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Mitch McConnell
78 quotes
“I think the testimony obviously ought to be sworn testimony. And we ought to go all the way into this and take as much time as we can to reassure the American people that this sort of thing’s not going to happen again in the future.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 1996 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the need for testimonies by Clinton White House staffers Fox News Sunday (June 16, 1996).
“You're more likely to see Elvis again than to see this bill pass the Senate.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 1998 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the McCain-Feingold Bill on Campaign Reform New York Times, (July 31, 1998)
“With regard to White House officials, it will be up to the President to decide frankly whether and when and under what circumstances members of his [own White House staff] testify.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the need for testimonies by G.W. Bush White House staffers Fox News Sunday (April 1, 2007)
“There was no involvement whatsoever.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: on WHAS-11, denying his office's spreading lies to the media about Graeme Logan, a brain-damaged recipient of S-CHIP funds, and his family, despite recovery of subject email (see below); October 19, 2007; Countdown
“Nobody is happy about losing lives but, remember, these are not draftees. These are full-time professional soldiers.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: December 7, 2007 .
“We need to say to everyone on Election Day, “Those of you who helped make this a good day, you need to go out and help us finish the job." (National Journal): What’s the job? The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2010 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Top GOP Priority: Make Obama a One-Term President, National Journal, (October 23, 2010)
“We worked very hard to keep our fingerprints off of these proposals,” “Because we thought—correctly, I think—that the only way the American people would know that a great debate was going on was if the measures were not bipartisan. When you hang the ‘bipartisan’ tag on something, the perception is that differences have been worked out, and there’s a broad agreement that that’s the way forward.” , The Atlantic, (January, 2011)”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I can’t imagine that a Republican majority in the United States Senate would want to confirm, in a lame duck session, a nominee opposed by the National Rifle Association”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: McConnell On SCOTUS Vacancy on "Fox News Sunday" as Majority Leader of the Senate dismissing the possibility of considering the Supreme Court nominee Merrick B. Garland even after the elections in November (March 20, 20…
“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.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Statement released to the press following the death of Antonin Scalia, noting that the Senate would not confirm Barack Obama's nominee Merrick Garland. The statement was quoted extensively at the time and in subsequent …
“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.'”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Talking about Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland "Tea Party-Aligned Kentucky Gov May End 95-Year Democratic Reign" (August 6, 2016)
“Apparently there’s yet a new standard now to not confirm a Supreme Court nominee at all. I think that’s something the American people simply will not tolerate.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When John saw an issue the same way you did, you knew you had just found your most stalwart ally. You would thank your lucky stars because when you found yourself on the other side of that table, as I think all of us learned, you were in for a different kind of unforgettable experience. Either way, serving alongside John was never a dull affair. I found myself on both sides of that table over the years. John and I stood shoulder to shoulder on some of the most important issues to each of us, and we also disagreed entirely on huge subjects that helped define each of our careers.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“John treated every day, every issue, with the intensity and seriousness that the legislative process deserves. He would fight like mad to bring the country closer to his vision of the common good. But when the day's disputes were over, that very same man was one of our most powerful reminders that so much more unites us than divides us; that we should be able to differ completely on policy and stay united in love of our country.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The Senate just passed the Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act. I’m especially proud it includes my amendment reaffirming the importance of our nation’s ongoing missions in Afghanistan and Syria.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 5 February 2019 reported by McClatchy same day
“Well Mister President, here's what happened: House Democrats decided to add a poison pill the new demand is really extreme: a hard statutory cap on the number of illegal immigrants who can be detained by the federal government”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 11 February 2019
“I just had an opportunity to speak with President Trump, and he's prepared to sign the bill, .. He will also be signing a national emergency declaration at the same time.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 14 February 2019
“Breaking the rules to change the rules is un-American.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Sure, Let's Make the Senate Even More Deliberative", The New York Times (April 4, 2019)
“Think of me as the Grim Reaper.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: McConnell vows to block Democratic proposals after 2020 elections: "Think of me as the Grim Reaper"", Salon (April 24, 2019)
“President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: A press release in response to the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Cf. 2016 and 2018 statements on similar nominations.
“The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the President and other powerful people.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people, and they tried to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government, which they did not like”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: told the Senate on January 19 according to What will Mitch McConnell do? February 12, 2021 by David Axelrod
“One hundred percent of our focus is on stopping this new administration. We're confronted with severe challenges from a new administration, and a narrow majority of Democrats in the House and a 50-50 Senate to turn America into a socialist country, and that's 100% of my focus.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Moderate Democrats Flex Their Power In The Senate, Making Progressives Impatient" (June 11, 2021)
“Our colleagues have plenty of time to get it done before the earliest projected deadline. There would be the potential for time agreements to wrap it up well before any danger”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: McConnell hints at Republican cooperation for passing U.S. debt limit hike by reconciliation" (October 6, 2021)
“In 2003, 2005 and 2006, Mr. President, you joined Senate Democrats in opposing debt limit increases and made Republicans do it ourselves.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Fact-checking Biden’s claim that raising debt limit is usually bipartisan'" (October 4, 2021)
“You explained on the Senate floor that your ‘no’ votes did not mean that you wanted the majority to let the country default; but rather that the President’s party had to take responsibility for an agenda which you opposed. Your view then is our view now.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Fact-checking Biden’s claim that raising debt limit is usually bipartisan'" (October 4, 2021)
“The Senate is moving toward the plan I laid out last night to spare the American people from an unprecedented crisis.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Trump urges GOP senators to vote against McConnell debt deal" (October 7,2021)
“The pathway our Democratic colleagues have accepted will spare the American people any near-term crisis”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Trump urges GOP senators to vote against McConnell debt deal" (October 7,2021)
“We’re debating a step that has never been taken in American history — whether Congress should overrule the voters and overturn a presidential election. I’ve served 36 years in the Senate. This will be the most important vote I’ve ever cast.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“President Trump claims the election was stolen. The assertions range from specific local allegations to constitutional arguments to sweeping conspiracy theories. I supported the president’s right to use the legal system. Dozens of lawsuits received hearings in courtrooms all across our country, but over and over, the courts rejected these claims, including all-star judges whom the president himself has nominated.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Every election we know features some illegality and irregularity, and of course that’s unacceptable. I support strong state-led voting reforms. Last year’s bizarre pandemic procedures must not become the new norm, but my colleagues, nothing before us proves illegality anywhere near the massive scale, the massive scale that would have tipped the entire election, nor can public doubt alone justify a radical break when the doubt itself was incited without any evidence.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The Constitution gives us here in Congress a limited role. We cannot simply declare ourselves a national board of elections on steroids. The voters, the courts, and the states have all spoken. They’ve all spoken. If we overrule them, it would damage our republic forever.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Self-government, my colleagues, requires a shared commitment to the truth and a shared respect for the ground rules of our system. We cannot keep drifting apart into two separate tribes with a separate set of facts and separate realities, with nothing in common except our hostility towards each other and mistrust for the few national institutions that we all still share.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The framers built the Senate to stop short-term passions from boiling over and melting the foundations of our republic. So I believe protecting our constitutional order requires respecting the limits of our own power. It would be unfair and wrong to disenfranchise American voters and overrule the courts and the states on this extraordinarily thin basis. And I will not pretend such a vote would be a harmless protest gesture while relying on others to do the right thing. I will vote to respect the people’s decision and defend our system of government as we know it.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Former President Trump's actions that preceded the riot were a disgraceful, disgraceful dereliction of duty. Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Impeachment was never meant to be the final forum for American justice.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation. And former Presidents are not immune from being held accountable by either one.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“He did not do his job. He didn't take steps so federal law could be faithfully executed and order restored. No. Instead, according to public reports, he watched television happily -- happily -- as the chaos unfolded.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“African American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as Americans.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2022 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Virginia congressman blasts McConnell for comment on voters of color", CNN, January 21 2022
“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure she’s successful”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2022 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: McConnell says it's 'important' for Sen. Lisa Murkowski to win reelection and defeat her Trump-backed opponent (Apr 7, 2022)
“Last night’s stunning breach was an attack on the independence of the Supreme Court. By every indication, this was yet another escalation in the radical left’s ongoing campaign to bully and intimidate federal judges and substitute mob rule for the rule of law.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The disgraceful statements by President [Joe] Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader Schumer refuse to defend judicial independence and the rule of law and instead play into this toxic spectacle. Real leaders should defend the Court’s independence unconditionally.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This lawless action should be investigated and punished as fully as possible. The Chief Justice must get to the bottom of it and the Department of Justice must pursue criminal charges if applicable.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“All nine Justices should tune out the bad-faith noise and feel totally free to do their jobs, following the facts and the law where they lead.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Shortly thereafter, Trump incited a violent attack on the Capitol in an attempt to hold onto power; while holed up with staff in his office, Tackett reports, McConnell started crying while telling the group, “You are my family, and I hate the fact that you had to go through this.” The following month, the lawmaker declared on the Senate floor that Trump was “practically and morally responsible”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2024 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Mitch McConnell Called Trump “Stupid,” a “Sleazeball,” and a “Despicable Human Being,” Then Endorsed Him for President, Biographer Reveals (October 17, 2024)
“Mr. President, allow me to say a few words about the Speaker of the House. There is a lot you can say about John Boehner. He loves his breakfast every morning at Pete's Diner. He is a fan of the tie dimple. He is one of the most genuine guys you will ever, ever meet. I know because we have fought many battles together in the trenches. He never breaks his word. He never buckles in a storm. What is amazing is how we have had such a frictionless relationship, especially when you consider that old House saying: The other party--that is just the opposition. But the Senate--that is the enemy. That may have been true of past House and Senate leaders, but it wasn't true for us. Though you might not expect it, I am a little more Bourbon and John is a little more Merlot. I lecture on Henry Clay. John sings "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah." But I have always considered John an ally. I have always considered John a friend. It is hard not to like him, and it is hard not to admire what John has accomplished in his career. As a concerned Ohioan, he took on a scandal-plagued incumbent in a primary and won. As a freshman Congressman, he took on money laundering schemes and banking scandals involving powerful Members and prevailed. As an engineer of the Contract with America, he took on Democrats' decades-long power lock and triumphed. As an ex-member of leadership once considered politically dead, he knew he had more to offer and convinced his colleagues that he did. As the inheritor of a diminished and dispirited House minority, he dared to believe conservatives could rise again and help grow the largest Republican majority since bob-haired flappers were dancing the Charleston back in the 1920s. John Boehner has wandered the valley. John Boehner has also been to the mountaintop. John Boehner has slid right back into the valley, and then ascended to great heights yet again. He does it all with hard work. He does it with an earnestness and an honesty I have always admired.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2015 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: TRIBUTE TO JOHN BOEHNER (29 October 2015)
“When John talks about struggling to make it, it is not some platitude. When John gets choked up about Americans reaching for their dreams, it is not some act. This is a guy who had to share a bathroom with 11 brothers and sisters. Imagine that. This is a guy whose parents slept on the pullout sofa. This is a guy who worked hard behind the bar and eventually found his way atop the rostrum. Maybe that is why he is so humble. Maybe that is why when he orders breakfast at Pete's, they don't call him Mr. Speaker; they call him "John-John." Here is what I know about Speaker John Boehner. He says the code he lives by is a simple one: Do the right thing for the right reasons, and the right things will happen. I have always found that to be true. I found it to be true in our battles fighting side by side for conservative reform, sometimes from a position deep in the minority. We had our share of Maalox moments. That is for sure. But he always strived to push forward. As I said about John Boehner the day he announced his retirement, grace under pressure, country and institution before self--these are the things that come to mind when I think of him. I wish Speaker Boehner the very best in retirement. I thank him for always working hard to do the right thing--for his family, for his district, for his party, and for his country. Farewell, my friend.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2015 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: TRIBUTE TO JOHN BOEHNER (29 October 2015)
“Mr. President, two Federal courts have already found that the Obama administration's plan to regulate the land around nearly every pothole and ditch is illegal. It is hardly a surprise. The administration's so-called waters of the United States regulation is a cynical and overbearing power grab dressed awkwardly as some clean water measure. It is not. Many argue it actually violates the Clean Water Act. The true aim of this massive regulatory overreach is pretty clear. After all, if you are looking for an excuse to extend the reach of the Federal bureaucracy as widely and intrusively as possible, why not just issue a regulation giving bureaucrats dominion over land that has touched a pothole or a ditch or a puddle at some point? That would seem to be pretty much everything, and that is why the waters of the United States regulation is so worrying. It would force Americans who live near potholes and ditches and puddles to ask bureaucrats for permission to do just about anything on their own property. Want to spray some weeds? Fill out a permit. Want to put a small pond in your back yard? Ask Uncle Sam. Want to build a barn or just about anything else on the land you own? Good luck getting approval from the Feds on that.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2015 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: FEDERAL WATER QUALITY PROTECTION BILL (3 November 2015)
“I do support the Federal Water Quality Protection Act. I actually worked with Senator Barrasso to introduce it and will take a vote to move the bipartisan bill forward this afternoon. A bipartisan majority of the Senate supports the Federal Water Quality Protection Act. What it says is pretty simple. If the administration is actually serious about protecting waterways and not just cynically using this regulation as a ploy to extend the bureaucracy's reach, then it should follow the proper process to get to a balanced outcome. It should appropriately consult with the Americans who would be the most affected by the regulation, especially farmers, ranchers, and small businesses, not to mention the homebuilders, manufacturers, mine operators, and utility providers that would be particularly impacted in my State. It should appropriately consult with the States. It should actually conduct the regulatory impact analyses required of it. In short, what this bipartisan bill would do is require the administration to actually follow the balanced approach it should have followed in the first place. It is commonsense, bipartisan legislation that would protect our waterways while protecting the American people from a heavy-handed regulation that threatens their property rights and their very livelihoods. A similar bill has already passed the House with bipartisan support. Americans in places like Eastern Kentucky have suffered enough from this administration's regulatory onslaught already. This latest regulation threatens to turn the screws even tighter for almost no benefit at all. I call on every colleague to join me in standing up for the middle class instead of defending cynical, job-crushing regulations. I ask them to join me in supporting the bipartisan Federal Water Quality Protection Act this afternoon.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) first seen 2015 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: FEDERAL WATER QUALITY PROTECTION BILL (3 November 2015)
“Mr. President, on November 8, just a few weeks away, the people of Burma will hold national elections. This promises to be a momentous event for a country many of us have studied and followed for a very long time--in my own case for over 20 years. This is going to be a momentous election for at least two reasons. First, for Burma's citizens--or for many of them, at least--this election represents a chance to finally choose their own leaders, which is, indeed, a rare occurrence in recent Burmese history. That is significant in itself, but there is another reason these elections are so important, because the manner in which they are conducted will serve as a key indicator of the progress of reform in that country. There are some encouraging signs that the election will be freer and fairer than what we have seen in the past. Unlike recent Burmese elections, for example, international election observers have been permitted into the country. That is an important departure from the past, and it is encouraging. At the same time, there have been troubling signs during the election cycle. Allow me to share a few of them with you now.”
Mitch McConnell (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source