President Biden's sunglasses are seen on the Resolute Desk during an April 11 infrastructure meeting with White House staff in the Oval Office of the White House. 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. [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." My faith is a personal thing; I don't try to impose it on others. "[61], One of McConnell's most common tactics as minority leader to delay or obstruct legislation and judicial appointments has been the filibuster. It took several hours to secure the building, but the certification eventually took place. He later served as deputy assistant U.S. attorney general in the administration of Pres. Justice Ginsburg was confirmed 96 to 3 in an era when Mitch McConnell wasn't the leader. [12], In 1956, his family moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where he attended duPont Manual High School. [15] In 1964, at the age of 22, he attended civil rights rallies,[16] and interned with Senator John Sherman Cooper. Many accused Trump of encouraging the attackMcConnell later said the president provoked itand on January 13, 2021, the House impeached Trump for a second time, charging him with incitement of insurrection. At the time, the Senate was in recess, and McConnell refused to reconvene early to hold the impeachment trial. We need to look at lots of different issues pertaining to life: health care, tackling poverty, making sure that we have jobs and labor laws. Reasons cited for McConnell's opposition to the nickname include "a longstanding resistance to federal, Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act, attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, convict and remove Bill Clinton from office, efforts of Trump and his allies to overturn the election, Barack Obama judicial appointment controversies, Donald Trump judicial appointment controversies, confirmations during a president's first two years, Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020, 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, Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, 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, 1984 United States Senate election in Kentucky, 1990 United States Senate election in Kentucky, 1996 United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2002 United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2008 United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2014 United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2020 United States Senate election in Kentucky, Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, "About Mitch McConnell | Republican Leader", "McConnell says Trump was "practically and morally responsible" for riot after voting not guilty", "Mitch McConnell: The 100 Most Influential People of 2019", "Athens native Sen. Mitch McConnell looking forward to busy opening session", "No, the government did not pay for Mitch McConnell's polio care. McGrath is a former Marine Corps fighter pilot, mother of three and a Catholic. The McConnell Rule on the Supreme Court in 2016 is "Let the people decide," then he changes it in 2020. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [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. I know someone whose daughter took off for Kentucky to volunteer for your campaign after she heard the news. Is that right? U.S. Senate candidate Amy McGrath rallies with supporters during a campaign stop at Woodland Park in Lexington, Kentucky, Aug. 25. But those who are conservative on social issues and liberal on economic issues, what we might call Pope Francis voters, constituted 28.9% of the 2016 electorate. "[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. ], Select any of the newsletters below, then enter your email address and click "subscribe", Stories of climate, crisis, faith and action, Mission and ministry of Catholic women religious around the world, Help us deliver independent, lay-led Catholic journalism, Pope's cathedral 'regrets' Anglican ceremony on main altar, Catholic mothers, scholars urge US bishops to listen to women on abortion, Cardinal Tobin calls for unity, not just inclusion, in synod process. [91][92][93], 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. [223], In March 2023, McConnell was hospitalized after a fall, and was treated for a concussion. I think you got the better deal! [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. WebDistinctly Catholic: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and his wife, former Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, with [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. "[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. I mean, Kentucky is hurting right now. She was very smart, and ended up being one of the first women to graduate from the University of Kentucky Medical School. You have a man who has no ideology, no moral compass. She grew up Irish Catholic in Kentucky, with parents who had briefly considered religious life and priesthood. [86], On February 13, 2016, Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia died. "[132] Kavanaugh was confirmed on October 6. And Gerth should learn to love such political disagreements sooner rather than later. Donald Trump. "I don't know that people should be questioning people's personal faith," McGrath said about nominee Amy Coney Barrett. He defeated Bruce Lunsford by 6%. Mitch McConnell But both Mom and Dad, Catholic faith was really important to them, and they instilled that in all of us. [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. Before the Affordable Care Act, there was not a single insurer in Kentucky that would cover maternity care! McConnell became a key figure in drafting a bipartisan deal that included significant cuts but no changes to the various entitlement programs. Data were compiled by CQ Roll Call and the Pew Research Centers Religion & Public Life Project. [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]. Amy McGrath at an event in Los Angeles Dec. 14, 2019 (Flickr/Louise Palanker). [217], In 1997, he founded the James Madison Center for Free Speech, a Washington, D.C.-based legal defense organization. When I was stationed all around the world, living in tents or air stations, it was going to Mass that connected me to home. [59], In January 2017, Republican president Donald Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left after Scalia's death. When voters heard that legislation had been 'defeated', journalists rarely highlighted that this defeat meant a minority had blocked a majority. "[85], On December 14, 2019, McConnell met with White House counsel Pat Cipollone and White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland. [195] He faced Democratic Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes in the general election, and defeated Grimes, 56.240.7%. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Biden inauguration priest resigns as Santa Clara U. president, Sins of the father? (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax where he's on a weekend visit to minister to Hungary's Catholic faithful. [19][24] He also served as acting United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative Affairs under President Ford in 1975. She served as a congressional fellow, advising a senior member of the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee on defense and foreign policy, and later was a Marine Corps liaison to the State Department and other federal agencies. She had contracted polio at the age of 10, became handicapped and was able to overcome that, and that gave her a lot of confidence. She told NCR freelance writer Melinda Henneberger that she sees her campaign as about corruption in Washington, not about abortion politics or the Supreme Court nominee. 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). I don't believe the job of government is to legislate Catholic doctrine for everyone to follow. [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".