and Elaine Chao in February 1991 Mitch McConnell in 1992 President George W Bush shakes hands with McConnell at Bush s first inauguration January 2001 In his early years as a politician in Kentucky McConnell was known as a pragmatist and a moderate Republican 17 21 Over time he shifted to the right and became more conservative 17 21 According to one of his biographers McConnell transformed from a moderate Republican who supported abortion rights and public employee unions to the embodiment of partisan obstructionism and conservative orthodoxy on Capitol Hill 21 McConnell has widely been described as an obstructionist 30 From 1997 to 2001 McConnell was chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee the body charged with securing electoral victories for Republicans 31 32 On February 12 1999 he was one of fifty senators to vote to convict and remove Bill Clinton from office 33 He was first elected as Majority Whip in the 108th Congress 34 and was unanimously re elected on November 17 2004 citation needed Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist did not seek re election in the 2006 elections In November after Republicans lost control of the Senate they elected McConnell as the minority leader 35 After Republicans took control of the Senate following the 2014 Senate elections McConnell became the Senate Majority Leader 36 In June 2018 he became the longest serving Senate Republican leader in the history of the United States 37 McConnell is the second Kentuckian to serve as a party leader in the Senate after Alben W Barkley led the Democrats from 1937 to 1949 13 and is the longest serving U S senator from Kentucky in history 38 McConnell has a reputation as a skilled political strategist and tactician 39 40 41 42 This reputation dimmed after Republicans failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act Obamacare in 2017 during consolidated Republican control of government 43 44 45 46 McConnell regularly obtained earmarks for businesses and institutions in Kentucky until the practice was banned by Congress in 2010 47 McConnell has received criticism for funding temporary patches to Kentucky s long term healthcare problems while simultaneously opposing and obstructing national programs that seek to improve healthcare more systematically such as Obamacare and Medicaid expansion 27 Relationships with presidential administrations Obama As the leading Republican senator McConnell confronted and pressured other Republican senators who were willing to negotiate with Democrats and the Obama administration 48 According to Purdue University political scientist Bert A Rockman pure party line voting has been evident now for some time but rarely has the tactic of oppositionism been so boldly stated as McConnell did 49 According to University of Texas legal scholar Sanford Levinson McConnell learned that obstruction and Republican unity were the optimal ways to ensure Republican gains in upcoming elections after he observed how Democratic cooperation with the Bush administration on No Child Left Behind and Medicare Part D helped Bush s 2004 re election 50 Levinson noted McConnell altogether rationally concluded that Republicans have nothing to gain as a political party from collaborating in anything that the president could then claim as an achievement 50 A number of political scientists historians and legal scholars have characterized McConnell s obstructionism and constitutional hardball as contributors to democratic erosion in the United States 51 52 53 54 In October 2010 McConnell said the single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one term president Asked whether this meant endless or at least frequent confrontation with the president McConnell clarified that if Obama is willing to meet us halfway on some of the biggest issues it s not inappropriate for us to do business with him 55 According to political scientists Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson Facing off against Obama McConnell worked to deny even minimal Republican support for major presidential initiatives initiatives that were as a rule in keeping with the moderate model of decades past and often with moderate Republican stances of a few years past 56 The New York Times noted early during Obama s administration that on the major issues not just health care but financial regulation and the economic stimulus package among others Mr McConnell has held Republican defections to somewhere between minimal and nonexistent allowing him to slow the Democratic agenda if not defeat aspects of it 57 The Republican caucus threatened repeatedly to force the United States to default on its debt McConnell saying he had learned from the 2011 debt ceiling crisis that it s a hostage that s worth ransoming 58 59 McConnell worked to delay and obstruct health care reform and banking reform two of the most notable pieces of legislation that Democrats navigated through Congress early in Obama s tenure 60 61 Political scientists noted that by slowing action even on measures supported by many Republicans McConnell capitalized on the scarcity of floor time forcing Democratic leaders into difficult trade offs concerning which measures were worth pursuing Slowing the Senate s ability to process even routine measures limited the sheer volume of liberal bills that could be adopted 61 Use of the filibuster One of McConnell s most common tactics as minority leader to delay or obstruct legislation and judicial appointments has been the filibuster A filibuster is an attempt to talk a bill to death forcing Senate leadership to abandon a proposed measure instead of waiting out the filibuster or at least to delay the measure s passage In the United States Senate any senator may speak for unlimited duration unless a 60 person majority votes to invoke cloture or end debate and proceed to a final vote Political scientists have referred to McConnell s use of the filibuster as constitutional hardball referring to the misuse of procedural tools in a way that undermines democracy 56 59 52 62 Political scientists Hacker and Pierson describe the rationale behind McConnell s filibusters Filibusters left no fingerprints When voters heard that legislation had been defeated journalists rarely highlighted that this defeat meant a minority had blocked a majority Not only did this strategy produce an atmosphere of gridlock and dysfunction it also chewed up the Senate calendar restricting the range of issues on which Democrats could progress 56 In 2012 McConnell proposed a measure allowing President Obama to raise the debt ceiling hoping some Democratic senators would oppose the measure thus demonstrating disunity among Democrats However all Democratic senators supported the proposal which led McConnell to filibuster his own proposal 63 In 2013 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid eliminated the filibuster for all presidential nominations except the Supreme Court By that time nearly half of all votes to invoke cloture in the history of the Senate had occurred during Obama s presidency 53 In April 2017 Senate Republicans led by McConnell eliminated the filibuster for Supreme Court nominations in order to end debate on the nomination of Neil Gorsuch 64 65 66 In August 2019 McConnell wrote an editorial for The New York Times strongly opposing the elimination of the filibuster on legislation 67 Trump Donald Trump Mike Pence Paul Ryan and McConnell celebrate the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 December 2017 McConnell initially endorsed fellow Kentucky senator Rand Paul during the 2016 presidential campaign Paul withdrew from the race following the Iowa caucus and McConnell endorsed presumptive nominee Donald Trump on May 4 2016 68 However McConnell disagreed with Trump on multiple subsequent occasions In May 2016 after Trump suggested that federal judge Gonzalo P Curiel was biased against Trump because of his Mexican heritage McConnell responded I don t agree with what he Trump had to say This is a man who was born in Indiana All of us came here from somewhere else In July 2016 after Trump had criticized the parents of Capt Humayun Khan a Muslim American soldier who was killed in Iraq McConnell said All Americans should value the patriotic service of the patriots who volunteer to selflessly defend us in the armed services On October 7 2016 following the Donald Trump Access Hollywood controversy McConnell said As the father of three daughters I strongly believe that Trump needs to apologize directly to women and girls everywhere and take full responsibility for the utter lack of respect for women shown in his comments on that tape 69 In private McConnell reportedly expresses disdain for Trump 70 and abhors his behavior 71 In October 2017 White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon and other Trump allies blamed McConnell for stalling the Trump administration s legislation In response McConnell cited the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court to show that the Senate was supportive of Trump s agenda 72 After Joe Biden won the election of 2020 against Donald Trump McConnell at first refused to recognize Biden as the winner of the election 73 74 75 In his public statements McConnell did not repeat any of Trump s false claims of voter fraud but did not contradict them ignoring questions about evidence and instead arguing that Trump had the right to challenge the results 74 76 77 At the same time that McConnell refused to recognize Biden he did celebrate Republicans who won their races in the Senate and the House in the same elections 74 76 78 On December 15 one day after the electoral college vote McConnell reversed his previous stance and publicly acknowledged Biden s win stating Today I want to congratulate President elect Joe Biden 79 On January 6 during the Electoral College vote count McConnell spoke out against the efforts of Trump and his allies to overturn the election Trump claims the election was stolen The assertions range from specific local allegations to constitutional arguments to sweeping conspiracy theories nothing before us proves illegality anywhere near the massive scale the massive scale that would have tipped the entire election If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side our democracy would enter a death spiral We d never see the whole nation accept an election again Every four years would be a scramble for power at any cost 80 Later that day he described the storming of the Capitol building which occurred while the Electoral College votes were being counted as a failed insurrection which tried to disrupt our democracy 81 On April 10 2021 Trump called McConnell a dumb son of a bitch Trump added I hired his wife Did he ever say thank you 82 Trump has continued to attack McConnell in personal terms since then but McConnell has not responded publicly 83 84 First impeachment Main article First impeachment of Donald Trump On November 5 2019 as the House of Representatives began public hearings on the impeachment of President Trump McConnell said I m pretty sure how an impeachment trial is likely to end If it were today I don t think there s any question it would not lead to a removal 85 On December 14 2019 McConnell met with White House counsel Pat Cipollone and White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland Later that day McConnell declared that for Trump s impeachment trial he would be in total coordination with the White House counsel s office and Trump s representatives 86 87 He also declared that there was no chance the Senate would convict Trump and remove him from office 88 On December 17 2019 McConnell rejected a request to call four witnesses for Trump s impeachment trial because according to McConnell the Senate s role was to act as judge and jury not to investigate Later that day McConnell told the media I m not an impartial juror in this impeachment trial This is a political process There s not anything judicial about it 89 90 After Trump s acquittal McConnell was noted for his ability to block witnesses to secure Trump s acquittal and to maintain party unity during the impeachment process Commentators noted that McConnell had kept Republican senators marching in lockstep throughout the process 91 92 93 Second impeachment Main article Second impeachment of Donald Trump On January 12 2021 it was reported that McConnell supported impeaching Trump for his role in inciting the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol believing it would make it easier for Republicans to purge the party of Trump and rebuild the party 94 On January 13 despite having the authority to call for an emergency meeting of the Senate to hold the Senate trial failed verification McConnell did not reconvene the chamber claiming unanimous consent was required 95 McConnell called for delaying the Senate trial until after Joe Biden s inauguration 96 Once the Senate trial started McConnell voted to acquit Trump on February 13 2021 and said it was unconstitutional to convict someone who was no longer in office 97 The vote was a bipartisan majority 57 43 but not enough to pass the two thirds threshold 98 After the vote McConnell lambasted and condemned Trump despite his vote to acquit in a 20 minute speech on the floor of the Senate saying he believes Trump to be guilty of everything alleged by the House managers 99 100 He stated that Former President Trump s actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful dereliction of duty There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day If President Trump were still in office I would have carefully considered whether the House managers proved their specific charge 101 McConnell also said that Trump remains subject to the country s criminal and civil laws stating He didn t get away with anything yet He also said why he voted to acquit Article II Section 4 must have force It tells us the President Vice President and civil officers may be impeached and convicted Donald Trump is no longer the president Clearly that mandatory sentence cannot be applied to somebody who has left office The entire process revolves around removal If removal becomes impossible conviction becomes insensible 101 In 2021 McConnell sought to organize Republican Senators into filibustering a bipartisan commission to investigate the storming of the Capitol on January 6 102 On May 28 2021 McConnell voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the January 6 United States Capitol attack 103 Biden McConnell s relationship with the Biden administration has been portrayed in media as one of comity Biden has described McConnell as a friend colleague and man of his word McConnell for his part has praised bipartisan legislation they worked on together and had been the only Republican to attend the funeral of Biden s son Beau in 2015 104 Judicial nominees Under Obama See also Barack Obama Supreme Court candidates and Barack Obama judicial appointment controversies Throughout Obama s tenure McConnell led Senate Republicans in what has been called a disciplined sustained at times underhanded campaign to deny the Democratic president the opportunity to appoint federal judges 105 In June 2009 following President Obama s nominating Sonia Sotomayor as Associate Justice McConnell and Jeff Sessions opined that Sotomayor s seventeen years as a federal judge and over 3 600 judicial opinions would require lengthy review and advocated against Democrats hastening the confirmation process 106 On July 17 McConnell announced that he would vote against Sotomayor s confirmation 107 In August McConnell called Sotomayor a fine person with an impressive story and a distinguished background but added he did not believe she would withhold her personal or political views while serving as a justice Sotomayor was confirmed days later 108 In May 2010 after President Obama nominated Elena Kagan to succeed the retiring John Paul Stevens McConnell said during a Senate speech that Americans wanted to make sure Kagan would be independent of influence from White House as an associate justice and noted Obama s referring to Kagan as a friend of his in announcing her nomination 109 McConnell announced his opposition to Kagan s confirmation saying she was not forthcoming enough about her views on basic principles of American constitutional law 110 Kagan was confirmed the following month 111 In 2014 Republicans gained control of the Senate and McConnell became majority leader he used his newly heightened power to start what was considered a near blockade of Obama s judicial appointments According to The New York Times Obama s final two years as president saw 18 district court judges and one appeals court judge confirmed the fewest since President Harry S Truman In comparison the final two years of the presidencies of George W Bush Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan had between 55 and 70 district court judges each confirmed and between 10 and 15 appeals court judges confirmed 105 According to the Los Angeles Times McConnell brought about an extraordinary two year slowdown in judicial confirmations detailing 22 confirmations of Obama s judicial nominees the lowest since President Truman in 1951 1952 The number of federal judicial vacancies more than doubled comparing the figure near the end of Obama s term to the figure at the end of George W Bush s term 112 113 Later in a 2019 interview McConnell credited himself for the large number of judicial vacancies created in the last two years of Obama s presidency 86 On February 13 2016 Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia died 114 Shortly thereafter McConnell issued a statement indicating that the U S Senate would not consider any Supreme Court nominee put forth by Obama 18 115 The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice Therefore this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president McConnell said at the time 115 On March 16 2016 President Obama nominated Merrick Garland a Judge of the D C Circuit Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court 116 Under McConnell s direction Senate Republicans refused to take any action on the Garland nomination 117 Garland s nomination expired on January 3 2017 with the end of the 114th Congress 118 In an August 2016 speech in Kentucky McConnell made reference to the Garland nomination saying that one of my proudest moments was when I looked Barack Obama in the eye and I said Mr President you will not fill the Supreme Court vacancy 119 120 In April 2018 McConnell said the decision not to act upon the Garland nomination was the most consequential decision I ve made in my entire public career 121 McConnell s refusal to hold Senate hearings on Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland during Obama s final year in office was described by political scientists and legal scholars as unprecedented 122 123 a culmination of his confrontational style 124 a blatant abuse of constitutional norms 54 and a classic example of constitutional hardball 59 Under Trump See also Donald Trump Supreme Court candidates and Donald Trump judicial appointment controversies In January 2017 Republican president Donald Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left after Scalia s death 125 Gorsuch s nomination was confirmed on April 7 2017 after McConnell eliminated the filibuster on Supreme Court nominees 126 On July 18 2018 with Andy Oldham s Senate confirmation Senate Republicans broke a record for largest number of appeals court judiciary confirmations during a president s first two years Oldham became the 23rd appeals court judge confirmed in Trump s term 127 McConnell said he considers the judiciary to be the item of Trump s first two years with the longest lasting impact on the country The record for the number of circuit court judges confirmed during a president s first year was broken in 2017 while the previous two year record took place under President George H W Bush and included 22 nominations 128 By March 2020 McConnell had contacted an unknown number of judges encouraging them to retire prior to the 2020 election 129 130 He confirmed 260 federal judges over the course of Trump s four year term shifting the federal judiciary to the right McConnell left with then Judge Brett Kavanaugh middle the nominee to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy 2018 In July 2018 President Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to replace the retiring Anthony Kennedy as an associate justice of the Supreme Court McConnell accused Democrats of creating an extreme distortion of Kavanaugh s record during his hearing process 131 In September 2018 Christine Blasey Ford publicly alleged that she had been sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh in 1982 After a report came out of Democrats investigating a second allegation against Kavanaugh McConnell said I want to make it perfectly clear Judge Kavanaugh will be voted on here on the Senate floor 132 Kavanaugh was confirmed on October 6 133 134 McConnell afterward admitted the confirmation process was a low point for the Senate but also downplayed reports of dysfunction in the Senate he said claims that the Senate was somehow broken over this were simply inaccurate 135 In October 2018 McConnell said if a Supreme Court vacancy were to occur during Trump s 2020 re election year he would not follow his 2016 decision to let the winner of the upcoming presidential election nominate a justice He noted that in 2016 the Senate was controlled by a party other than the president s and argued that for that reason the 2016 precedent was not applicable in 2020 when the presidency and Senate were both controlled by Republicans 136 In September 2020 following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg he announced the Senate would vote on Trump s nominated replacement 137 On October 23 2020 McConnell set in place the Senate debate for the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to fill Ginsburg s seat Barrett was confirmed on October 26 2020 138 Government shutdowns The United States federal government shut down October 1 17 2013 following a failure to enact legislation to fund the government McConnell later vowed Republicans would not force the U S to default on its debt or shut down the government in 2014 when stop gap funding measures were set to expire He also said he would not allow other Republicans to obstruct the budget making process 139 140 In July 2018 McConnell said funding for the Mexico United States border wall would likely have to wait until the midterms had concluded President Trump tweeted two days later that he was willing to allow a government shutdown to get funding 141 Several spending bills were approved that August the approvals were seen as a victory for McConnell in his attempts to prevent another government shutdown 142 Shutdown of 2018 2019 From December 22 2018 until January 25 2019 the federal government was shut down when Congress refused to give in to Trump s demand for 5 7 billion in federal funds for a U S Mexico border wall 143 In December 2018 the Republican controlled Senate unanimously passed an appropriations bill without wall funding and the bill appeared likely to be approved by the Republican controlled House of Representatives and Trump After Trump faced heavy criticism from some right wing media outlets and pundits for appearing to back down on his campaign promise to build the wall he announced that he would not sign any appropriations bill that did not fund its construction 144 During this shutdown McConnell blocked the Senate from voting on appropriations legislation and said it was not his place to mediate between the Senate and Trump 145 146 147 Privately McConnell had advised Trump against initiating the shutdown 18 Democrats criticized McConnell for not putting appropriations legislation up for a vote noting that the Republican controlled Senate had unanimously passed an appropriations bill without wall funding and that the Senate could override Trump s veto 145 146 147 By January 23 McConnell had blocked four Senate bills to reopen the government and a bill funding the Homeland Security Department through February 8 McConnell called for Democrats to support a Trump administration backed measure that included 5 7 billion in wall funding together with a temporary extension of protections for DACA recipients a Democratic priority 148 Privately other Republican senators pressured McConnell to stop blocking appropriations legislation 149 150 The shutdown ended on January 25 when President Trump signed a three week funding measure reopening the government until February 15 without any funds for a border wall 151 This was the longest government shutdown in American history 18 152 COVID 19 response In response to the COVID 19 pandemic McConnell initially opposed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act calling it a Democratic ideological wish list 153 154 He subsequently reversed his position when Trump endorsed the proposed package 155 The bill passed in the Senate by a vote of 90 8 McConnell also directed Senate Republicans in negotiations for two other COVID 19 response packages the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act 2020 and the CARES Act The CARES Act was the largest economic stimulus package in U S history 156 amounting to 10 of total U S gross domestic product 157 It passed both houses of Congress with bipartisan support 158 Speaking on the Hugh Hewitt radio show on April 22 2020 McConnell suggested that states should be able to declare bankruptcy instead of receiving additional COVID 19 aid funds funds which he implied would be used to save insolvent state pension funds instead of COVID 19 relief as intended His comments were met with sharp criticism from various state and local officials States currently cannot declare bankruptcy 159 After the passage of the CARES Act McConnell waited several months before advancing any additional COVID 19 relief measures in the Senate saying in May I don t think we have yet felt the urgency of acting immediately and that Congress should hit pause to evaluate how the allocated funds were working before approving more 160 In negotiations between congressional Democrats and White House officials for an additional aid package McConnell was absent from the talks 161 162 163 On September 10 a pared down COVID 19 relief bill crafted by McConnell failed to advance the Senate past a Democratic filibuster 164 Democrats panned the bill as completely inadequate given the scope of the crisis brought on by the COVID 19 165 and as a partisan maneuver to help Republican senators up for reelection 166 McConnell called the bill a choice between do ing something and do ing nothing 167 and said he was holding the procedural vote to get lawmakers on the record about their willingness to compromise on COVID 19 legislation 168 Approval ratings As the leader of the Senate Republicans McConnell has been at the receiving end of much of the criticism and disapproval that Republicans receive from Democratic voters receiving near uniform disapproval from left of center voters Furthermore as a result of his unpopularity with Trump and the more populist base McConnell has had historically low approval for a senator when looking at the electorate as a whole as a 2012 poll and a 2016 poll each found that McConnell had the lowest home state approval rating of any sitting senator 169 170 With a 49 disapproval rate in 2017 McConnell had the highest disapproval rating of all senators 171 In September 2019 the Morning Consult found that his approval rating had been underwater since the first quarter of 2017 when it was 44 positive and 47 negative The best rating since that time was in the fourth quarter of 2018 when he had a 38 positive rating and a 47 negative rating among Kentuckians 172 At that time he was briefly not the least popular Senator and was surpassed by Senators Claire McCaskill and Jeff Flake 173 As of the second quarter of 2019 however McConnell s ratings were 36 positive and 50 negative He netted 56 among Democrats 29 among Republicans and 24 among Independents 172 An average of polls by the Economist YouGov Politico Morning Consult and Harvard Harris from the end of July through August 2019 7 31 8 27 was 23 favorable and 48 unfavorable 25 0 spread 174 In 2020 according to Morning Consult Susan Collins edged out McConnell as the most unpopular senator with a 52 unfavorable rating from Maine voters compared to 50 unfavorable for McConnell 175 Committee assignments McConnell s committee assignments for the 118th Congress are as follows 176 Committee on Agriculture Nutrition and Forestry Subcommittee on Commodities Risk Management and Trade Subcommittee on Conservation Climate Forestry and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition Specialty Crops Organics and Research Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture Rural Development Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Defense Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Subcommittee on Interior Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Subcommittee on State Foreign Operations and Related Programs Committee on Rules and Administration Select Committee on Intelligence ex officio Political positionsMain article Political positions of Mitch McConnell McConnell has taken conservative stances for the past several decades During his Senate tenure McConnell led opposition to stricter campaign finance laws 177 culminating in the Supreme Court ruling that partially overturned the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act McCain Feingold in 2010 He led opposition against Obamacare 178 first through efforts to delay or prevent the law s passage and later to repeal or replace it including via the American Healthcare Reform Act McConnell has opposed stronger regulations gun control measures and efforts to mitigate climate change He has criticized proposed legislation by House Democrats such as the Green New Deal and Medicare for All 179 and was criticized by Nancy Pelosi for withholding votes on measures passed by the Democratic controlled House during his time as Senate Majority Leader including the For the People Act of 2019 the Equality Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act 180 McConnell has supported stronger border security free trade agreements and reductions in taxes As Senate Majority Leader he led the passing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and the Economic Growth Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act in 2018 His foreign policy views have included support of sanctions on Cuba Iran and Russia 181 opposition to the Iran nuclear deal and support of Israel He voted for the Iraq Resolution which authorized military action against Iraq 182 and supported the Iraq War troop surge of 2007 in public 183 Earlier in his political career during the 1960s and 1970s McConnell held moderate stances including support of abortions support of unions and support of the civil rights movement 184 Electoral historyYear Office Type Party Main opponent Party Votes for McConnell Result SwingTotal P 1984 Senator Primary Republican C Roger Harker Republican 39 465 79 22 1st N A Won N AGeneral Walter Dee Huddleston I Democratic 644 990 49 90 1st 13 03 Won Gain1990 Primary Republican Tommy Klein Republican 64 063 88 52 1st 9 30 Won N AGeneral Harvey I Sloane Democratic 478 034 52 19 1st 2 28 Won Hold1996 Primary Republican Tommy Klein Republican 88 620 88 59 1st 0 07 Won N AGeneral Steve Beshear Democratic 724 794 55 45 1st 3 27 Won Hold2002 General Republican Lois Combs Weinberg Democratic 731 679 64 68 1st 9 22 Won Hold2008 Primary Republican Daniel Essek Republican 168 127 86 09 1st 2 50 Won N AGeneral Bruce Lunsford Democratic 953 816 52 97 1st 11 7 Won Hold2014 Primary Republican Matt Bevin Republican 213 753 60 19 1st 25 9 Won N AGeneral Alison Lundergan Grimes Democratic 806 787 56 19 1st 3 22 Won Hold2020 Primary Republican Wesley Morgan Republican 342 660 82 80 1st 22 61 Won N AGeneral Amy McGrath Democratic 1 233 315 57 76 1st 1 57 Won Hold1984 Main article 1984 United States Senate election in Kentucky In 1984 McConnell ran for the U S Senate against two term Democratic incumbent Walter Dee Huddleston The election race was not decided until the last returns came in when McConnell won by 3 437 votes out of more than 1 2 million votes cast just over 0 4 185 McConnell was the only Republican Senate challenger to win that year despite Ronald Reagan s landslide victory in the presidential election 186 McConnell s campaign was noted for a series of television campaign spots called Where s Dee which featured a group of bloodhounds trying to find Huddleston 187 better source needed 188 implying that Huddleston s attendance record in the Senate was poor 189 190 He was the first Republican to win a statewide election in Kentucky since 1968 and benefited from the popularity of President Ronald Reagan up for re election who was supported by 60 of Kentucky voters in the same year 39 1990 Main article 1990 United States Senate election in Kentucky In 1990 McConnell faced former Louisville Mayor Harvey I Sloane winning by 4 4 191 1996 Main article 1996 United States Senate election in Kentucky In 1996 he defeated Steve Beshear by 12 6 192 even as Bill Clinton narrowly carried the state McConnell s campaign ran television ads warning voters to not Get BeSheared and included images of sheep being sheared 190 2002 Main article 2002 United States Senate election in Kentucky In 2002 he was unopposed in the Republican primary He then defeated Lois Combs Weinberg by 29 4 193 2008 Main article 2008 United States Senate election in Kentucky In 2008 McConnell faced his closest contest since 1990 He defeated Bruce Lunsford by 6 19 2014 Main article 2014 United States Senate election in Kentucky In 2014 McConnell faced Louisville businessman Matt Bevin in the Republican primary 194 The 60 2 won by McConnell was the lowest voter support for a Kentucky U S senator in a primary since 1938 195 He faced Democratic Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes in the general election and defeated Grimes 56 2 40 7 196 197 2020 Main article 2020 United States Senate election in Kentucky In the November 2020 general election McConnell faced Democratic nominee Amy McGrath a former Marine fighter pilot and Libertarian nominee Brad Barron a businessman and farmer 198 199 During the campaign McConnell and McGrath agreed to one hour long socially distanced debate on October 12 200 201 McConnell was elected to his seventh term on November 3 when he defeated McGrath 202 Personal life McConnell and his wife Elaine Chao Family McConnell is a Southern Baptist baptized at age 8 203 He was married to his first wife Sherrill Redmon from 1968 to 1980 and had three daughters Porter Eleanor Elly and Claire 204 205 206 Porter McConnell is the campaign director for Take on Wall Street a left wing advocacy coalition 207 208 Following her divorce from McConnell Redmon became a feminist scholar at Smith College and director of the Sophia Smith Collection 209 210 His second wife whom he married in 1993 is Elaine Chao Secretary of Labor under President George W Bush and Secretary of Transportation under President Donald Trump 211 In May 2019 McConnell s brother in law Gordon Hartogensis who is married to Chao s sister Grace was confirmed by the U S Senate as director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation PBGC a part of the Labor Department 212 213 214 215 McConnell voted to confirm 216 Health and other activities In February 2003 McConnell underwent a triple heart bypass surgery in relation to blocked arteries at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda Maryland 217 In 1997 he founded the James Madison Center for Free Speech a Washington D C based legal defense organization 218 219 McConnell was inducted as a member of the Sons of the American Revolution on March 1 2013 220 McConnell is on the Board of Selectors of Jefferson Awards for Public Service 221 In 2018 the OpenSecrets website ranked McConnell one of the wealthiest members of the U S Senate with a net worth of more than 25 million 222 His personal wealth was increased after receiving a 2008 personal gift to him and his wife given by his father in law James S C Chao after the death of McConnell s mother in law whose value has been estimated to be 5 25 million 223 In March 2023 McConnell was hospitalized after a fall and was treated for a concussion 224 In popular cultureMcConnell s detractors have called him by a number of nicknames including Moscow Mitch 225 Cocaine Mitch 225 the Grim Reaper 179 Darth Vader 226 Rich Mitch 227 Nuclear Mitch 226 Midnight Mitch 228 and Old Crow 229 McConnell is known to embrace several of them however he objected strenuously to the nickname Moscow Mitch 225 230 Host Jon Stewart repeatedly mocked McConnell on The Daily Show for his resemblance to a turtle or tortoise 231 232 McConnell has been portrayed by Beck Bennett in various sketches on Saturday Night Live 233 In 2017 McConnell was portrayed satirically on an episode of South Park 234 During the 2014 campaign season McConnell was lampooned for posting campaign B roll footage online for use by allied PACs Various Internet posters satirically interspersed the B roll with footage from sitcoms and movies and popular music The practice either of posting B roll footage online for usage by PACs or of lampooning the B roll was termed McConnelling 235 236 237 In 2015 and 2019 Time listed McConnell as one of the 100 most influential people in the world 4 5 In 2021 McConnell was named one of the US top climate villains by The Guardian 238 See also Kentucky portal2010s in United States political history Russian interference in the 2016 United States electionsReferences McConnell Mitch 2016 Chapter One A fighting spirit The Long Game a Memoir New York NY Sentinel p 9 ISBN 9780399564123 Archived from the original on August 5 2020 Retrieved January 27 2020 my mother graduated from Wadley High School in 1937 Soon after graduation she found her way out of rural Alabama and into Birmingham It was here that she met A M McConnell II About Mitch McConnell Republican Leader Republican Leader Archived from the original on January 6 2022 Retrieved January 6 2022 McConnell says Trump was practically and morally responsible for riot after voting not guilty www cbsnews com Retrieved May 12 2021 a b Boehner John April 16 2015 Mitch McConnell Time Archived from the original on November 6 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 a b Mitch McConnell The 100 Most Influential People of 2019 TIME Archived from the original on November 12 2020 Retrieved November 7 2020 a b c McConnell Mitch 2016 Chapter One A fighting spirit The Long Game a Memoir New York NY Sentinel p 9 ISBN 9780399564123 Archived from the original on August 5 2020 Retrieved January 27 2020 She d been known her whole life not by her first name Julia which she loved but by her middle name Odene which she detested So in Birmingham she began to call herself Dean and with no thought of ever returning to Wadley James McConnell from County Down Ireland who came to this country as a young boy in the 1760s went on to fight for the colonies in the American Revolution Fact of the Week The Tuscaloosa News July 16 2000 Archived from the original on August 23 2020 Retrieved November 19 2013 Middleton Karen December 28 2014 Athens native Sen Mitch McConnell looking forward to busy opening session The News Courier Archived from the original on July 7 2019 Retrieved January 4 2019 McConnell said that his original American ancestor emigrated from County Down Ireland to North Carolina Alt URL Phillips Kristine June 27 2017 No the government did not pay for Mitch McConnell s polio care Charity did The Washington Post Archived from the original on July 6 2019 Retrieved July 4 2017 Mitch McConnell on Trump and divisiveness in 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21 2020 Retrieved March 5 2020 Chotiner Isaac May 15 2013 How Mitch McConnell Enabled Barack Obama The New Republic Archived from the original on July 12 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 a b c d Martin Jonathan August 27 2014 Mitch McConnell Is Headed Down the Stretch The New York Times Magazine Archived from the original on May 11 2020 Retrieved September 24 2014 a b c d Homans Charles January 22 2019 Mitch McConnell Got Everything He Wanted But at What Cost The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on August 9 2020 Retrieved May 23 2019 a b c d National Journal Almanac 2008 Nationaljournal com Archived from the original on September 4 2012 Retrieved February 24 2013 a b c d e Cheves John October 23 2008 McConnell opens military record Lexington Herald Leader Archived from the original on January 5 2019 Retrieved January 5 2019 a b c d MacGillis Alec 2014 The Cynic The Political Education of Mitch McConnell New York NY Simon amp Schuster ISBN 978 1 5011 1203 4 a b Weiser Carl September 23 2002 Military service rare on delegation The Cincinnati Enquirer Archived from the original on May 29 2012 Retrieved February 3 2015 Alt URL Although McConnell has allowed reporters to examine parts of his military record and take notes he has refused to allow copies to be made or to disclose his entire record despite calls by his opponents to do so His time in service has also been the subject of criticism because his discharge was accelerated after his father placed a call to Senator John Sherman Cooper who then sent a wire to the commanding general at Fort Knox advising that Mitchell is anxious to clear post in order to enroll in New York University NYU He was allowed to leave post just five days later though McConnell maintains that no one helped him with his enlistment into or discharge from the reserves According to McConnell he struggled through the exercises at basic training and was sent to a doctor for a physical examination which revealed McConnell s 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on March 14 2020 Retrieved March 14 2020 Allen Jonathan March 12 2020 The twisted politics of Washington s coronavirus response NBC News Archived from the original on April 2 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Schultz Marisa March 17 2020 McConnell tells GOP to pass House coronavirus bill Gag and vote for it anyway Fox News Archived from the original on August 4 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Wire Sarah D March 25 2020 Senate passes 2 trillion economic stimulus package Archived October 6 2020 at the Wayback Machine The Los Angeles Times Kambhampati Sandhya March 26 2020 The coronavirus stimulus package versus the Recovery Act Archived August 8 2020 at the Wayback Machine The Los Angeles Times All of the COVID 19 stimulus bills visualized www usatoday com Retrieved January 6 2022 Dennis Steven T Selway William April 22 2020 McConnell Says He Favors Letting States Declare Bankruptcy Bloomberg Archived from the original on September 29 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Hulse Carl May 15 2020 With Go Slow Approach Republicans Risk Political Blowback on Pandemic Aid The New York Times Archived from the original on September 18 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Hulse Carl August 5 2020 In Stimulus Talks McConnell Is Outside the Room and in a Tight Spot The New York Times Archived from the original on August 12 2020 Retrieved August 13 2020 Carney Jordain August 11 2020 McConnell Time to restart coronavirus talks The Hill Archived from the original on September 22 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Bolton Alexander August 6 2020 McConnell goes hands off on coronavirus relief bill The Hill Archived from the original on September 15 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Hayes Christal September 10 2020 Senate Democrats block 300 billion coronavirus stimulus package leaving little hope for relief before November USA Today Archived from the original on September 16 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Pramuk Jacob September 10 2020 Senate Republicans fail to advance coronavirus stimulus bill as stalemate drags on MSNBC Archived from the original on September 17 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Raju Manu September 10 2020 How McConnell is maneuvering to keep the Senate in GOP hands and navigating Trump CNN Archived from the original on September 18 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Stracqualursi Veronica September 9 2020 Schumer says Democrats won t fold to GOP s emaciated stimulus bill CNN Archived from the original on September 16 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Segers Grace September 10 2020 Senate fails to advance slimmed down GOP coronavirus relief bill CBS News Archived from the original on September 11 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Ostermeier Dr Eric November 29 2015 Which States Give Their US Senators the Lowest Marks Smart Politics Archived from the original on November 18 2016 Retrieved November 17 2016 Cirilli Kevin December 12 2012 Poll The most unpopular senator Politico Retrieved February 12 2017 The Least Popular U S Senators insidegov com InsideGov Graphiq Archived from the original on July 6 2017 Retrieved June 15 2016 a b Morning Consult s Senator Approval Rankings Q2 2019 Senator Lookup morningconsult com Morning Consult 2019 Retrieved September 2 2019 Yokley Eli January 10 2019 America s Most and Least Popular Senators McConnell loses spot as least popular senator morningconsult com Morning Consult Retrieved September 2 2019 Mitch McConnell Favorable Unfavorable realclearpolitics com Real Clear Politics RealClearHoldings LLC Retrieved September 2 2019 Behrmann Savannah January 17 2020 Susan Collins surpasses Mitch McConnell as the most unpopular senator in a new poll USA Today Gannett Retrieved January 17 2020 Committee Assignments of the 118th Congress United States Senate Retrieved March 17 2023 Homans Charles January 22 2019 Mitch McConnell Got Everything He Wanted But at What Cost The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved January 6 2022 Gautreaux R 2016 Framing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act A Content Analysis of Democratic and Republican Twitter Feeds Archived from the original on November 20 2020 Retrieved March 26 2020 a b Re Gregg April 22 2019 McConnell vows to be grim reaper of socialist Dem proposals Fox News Archived from the original on June 17 2019 Retrieved June 17 2019 Creitz Charles June 13 2019 Mitch McConnell For the first time in my memory I agree with Nancy Pelosi Fox News Archived from the original on June 17 2019 Retrieved June 17 2019 U S Senate U S Senate Roll Call Votes 115th Congress 1st Session senate gov July 27 2017 Archived from the original on January 13 2018 Retrieved June 27 2019 Senate Roll Call Iraq Resolution The Washington Post October 11 2002 Archived from the original on September 4 2014 Retrieved August 26 2014 McConnell Troop Surge In Iraq Showing Early Signs Of Success WYMT Associated Press March 5 2007 Archived from the original on August 26 2014 Retrieved August 26 2014 Sen Mitch McConnell s Political Life Examined In The Cynic November 20 2014 Archived from the original on June 18 2020 Retrieved October 9 2020 Chellgren Mark R November 7 1984 Dee upset by McConnell in close race Williamson Daily News Archived from the original on November 20 2020 Retrieved February 13 2012 Democrats Have Net Gain of Two Senate Seats Congressional Quarterly Retrieved January 6 2022 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link McConnell Attacks Huddleston Part 1 video Youtube com Archived from the original on November 20 2020 Retrieved February 24 2013 McConnell Attacks Huddleston Part 2 video Youtube com Archived from the original on November 20 2020 Retrieved February 24 2013 Shaw Catherine M 2000 Media Radio and Television The campaign manager running and winning local elections Boulder CO Westview Press p 201 ISBN 978 0 8133 6848 1 citing the Switch to Mitch Have you seen Dee Huddleston television ad as another example of humor used in a negative spot and containing images and a transcript of the campaign ad a b Linkins Jason July 11 2013 Mitch McConnell Likes The Corny Wordplay With His Political Opponents Last Names The Huffington Post Archived from the original on August 4 2020 Retrieved August 17 2014 Statistics of the congressional election of November 6 1990 PDF Archived PDF from the original on July 21 2011 Retrieved January 15 2020 96 PRESIDENTIAL and CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION STATISTICS clerk house gov Archived from the original on June 6 2011 Retrieved June 21 2019 2002 ELECTION STATISTICS clerk house gov Archived from the original on January 5 2007 Retrieved June 21 2019 Killough Ashley July 24 2013 Conservative challenger takes on top Senate Republican CNN Archived from the original on January 27 2020 Retrieved January 27 2020 Ostermeier Eric May 20 2014 McConnell Records Weakest Kentucky US Senate Incumbent Primary Victory in 75 Years Smart Politics Archived from the original on January 27 2020 Retrieved January 27 2020 Mitch McConnell Wins Re Election A P Says as Republicans Make Election Day Push The New York Times November 4 2014 Archived from the original on November 5 2014 Retrieved November 4 2014 2014 General Election Results PDF elect ky gov Kentucky State Board of Elections Archived PDF from the original on January 27 2020 Retrieved January 27 2020 Krieg Gregory Sullivan Kate June 30 2020 Amy McGrath wins Kentucky Senate Democratic primary CNN projects CNN Archived from the original on October 1 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Debate set in McConnell McGrath Senate race in Kentucky wkyt com October 2 2020 Archived from the original on October 17 2020 Retrieved October 14 2020 Amy McGrath vs Mitch McConnell debate is on Courier Journal October 2 2020 Retrieved October 3 2020 Press BRUCE SCHREINER Associated October 11 2020 Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell to debate challenger Amy McGrath WKRC Archived from the original on November 20 2020 Retrieved October 13 2020 U S Senate Election Results The New York Times November 3 2020 ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on November 4 2020 Retrieved November 4 2020 Autry Lisa August 14 2014 Religious Leaders Press McConnell on Social Issues WKU Public Radio Service of Western Kentucky University Retrieved December 16 2020 How Mitch McConnell became Trump s enabler in chief Archived September 19 2020 at the Wayback Machine The New Yorker Jane Mayer April 12 2020 Retrieved November 6 2021 Mitch McConnell Fast Facts CNN February 5 2017 Archived from the original on April 27 2016 Retrieved February 9 2017 Facts amp Related Content Archived November 7 2021 at the Wayback Machine Encyclopaedia Britannica 2021 Retrieved November 6 2021 Walsh Kathleen August 17 2020 How Daughters of High Profile Republicans Became Progressive Icons InStyle Retrieved February 8 2023 Unimpressed with post office banking trial backers eye new initiative Roll Call March 1 2022 Retrieved February 8 2023 Horowitz Jason May 13 2014 Girding for a Fight McConnell Enlists His Wife The New York Times Archived from the original on February 25 2018 Retrieved February 9 2017 Sherrill Redmon Retires Smith College Archived from the original on February 11 2017 Retrieved February 9 2017 Barrett Ted January 31 2017 Chao confirmed as transportation secretary CNN Archived from the original on March 14 2017 Retrieved August 2 2018 Mangan Dan Breuniger Kevin May 15 2018 Trump nominates brother in law of Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell and Transportation Secretary Chao to run pension agency CNBC Archived from the original on September 21 2019 Retrieved June 12 2019 Kullgren Ian December 17 2018 Want to run an agency It helps to know Mitch McConnell Politico Archived from the original on May 27 2019 Retrieved June 12 2019 PBGC Director Nominee Gets Kicked Back to Trump Chief Investment Officer January 8 2019 Archived from the original on July 7 2019 Retrieved June 12 2019 Senate Confirms Gordon Hartogensis as Director of PBGC Chief Investment Officer May 3 2019 Archived from the original on July 7 2019 Retrieved June 12 2019 Roll Call Vote 116th Congress 1st Session April 30 2019 Archived from the original on July 10 2019 Retrieved June 12 2019 McConnell undergoes heart surgery CNN February 3 2003 Archived from the original on November 1 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Dyche John David 2009 Republican Leader A Political Biography of Senator Mitch McConnell Intercollegiate Studies Institute p 124 ISBN 978 1 935191 59 9 Archived from the original on August 5 2020 Retrieved January 6 2019 Southworth Ann 2008 Lawyers of the right professionalizing the conservative coalition Chicago University of Chicago Press p 30 ISBN 978 0 226 76836 6 The Long Rifleman Louisville Thruston Chapter PDF Archived PDF from the original on October 4 2013 Retrieved November 19 2013 Board of Selectors JeffersonAwards org Archived from the original on November 24 2010 Retrieved November 19 2013 Mitch McConnell Net Worth Personal Finances OpenSecrets org Retrieved October 28 2021 Bresnahan John June 12 2009 Members fortunes see steep declines Politico Archived from the original on September 26 2015 Retrieved November 1 2014 US Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell treated for concussion BBC March 9 2023 Retrieved March 9 2023 a b c Hulse Carl July 30 2019 Moscow Mitch Tag Enrages McConnell and Squeezes G O P on Election Security The New York Times Archived from the original on September 21 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 a b Everett Burgess May 19 2019 Mitch McConnell embraces his dark side Politico Archived from the original on September 1 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Naughtie Andrew May 28 2020 Rich Mitch Republican Group That Infuriated Trump Takes Aim at Senate Leader in New Ad Independent Archived from the original on November 10 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Tobin Ben January 21 2020 McConnell called Midnight Mitch for controversial proposed impeachment trial rules The Courier Journal Retrieved August 21 2020 Mitch McConnell responds to Trump s Old Crow insult It s quite an honor CNN July 13 2021 Reasons cited for McConnell s opposition to the nickname include a longstanding resistance to federal control over state elections newly enacted security improvements that were shown to have worked in the 2018 voting and his suspicion that Democrats are trying to gain partisan advantage with a host of proposals Mitch McConnell responds to Daily Show turtle impersonation CNBC May 13 2015 Archived from the original on August 7 2020 Retrieved March 8 2020 Maglio Tony November 7 2014 Jon Stewart Takes Slow Talking Tortoise Man Mitch McConnell to Task Again Video The Wrap Archived from the original on August 4 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Itzkoff Dave February 2 2020 S N L Imagines the Impeachment Trial That Could Have Been The New York Times Archived from the original on February 16 2020 Retrieved February 16 2020 Di Placidio Dani November 9 2017 South Park Review Doubling Down Is The Most Insightful Episode In Years Forbes Archived from the original on August 4 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Gonzales Nathan L McKinless Thomas June 6 2019 What is McConnelling How campaigns skirt coordination laws to help PACs make ads Roll Call Archived from the original on November 8 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Fuller Jaime March 14 2014 How McConnelling came to be the hottest thing on the political web The Washington Post Archived from the original on February 10 2018 Retrieved September 18 2020 Newton Small Jay March 17 2014 McConnell Embraces McConnelling Time Archived from the original on October 23 2020 Retrieved September 18 2020 Wright Georgia Olenick Liat Westervelt Amy October 27 2021 The dirty dozen meet America s top climate villains The Guardian Retrieved October 19 2022 Further readingDyche John David 2009 Republican Leader A Political Biography of Senator Mitch McConnell Wilmington DE Intercollegiate Studies Institute ISBN 978 1935191599 OCLC 298181753 Green Joshua January 5 2011 Recommended Reading on Mitch McConnell The Atlantic Retrieved February 6 2019 MacGillis Alec 2014 The Cynic The Political Education of Mitch McConnell New York Simon amp Schuster ISBN 9781501112034 OCLC 967908174 McConnell Mitch 2016 The Long Game A Memoir New York Sentinel ISBN 9780399564109 OCLC 951149855 External linksMitch McConnell at Wikipedia s sister projects Media from Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Senator Mitch McConnell official U S Senate website Mitch McConnell for Senate Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Financial information federal office at the Federal Election Commission Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress Profile at Vote Smart Appearances on C SPAN Mitch McConnell s file at PolitifactLegal officesPreceded byVincent Rakestraw Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative AffairsActing1975 Succeeded byMichael UhlmannPreceded byTodd Hollenbach Sr Judge Executive of Jefferson County1978 1984 Succeeded byBremer EhrlerParty political officesPreceded byLouie R Guenthner Jr Republican nominee for U S Senator from Kentucky Class 2 1984 1990 1996 2002 2008 2014 2020 Most recentPreceded byAl D Amato Chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee1997 2001 Succeeded byBill FristPreceded byDon Nickles Senate Republican Whip2003 2007 Succeeded byTrent LottPreceded byBill Frist Senate Republican Leader2007 present IncumbentU S SenatePreceded byWalter Huddleston U S Senator Class 2 from Kentucky1985 present Served alongside Wendell Ford Jim Bunning Rand Paul IncumbentPreceded byWarren Rudman Ranking Member of the Senate Ethics Committee1993 1995 Succeeded byRichard BryanPreceded byRichard Bryan Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee1995 1997 Succeeded byBob SmithPreceded byJohn Warner Chair of the Senate Rules Committee1999 2001 Succeeded byChris DoddChair of the Joint Inaugural Ceremonies Committee2000 2001 Succeeded byTrent LottPreceded byChris Dodd Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee2001 2003 Succeeded byChris DoddPreceded byHarry Reid Senate Majority Whip2003 2007 Succeeded byDick DurbinSenate Minority Leader2007 2015 Succeeded byHarry ReidSenate Majority Leader2015 2021 Succeeded byChuck SchumerPreceded byChuck Schumer Senate Minority Leader2021 present IncumbentU S order of precedence ceremonial Preceded byChuck Schumeras Senate Majority Leader Order of precedence of the United Statesas Senate Minority Leader Succeeded byDick Durbinas Senate Majority WhipPreceded byChuck Grassley United States senators by seniority2nd Succeeded byDianne Feinstein Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mitch McConnell amp oldid 1151309818, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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