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Senate Republicans Voice Frustration With McConnell, Plot Path Forward Without Him

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


Several GOP senators are already planning for a post-Mitch McConnell world after they have grown increasingly frustrated with how he’s done his job and are confident that the party’s next Senate leader will be better.

The senators told The Daily Caller that his walled-off, McConnell-centric style of leadership is no longer appropriate in today’s political climate, adding that most Republicans in the chamber believe they should work together.

McConnell revealed in late February his decision to relinquish his role as Senate Republican leader come November. The Kentuckian stated his intention to fulfill his term, concluding in January 2027, “albeit from a different seat in the chamber.”

This announcement followed mounting criticism over his collaboration with the pro-Ukraine faction of the GOP, attempting to secure additional aid for the country without obtaining border security concessions from Democrats.

Following McConnell’s announcement, two Republican senators, John Cornyn from Texas and John Thune from South Dakota, have declared their candidacy for the next Senate GOP Leader position. Meanwhile, Rick Scott, a Republican senator from Florida who previously challenged McConnell for the leadership role in 2020, is also reportedly considering running for the job, the Daily Caller added.

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Republican Sen. Ron Johnson told the Caller that the anti-establishment wing of the party hasn’t settled on a candidate, but talks are ongoing.

“No, we’ve had discussions, but I’ll leave it at that. We were having discussions before Leader McConnell announced his intention there. I mean, I think I was surprised. I wasn’t expecting that. But, again, I appreciate the fact that he did give us that heads-up. So we have this time,” he said.

“From my standpoint, I’ll sing the praises of Rick Scott. He’s shown leadership. It was his tenacity that continued to schedule meetings with House members, week after week after week, really got us by the debt ceiling impasse. I’m not sure he gets enough credit for that,” Johnson continued. “It was Rick Scott who just week after week, even though we’re making no progress, continued to hold those meetings and had the leadership skill to track House members. And that was the final result. So he’s done that.”

The Daily Caller added:

Both Thune and Cornyn have voting records that resemble McConnell’s. They have voted for most continuing resolutions and omnibus bills with McConnell, however they voted against controversial spending bills such as the inflation reduction act, and the small business COVID relief act of 2022 during the last Congress.

The pair also voted for the supplemental legislation that contained Ukraine funding during this Congress, and haven’t been shy about voting for massive appropriations bills. A majority of the bills they voted against were almost completely along party lines. The three also voted in favor of the 2024 NDAA, which extended FISA powers until April. All three have also been consistent supporters of providing additional aid to Ukraine.

Johnson said that whoever becomes the new GOP Senate leader, they need to be on board with the majority of the Republican conference.

A source familiar with the situation told The Caller that McConnell has “weaponized” his leadership position both inside and outside the chamber, citing the Senate Leadership Fund and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).

“We want to de-weaponize the platform, the leadership platform. The leadership platform has been weaponized on the inside and outside. The outside political side of it has been weaponized. But the Senate Leadership Fund and to a degree, the NRSC, over which leader McConnell has wielded a significant amount of influence, some would say quite improperly,” the source said.

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Utah Senator Mike Lee told the Daily Caller that the next leader should involve more members in policy discussions and not make decisions without the conference’s approval.

“There are a lot of people within the conference who want there to be, who want the leader position to be focused primarily on developing floor strategy and defending the interests of the conference as a whole and the floor, and that the leadership structure perhaps needs to be flattened a bit and made less top heavy,” Lee said.

“I think a lot of those questions are going to focus on what plans anyone aspiring to be the new leader might have, might want to bring to the conference … including, how to involve more members of the conference and involve the conference in its entirety. In certain key strategic decisions,” Lee continued.

“Some have also suggested term limits for all the leadership positions. I think that they come up as well. I know John Cornyn has embraced that publicly,” Lee added.

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