Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding governing institutions:
“As cracks keep forming in the Democrats’ reckless taxing and spending spree, some of our colleagues seemed to channel their frustration into even more radical attempts to attack our governing institutions.
“In the span of a few hours, one Senate Democrat had renewed calls to ‘nuke’ the Senate and break the rules, and another published a national op-ed arguing that Democrats should attack the rule of law and pack the Supreme Court.
“Two frontal assaults on two branches of government, proposed in the space of about two hours!
“Entire generations of statesmen would have seen either one of those unhinged proposals as Armageddon for our institutions. Apparently, today’s Democrats try both at once and just call it Wednesday!
“We’ve heard false claims that the Senate obeying our rules to address the debt limit somehow paves the way for radicals to break the rules.
“And Madam President, I’d ask consent that an additional statement on that subject appear at a different place in the record.
“So, look — we have discussed over and over again why Democrats will not be allowed to federalize our elections and lord over all 50 states like a self-appointed board of elections on steroids.
“My colleagues across the aisle have pushed absurd bills that would do things like neuter Voter I.D. laws… make every state legalize ballot harvesting… turn the Federal Election Commission into a biased, partisan body… and even send taxpayer money to political campaigns.
“It isn’t about quote-unquote ‘voting rights.’ It’s a naked power grab.
“Democrats have been pushing the same kinds of bills for years, even as their stated justifications have changed wildly. When Republicans win elections or start polling well, Democrats and the media say our democracy badly broken, on death’s door and needs a radical overhaul. The answers presented are these policies.
“When Democrats win elections, Democrats and the media say our democracy is sterling, beyond reproach, and just needs some modest safeguards to protect the status quo. But again, the answers presented are these policies.
“Lately, their pretext has been demagogic attacks on reasonable state voting laws and proposals. If any state scraps any of the temporary pandemic procedures that Democrat operatives favor, the radical left says the sky is falling.
“But outside the liberal bubble, nobody buys this nonsense. The country is not buying the hysteria. On Election Day last month, even in deep blue New York, voters rejected liberal ballot measures that would have liberalized no-excuse absentee voting and loosened up the rules on voter registration.
“Not even blue New York wants these policies to weaken their elections. But some Democrats want to break the Senate and trash its rules to force these sorts of things on all 50 states?
“It’s beyond absurd.
“I understand my colleagues are frustrated they may not get to spend $4.9 trillion on their way out the door for Christmas. But believe me, lashing out at our democracy, at the Supreme Court, and at the Senate itself is not going to solve anything.”
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