Mitch McConnell Challenged For Leadership, Could Be Done

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is not assured to be the leader of his Party in the Senate again. The Kentucky Senator served as Senate Majority Leader when Republicans were the majority and Minority Leader after Democrats won the chamber, but now he is facing a challenge to his leadership, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“We must start saying what we are for, not just what we are against. I do not believe we can simply continue to say the Democrats are radical, which they are. Republican voters expect and deserve to know our plan to promote and advance conservative values,” Florida Sen. Rick Scott, the current chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said. “We need to listen to their calls for action and start governing in Washington like we campaign back at home. There is a Republican Party that is alive and well in communities across America. It is time there is one in Washington, D.C., too.”

“Like each of you, I am deeply disappointed by the results of the recent election. Despite what the armchair quarterbacks on TV will tell you, there is no one person responsible for our party’s performance across the country. I know there is no shortage of people who are eager to point fingers and assign blame here in Washington, but I won’t be one of them. It’s unproductive and a massive waste of time. We know that chief among our problems in races across America was a lack of Republican voter turnout. There may be many reasons for that, but after traveling the country to support our candidates I believe voters want a plan. They are begging us to tell them what we will do when we are in charge. Unfortunately, we have continued to elect leadership who refuses to do that and elicits attacks on anyone that does. That is clearly not working and it’s time for bold change. The voters are demanding it,” he said.

“For those who want to get serious about ending reckless government spending and the devastating inflation it has caused, finally take action to protect Social Security and Medicare and preserve the promise of these programs for our children and grandchildren, hold government accountable from the FBI to the IRS, truly combat the extreme danger posed by Communist China and refocus our military on lethal defense instead of woke nonsense, I ask for your support in changing the direction of the Senate and rescuing America from the dangerous path Democrats have set it on. I look forward to having the opportunity to meet with each of you to discuss your priorities and collaborate on how we can achieve this vision,” he said.

But Sen. McConnell said he was confident, after a leadership meeting, that he would be voted leader again.

“I think it’s pretty obvious we may or may not be voting tomorrow,” he said. “But I think the outcome is pretty clear … I have the votes, I will be elected. The only issue is whether we do it sooner or later.”

A letter asking to postpone leadership elections was circulated among members by some high-profile lawmakers, including Sens. Ron Johnson, Mike Lee, and Rick Scott, Politico reported.

“We need to have serious discussions within our conference as to why and what we can do to improve our chances in 2024,” they said. “Holding leadership elections without hearing from the candidates as to how they will perform their leadership duties and before we know whether we will be in the majority or even who all our members are violating the most basic principles of a democratic process. It is certainly not the way leadership elections should be conducted in the world’s greatest deliberative body.”

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio also called for the leadership elections to be postponed.

“The Senate GOP leadership vote next week should be postponed First we need to make sure that those who want to lead us are genuinely committed to fighting for the priorities & values of the working Americans (of every background) who gave us big wins in states like #Florida,” he said.

The Senate GOP leadership vote next week should be postponed

First we need to make sure that those who want to lead us are genuinely committed to fighting for the priorities & values of the working Americans (of every background) who gave us big wins in states like #Florida

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 11, 2022

Texas Rep. Chip Roy penned a piece for The Washington Examiner in which he criticized the Republican Party leadership.

“The House ‘leadership’ play, from top to bottom, was to offer an eleventh-hour, tepid, and weak ‘Commitment to America,’ which few people knew about, much less cared about, and which said both everything and nothing,” he said. “Perhaps well-intentioned to involve rank-and-file members through ‘task forces,’ the leadership failed to produce the kind of concrete plan and bold strategy the moment required.”