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McConnell at S. 1 Markup: “We Aren’t Going to Let One Party Take Over Our Democracy”

Posted on Tuesday, May 11, 2021
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McConnellWASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today at the Senate Rules Committee S.1 Markup:

“Madam Chairman, we’ll hear a lot of flowery language today, including my friend and colleague the Majority Leader. But we all learned early in life if you can write the rules, you can win the game.

“For multiple years now, Democrats have called this sweeping bill their top priority. You just heard the Majority Leader make a totally partisan speech about this. There’s nothing bipartisan about this. This was cooked up at the Democratic National Committee and designed to advantage one side to the disadvantage of the other.

“The substance of the legislation has hardly changed. But the supposed rationales for it have changed constantly.

“In 2016, American voters made a presidential decision that Democrats did not like. This legislation was cooked up and presented as a massive overhaul, an emergency repair job for a broken democracy.

“Last autumn, voters made a decision that Democrats liked better. Suddenly their side stopped calling our democracy broken. Now our democracy was beyond reproach. But curiously enough, Democrats still want the exact same sweeping bill, just as desperately.

“The truth is simple:

“Our democracy is not in crisis, and we aren’t going to let one party take over our democracy under the false pretense of saving it.

“Voter turnout last November blew 2016 and 2008 out of the water. The 2020 election saw the highest turnout in decades.

“The hysterical attacks that the political left has thrown at a new election law in Georgia, for example, have been thoroughly debunked by fact-checkers. African-American turnout last fall was twice as high in Mississippi as it was in Massachusetts.

“None of the shifting, made-up rationales for this sweeping set of changes hold any water.

“So why are my friends on the other side so desperate to push it through? Why are Democrats so hell-bent on doing whatever it takes to re-wire our democracy on a partisan basis?

“Well, let’s look at the bill.

“This legislation would let Washington Democrats dictate the terms of their own reelection races by rewriting all 50 states’ election laws.

“Popular safeguards like Voter I.D. would be neutered. Ludicrous practices like ballot harvesting would be made mandatory, coast to coast.

“Democrats have a narrow majority in the House and a 50-50 Senate, but they want to make themselves the Board of Elections for every county and state in America.

“Voting regulations are just the start.

“This legislation would deliberately turn the Federal Elections Commission into a partisan Democrat panel. They want their own side enforcing election law, on their own, unilaterally.

“It would authorize federal bureaucrats to poke around in a much broader slice of private citizens’ free speech.

“It would attack Americans’ privacy rights to such an extreme degree that even the liberal ACLU is sounding alarm bells on this bill.

“It would have the federal government take public money and send it directly to political campaigns — so Americans can subsidize robo-calls, junk mail, and TV ads for candidates they disagree with.

“So, the marketing changes constantly. This has gone from an election security bill to an ethics bill to a racial justice bill.

“Who knows how it’ll be labeled tomorrow?

“But the substance doesn’t change because the intention doesn’t change. The Democratic Party wants to rewrite the ground rules of American politics for partisan benefit.

“It’s hard to imagine anything that would erode public confidence in our democracy more drastically. This bill had purely partisan support in the House. It had bipartisan opposition.

“It’s one thing to make fiscal policy that way; to use reconciliation to tax and spend. It’s very different to try to hot-wire our democracy itself without a single vote from the other side.

“These are issues we’ve tackled together in the past.

“I was first chair and then ranking member with Chris Dodd in 2001 and 2002. We passed the Help America Vote Act with 90 votes. The slogan then was: ‘make it easier to vote and harder to cheat.’

“On a bipartisan basis we resisted the pleas of some to federalize every aspect of how we handled elections. We set up the Federal Election Administration Act. We provided money to help states upgrade their equipment. But we deliberately did not seek to dictate how they handle elections.

“That’s how you pass a bill related to how the two parties compete. Together. Not on a totally partisan basis.

“That’s how you strengthen our democracy. If this bill were to pass nobody would have any confidence in it. None whatsoever.

“Let’s call it what it is. Put aside the flowery language. This is a partisan effort to take over how you conduct elections in our country.”

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PaulE
PaulE
3 years ago

I am amazed that every establishment Republican constantly refers to the United States as democracy, when it is in fact a representative republic. Find one sentence in the Constitution that refers to the United States as a democracy. Our Founders explicitly rejected making the United States a democracy, because they understood all the pitfalls of that type of government. By using the incorrect and inaccurate language of the left, the establishment Republicans continue to cede ground in this war for this nation’s long-term future.

As for the rest of McConnel’s speech, that is about all he and other establishment types are good for. Pretty speeches and very little follow through with concrete actions. When push comes to shove and what is needed is a strong, united front to push-back hard against Democrat over-reach, they all usually do is just meekly slink away and say “We’ll get them after the next election.”

Nancy Arnett
Nancy Arnett
3 years ago

Why didn’t YOU look into the 2020 elections?Much of what you have spoken here is exactly what happened IN 2020!

p h
p h
3 years ago

And I still don’t understand how the Democrats are in charge of the Senate. There are 50 Republican senators and 48 Democrats. Yes, the 2 Independents caucus with the Democrats, but they are NOT Democrats. So Republicans should have the Senate leadership positions and save us from some of the Democrats destructive plans.

Keith
Keith
3 years ago

You mean Republic, right Mitch??

Jim H
Jim H
3 years ago

Talk big do nothing Republican Party

Walt Le Couteur
Walt Le Couteur
3 years ago

Hurray for Mitch. Nice to hear common sense.

gina
gina
3 years ago

RINO Mitch, nice speech. As if he cares. Agree with Keith..I’m sure he meant republic (wink, wink, nod, nod). ????

Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell
3 years ago

Really Mitch U care? Gee what took long aside judges selection, then
How about other issues Mitch right

Sandy
Sandy
3 years ago

The Republican Party has to stop infighting or it will not survive. Elected officials have to stop putting their re-election above what is best for the voters and the country. Trump has had his turn as president. He did a great deal to help the country, but if he runs again, it will splinter the Party. Groom someone else to run and let Trump be a mentor. Stop figting each other and putting yourself before everything and everyone else.

DJames
DJames
3 years ago

Mitch,Places his ass on the fence rail and sways with the wind.
He is full of talk and no action

Tim Jackson
Tim Jackson
3 years ago

We are NOT a “Democracy!” We ARE a REPUBLIC! A Constitutional Replublic to be exact. I despise hearing asshats like McConnell purposely misrepresenting our form of government. He knows we’re a Republic but prefers to lie about it. But leave it to the GOP to play along with the DummyCrat play book. I quit the GOP and joined the Constitution Party. And before someone says: “yeah but you’re throwing a vote away” … let me remind you that the last election is PROOF that our votes mean nothing! Nothing whatsoever. Trump won the popular and the electrol votes by a landslide and everyone knows it. Yet we’re stuck with Communist Comrade Biden as our faux President. A coup took place and nothing nor anybody will overturn the literal theft that took place. The GOP in D.C. hasn’t lifted a soft little pinkie to alter the outcome of the last election and they never will.

Todd R Wagner
Todd R Wagner
3 years ago

Mitch is mistaken when he states my friends on the other side of the isle. The Democratic party has driven off the ranch and is full blown Communist, so wake up Mitch and Republicans this is a WAR and you need to fight for this Republic like never before! This past Election was not, it was a SELECTION and the MAJORITY of AMERICANS know it.

Mary
Mary
3 years ago

This speech is all fine and well but how can they stop it when the demonrats have the majority? What about all the rinos?

J. Farley
J. Farley
3 years ago

O’ Mitch, you really care about the Republican’s, isn’t that special, where were you all the times that they were bashing President Trump, where were you in January when the fraud they call an election was pointed out, I will tell you where you were you were part of the bash Trump moron’s, here’s a Question Folks :, What do you get when you cross an Elephant and a
Rhino? answer : You Get a RINO, Mitch

charlesw04
charlesw04
3 years ago

Turtle pretending to have a pair after a dismal history of turn about’s (flip/flop) and betrayals. Get ready for him to fail us again.

Lorey
Lorey
3 years ago

Mitch u do a great great job talking the talk. NOW LETS C U WALK THE TALK
WHICH U REPLUBICANS DON’T HAVE THE BALLS 2 DO. IF U GUYS CAN’T DO IT. LET YOUR WIFE DO IT. AS I’M SURE HERS R BIGGER THEN YOURS

Jay A.
Jay A.
3 years ago

Don’t trust this RINO for a second. When he could have stood up against the steal he crawled back in his shell like the turtle he is, and we’re suppose to trust him this time? NEVER!

Allan Brem
Allan Brem
3 years ago

Not as long as they can keep voting together to get re-elected.

TomB
TomB
3 years ago

not a fan of turtle either but we R’s have to get along, RINOs and conservatives to stop this. We need Manchin and the AZ senator to stand with us and stop this nonsense. Our country is at stake here. If we don’t work together like the D’s do, both communist and moderates, we’ll never control the Exec branch or Congress.

Myrna S Wade
Myrna S Wade
3 years ago

Senator McConnell’s speech is excellent. We need all parties in the District of Columbia to represent the citizens. One statement worries me: he mentions the federal election commission funding upgrades of equipment for the states. I hope this is not how Dominion and others were installed to facilitate hacking. We don’t need improved equipment to be so advanced that it does not matter how we vote since hackers will be arranging the outcome.

Diz
Diz
3 years ago

We aren’t going to let them take over because they already have!! Thanks for nothing, swampers!

D.P.
D.P.
3 years ago

I don’t often take the time to listen to most of our elected officials, especially those who have been in place to the point of being part of the furniture…..but this once, McConnel has made sense and hit the nail on the head. While my trust for nearly all of these elected officials, especially the long term office holders is near zilch….there are sparks of trustworthyness that fly up on occasion…..this is one of them. The problem is, that his counterparts on the democrat side have plugged their ears, closed their minds, and sealed away their hearts. They don’t care beyond what they can get done in spite of the immoral, wrong, and devisive end result. Mitch is swimming against a current that is fast becoming a flood. At every turn, republicans talk big, think small, and act with feeble effort….not because they have to, but because they want to……the game is the same…self-preservation for the next election cycle. Check the terms of our representatives……see who has been there the longest, and have done the least. Check the new-comers and see how quickly they are made to lock step to a system that is so twisted, even a pretzel is envious. Arm yourselves with knowledge and the truth and go on the attack…..flood the chambers with confirmable facts, definite figures, true records and do so boldly…..that’s my advise to any and all who want to make things right….and push back hard against the “majority” who are armed with lies, half truths, fear language, racial bullying, and all the “woke” and “cancel agenda.” Go after the tech giants, media moguls, corporate big wigs with the law…..sue and sue again. Just standing up and talking is playing to the camera…..like Yoda said to Luke…”do or do not, there is no ‘try. D.P.

Brenda Bluntdespi
Brenda Bluntdespi
3 years ago

The left has gone so far left that they need to fall off the cliff entirely!! Leave the Constitution alone!!

Rik
Rik
3 years ago

It’s time for EVERY RED STATE to threaten SECESSION if the Democratic STALINISTAS think that they can remake America in Josef Stalin’s image!
Republicans CAN’T EVEN CALL THEM COMMUNIST, why?

Elle
Elle
3 years ago

My own viewpoint is that God is in control of absolutely everything, including the outcome of elections and what happens afterwards. I voted Republican, but the Democrats either stole the election through massive fraud and nobody cares to fight that, or, they won because so many of them voted. Their motivation seems to me to be nothing other than white-hot hatred for anyone who is against them, especially Trump. The BLM riots, Antifa, the Woke folks, the wanna-be Woke folks–they’re all completely intolerant of ANY viewpoint other than theirs. They literally wish anyone who disagrees with them would die. That’s my opinion anyway. They are nothing but vessels of hatred.

God uses country against country to accomplish His will, and He can use party against party for the same reason. But even though I detest the Communist agenda and policies of the Left, I’m confident that God’s will is being accomplished because nothing can happen that is outside of His will. Maybe the end times are coming, and this is part of the destruction of everything. I do what I can, but I don’t worry excessively over it. Sorry if this irritates you, but to each their own, right?

I might as well go on record here, too, that God controls the weather. It says so in the Bible. There is nothing that mankind can do to change the weather, or hothouse gases. The whole “carbon footprint” thing is a massive power grab. But useful idiots believe what they’re told and then snowball the whole thing into panic and frenzy to “save the planet!” We CAN’T save the planet, anymore than we can stop God from accomplishing His will.

We are in the Maker’s hand at all times, and if we want change, then we need to do the changing within ourselves. We need to humble ourselves, turn from our wicked ways, and acknowledge God as God and follow His laws. We need to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and really mean that.

And that’s what I believe.

Bill
Bill
3 years ago

bout time McConnell grew a set.

aluminum head
aluminum head
3 years ago

rand Paul / Ben Carson – 2024. This nation is very ill. It needs DOCTORS ! ! ! !

Gary E Bowling
Gary E Bowling
3 years ago

McTurtle is a plant. Do not ever trust this professional mouthpiece. He is just one of the RINOs that need to go. To jail. Kevin McCarthy is cut of the same cloth.

Phillip
Phillip
3 years ago

Set aside McConnell’s dismal record of RINO inaction against Democrats and the thwarting of true conservative goals. Set aside the fact that he’s married to a woman whose family is a powerful Chinese shipping dynasty. Pay attention to his rhetoric. He continually refers to our system of government as a democracy. It’s not. It’s a constitutional republic. There’s a vast difference. But apparently he wants a democracy: mob rule. And he wants to be one of the elites in charge.
Listen to him. Understand his goals and tactics. Do not trust him.

Richard Ellison
Richard Ellison
3 years ago

And how does Sen. McConnell propose to prevent this from happening?

Deborah
Deborah
3 years ago

110% correct! This bill should be stomped out ASAP! It is reminiscent of a Communistc society, not the Democracy of the United States of America! Well said, stomp this out!

Chris
Chris
3 years ago

America’s Patriots have no faith in Mitch McConnell leadership

Garye
Garye
3 years ago

We will test the honesty and determination of true Conservatives when this comes to the floor and vote.
We the People WILL be watching!
Let Freedom Ring!

Margaret
Margaret
3 years ago

I dont trust Mitch McConnel as far as i can throw a RINO????

John
John
3 years ago

Mitch, you are not a favorite of mine, but you are all we’ve got. You talk tough for having lost all three branches of government when you had them. Where was the tough talk then, my friend? I don’t trust you, so who do we turn to now that our only representative, Donald J. Trump is out of office? Do what you can, but it is always harder as the underdog. Should have strategized 5-10 years into the future like the Democrats do.

Wade Smith
Wade Smith
3 years ago

I have to agree with Phillip this is a constitutional republic and the woman McConnell is married to has ties with communist china wonder how much money he gets from China? Republicans and Democrats are two legs to the same beast and the republicans had their chance but they blew it with Obama giving him everything and did nothing really when Trump was in these republicans want to hold onto power for sure to usher in the new world government it will never be the same and get ready for the new reset we will lose America or I should say we already have. Do not take the vaccine its to change our coding making us into a product with our own bar code and to sterilize the people, depopulation. Their are more coming with this new nanotechnology this has crystals which injected into your body then the computer can read it and on your own phone that is why they are sending up all these new satellites every week the new 5G you won’t be able to hide they will be able to track every human being this is a fact. I believe the vaccine is leading us to the mark of the beast without it you can’t buy, sell, own, drive, this is in your bible have you read it? They lie, steal, and kill, who does this remind you of? Why are they pushing this vaccine so hard? The virus was not much worse than the common cold but many believed the lies and that is what the bible tells us most all will be deceived and will follow the beast which is the new world order all the world is involved with the new world government which will be run by Satan…..Revelation chapter 13.

Luckylilac
Luckylilac
3 years ago

Reply to “Aluminum head” – Your nom de plume perfectly describes what is inside your head, no neurons, just aluminum.

‘Nonymous
‘Nonymous
3 years ago

McConnell is another major leak in the congressional payroll! He can’t grow a set because he’s not sure what he identifies with, male/female, Republican/RINO/democrat, he’s clueless! Dumb bastard has taken up space in DC since 1985 and doesn’t comprehend the difference between a democracy and a republic. I’m fed up with politicos like him masquerading as statesmen! Shoulda been put out to pasture thirty three years ago! He’s a bigger part of the problem than he is a part of the solution!

Hdrydr
Hdrydr
3 years ago

If you believe a word that “granny Clampett” Mitch says, then you’re a BIG part of the problem. He is a RINO POS. If you have a memory of any sort, look at his track record in the past 10 years. He and his wife are TRAITORS. By the way, we live in what is supposed to be a Constitutional Republic. NOT a democracy!!! “Democracy” is the word that democraps and traitors use. It’s a dead giveaway that they HATE America.
WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!

Rosalee Cavanaugh
Rosalee Cavanaugh
3 years ago

not a fan of McConnell, thought he was a Rhino during the Trump administration. Now he is saying they need to unite. What is wrong, didn’t McConnell get what he wanted from the deal with Pelosi and Schumer?

Gary1940
Gary1940
3 years ago

Biden said that at the end of his presidency, there will be only one party. How could he be so sure of himself. The guy has a big problem, for being a old fart.

the rebel
the rebel
3 years ago

AMAC————-Do NOT delete this!!!!! (you are monitoring comments)

Senile Joe’s butt sucks stagnant pond water !!!!!!!!

HocasPocas
HocasPocas
3 years ago

First off, this is not a democracy it is a republic. Second, those people in our White House better start getting some control over their comrades in the streets of America. These people are able to freely walk around with the guns that these imbiciles are so hell bent on banning the law abiding citizens from owning. These people have criminal records and some even include felonies. They shouldn’t even be able to own a gun according to the laws these hypocrites cook up against the rest of us. Why are these terrorists allowed to run around anywhere they see fit to terrorize and on more than one occasion injure or even kill any law abiding working public citizen that they see fit. Get your heads out of your a$$es and take care of your democrat and msm backed terrorists. We’re about fed up with the bull already

Sharon Harrigan
Sharon Harrigan
3 years ago

The conclusion of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, my prayer for America……”That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from this earth.”

Dr.C
Dr.C
3 years ago

Mr. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) We are not a democracy. We are a Constitutional Republic, (at least that is what we were) please read article 4, section 4 of the constitution, secondly, you are not needed, because you serve no purpose, I certainly cannot find any. Just go away and take the rest of the clowns of the Senate with you.

Garye
Garye
3 years ago

Mitch, it may be too little too late!
I hope and pray that the Washington swamp has enough common sense, and support for Our Constitution to reject this ridiculous and socialist power grab!
When the opportunity was available to support a Great America first President Trump, his own party deserted him and the American Citizens who believed in Our Country.
What resulted was fraud,corruption and allowing inept,socialist, Anti- American ,partisan democrats to cheat their way into destroying America.
If you look at their self serving , power grab,and their total disregard for Conseratives,The Constitution, and Citizens, what makes you believe they really care about anything but greed and transforming this Country???
These communist democrats and their party agenda must be stopped. If any democrat has enough moral standing, or supports America, let them stand up now and prove it!

Willie
Willie
3 years ago

The democrats are going to start a wore in this country. Democrats in Washington don’t care about this country all they care ab CB out is power and money.The money they get are from the people of America . We the people are not going to stand by and let them do us like Hitler did his people.
M

Kim
Kim
3 years ago

What the dems want to do is nothing short of what I’d expect of a one-party authoritarian government. Wake up and smell the communism!

Glenn
Glenn
3 years ago

I’m not too sure about McConnell either. Trump endorsed him for election but McConnell turned his back on president Trump like so many others of the republicans party.

cliff
cliff
3 years ago

We have an illegitimate, FRAUDULENTLY “elected” chinese communist bought and owned pair of “deep state” controlled “PUPPETS” that are infesting our White House and Oval office that should be removed, arrested, and charged with treason. (along with the “deep state” communists that RIGGED said election and are the “piuppetmasters”). There WAS mountains of PROOF of rampant voter fraud including numerous VIDEOS that PROVED what happened, that even the SCOTUS REFUSED to look at. In my opinion there were either large BRIBES paid , or in true communist fashion..”death threats” were issued to “judges” and their families, if they did not “comply” witht hte ORDERS from the “deep state” communists to allow their CHOSEN PUPPETS to “win” or there would be “consequences”.

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