{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"Senate\", state = \"KY\" and year = 2020 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=B71E096B-03CB-4A08-BA59-8732EF16266E", "McConnell Supports NDAA, Opposes Pelosi Plan for Socialism for Rich People", "2020-12-31", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding NDAA and COVID-19 relief:\r\nYesterday, the Senate was finally able to proceed to this year's National Defense Authorization Act.\nA few of our Democratic colleagues have pulled out all the stops to hold back this crucial bill. But last night, a big, bipartisan majority of 80 Senators voted to proceed.\nThere should be nothing controversial about giving our brave men and women in uniform the tools and training they need to stay safe. \nThere should be nothing controversial about continuing the work of rebuilding and modernizing our capabilities. It should be a nonpartisan proposition that America should keep pace with Russia and China rather than slip behind.\nWe have enacted an annual NDAA for 59 straight years and counting. In the next few days, the easy way or the hard way, we're going to do our job once again. This body will fulfill our responsibility to the men and women who protect our country. \nThe Senate will be here until we finish this bipartisan legislation.\n***\nNow, for several days, we've heard some Senators say Congress must send more cash to high-earning households who haven't seen any income disruption during COVID-19.\nOur colleagues who purport to be the champions of vulnerable Americans now say that what struggling people really need is for Congress to stop focusing on targeted relief for them specifically, and to instead send thousands of dollars to people who don't need the help.\nExperts from across the political spectrum agree that our colleague from Vermont is dead wrong on this.\nSocialism for rich people is a terrible way to help the American families that are actually struggling.\nLet me say that again. Borrowing from our grandkids to do socialism for rich people is a terrible way to get help to families who actually need it.\nWashington Democrats took President Trump's suggestion and skewed it so the checks would benefit even more high-earning households.\nImagine a family of five where the parents earn $250,000 per year and have not seen any income loss this past year. Speaker Pelosi and Senator Sanders want to send them $5,000 from Uncle Sam. \nThey make a quarter of a million dollars; nobody's out of work; but our so-called progressive friends say that household needs, quote, survival checks.'\nIn fact, they believe a family of five should have to earn $350,000 before the spigot of government money would stop entirely.\nSocialism for rich people. That's what Speaker Pelosi and Senator Sanders have sketched out.\nA terrible way to help those who need it.\nAnd experts across the political spectrum agree.\nThe liberal editors of the Washington Post have blasted so-called progressives demanding a non-targeted giveaway that would huge amounts' to perfectly comfortable families.'\nLarry Summers, who ran the Treasury Department for President Clinton and the National Economic Council for President Obama, says there is no good economic argument' for more non-targeted checks with no linkage to need.\nThe liberal New York Times reported this morning that a majority' of the households that get non-targeted checks do not end up spending them on urgent needs, but rather, just add to their savings. We know where the pockets of need are,' said one economist, and putting [money] there would be a much more efficient use.'\nFortunately, though some of our colleagues seem to have forgotten, that is exactly what we did less than a week ago.\nIt has been less than five days since President Trump signed into law another historic, bipartisan rescue package targeted to Americans who actually need help.\nWe passed an entire second round of PPP loans to save small business jobs, targeted to the hardest-hit.\nWe renewed multiple kinds of additional federal benefits for unemployed workers, including an extra $300 supplement every week.\nThere are billions for targeted food assistance. Billions for targeted rental assistance. And many billions of dollars for vaccine distribution, so we can finally beat this virus and reopen the economy in full.\r\nThese are the kinds of targeted emergency programs that directly help the most vulnerable. And we just poured almost another trillion dollars into them, less than five days ago. Along with more direct checks that are already arriving in households' accounts.\nThat's what we did less than five days ago.\n***\nThis crisis has not affected everyone equally.\nThe data show that many upper-middle-class Americans have kept their jobs, worked remotely, and remained totally financially comfortable.\nOn the other hand, some of our fellow citizens have had their entire existences turned upside down and continue to suffer terribly.\nWe do not need to let the Speaker of the House do socialism for rich people in order to help those who need help.\nOur duty, both to struggling Americans and to taxpayers, is to focus on targeted relief that will have the maximum impact and help people who need help the most.\nThat's what the experts say we should do. That's where there is broad, bipartisan support.\nAnd that's exactly what we did less than one week ago when nearly $900 billion in more targeted relief was signed into law for our people.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=5AE9ABDD-1AEB-4DD0-9D61-9EDF34F20AB0", "Were Going to Continue Delivering on the Needs of Our Nation", "2020-12-30", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding NDAA and COVID-19 relief:\r\nToday, the Senate was supposed to finish legislation securing critical tools, training, and support for America's armed forces.\nBut the junior Senator for Vermont had other ideas.\nRemember, Senator Sanders spent this past summer literally trying to defund our military. Not my words, but the title of a piece he published: Defund the Pentagon: The liberal case.\nOur colleague authored an amendment to strip 10% of funding from our servicemembers and decimate our defense budget.\nThe Russians aren't cutting military funding. China isn't cutting funding. But last summer, Senator Sanders and fellow Democrats, including the Democratic Leader, voted to make America unilaterally disarm and cut ours.\nThe left took a break from trying to defund the police to try to defund our Armed Forces.\nTheir amendment went down in a landslide. But now our colleague from Vermont is again putting political stunts before the needs of our men and women in uniform.\nOur colleague says he will slow down this vital bill unless he gets to muscle through another standalone proposal from Speaker Pelosi that would add roughly half a trillion dollars to the national debt.\nWhich does not align with what President Trump has suggested.\r\nAnd which has no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate.\nWell, as I've said, the Senate will not let our national security be shoved off course. Certainly not by Senators who have spent years trying to gut America's capabilities while our adversaries continue ramping up.\nThe Senate will stay on this important bill until we complete it, one way or another.\n***\r\nNow let's talk about COVID-19 relief.\nFour days ago, President Trump signed the second-largest rescue package in American history.\nThe largest one was the CARES Act in March.\nDue to this pandemic and our massive response, we now have a national debt far larger than our entire economy for the first time since World War II.\nBut we knew our people needed more help. So Congress just passed another nearly $900 billion in emergency relief, targeted to those who need help most.\nA second round of payroll support to save small-business jobs.\r\nMore unemployment aid. Vaccine distribution money.\nFunding for safe schools. And much more.\nIn addition to historic amounts of targeted help, at the request of President Trump and his team, the package also included another round of direct relief checks to households -- whether or not each household needs the help, whether or not their finances have changed dramatically this past year.\nYesterday, Secretary Mnuchin announced households should begin receiving those payments as early as today and this week. That is more good news for a lot of people.\n***\nAfter Congress and the Administration finalized the bipartisan bill, the President expressed interest in further expanding the non-targeted direct payments.\r\nSo, to ensure the President was comfortable signing the bill into law, the Senate committed to beginning one process that would combine three of the President's priorities: Larger direct checks; a repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act; and further efforts to review the integrity of our democracy.\nThree of the President's priorities in one Senate process. That was the commitment, and that's what happened yesterday when I introduced text reflecting just what the President had requested.\r\nNow, House and Senate Democrats want something very different.\r\nAs they have tried to do countless times in the past four years, Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer are trying to pull a fast one on the President and the American people.\nFirst of all, they are hoping everyone just forgets about election integrity and Big Tech. They are desperate to ignore those two parts of President Trump's request. Draw your own conclusions.\nAnd even on the question of larger checks, the Democrats have tried to warp what President Trump laid out.\r\nLook, it's no secret that Republicans have a diversity of views about the wisdom of borrowing hundreds of billions more to send out more non-targeted money, including to many households that have suffered no loss of income during this crisis.\nCOVID-19 has not affected all households equally. Not even close.\r\nIt is hardly clear that the federal government's top priority should be sending thousands of dollars to, for example, a childless couple making well into six figures who have been comfortably teleworking all year.\nOur duty is to get help to the people who need help. Like we did to an historic degree just four days ago.  ***\nBut above and beyond that discussion, the Democratic leaders have broken from what President Trump proposed. They quietly changed his proposal in an attempt to let wealthy households suck up even more money.\nSpeaker Pelosi structured her bill so that a family of four would have to earn more than $300,000 in order not to qualify for more cash.\nA family of three could pull in $250,000 per year  a quarter of a million dollars  and still qualify for some money.\nAnd Democratic leaders want to call this scheme, quote, survival checks.\nOnly my friends Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Leader could look at households in New York and California who make $300,000 in households where nobody has been laid off where earnings did not even drop this past year and conclude these rich constituents of theirs need survival checks financed by taxpayer dollars and borrowed money.\nEveryone sees the game here.\nThese are the same Democrats who proudly block the entire aid package for months because they tried to hold out for special tax cuts for rich people in blue states.\nNow they say it's a matter of survival to send another boatload of cash to people making $300,000, regardless of whether they have experienced any disruption at all this past year.  ***\nEven the liberal Washington Post editorial board is laughing at the political left for demanding more huge giveaways with no relationship to need.\nHere's what they wrote: Especially wrongheaded is the progressive left, spearheaded by Sen. Bernie Sanders, who depicts the $2,000 as aid to desperate' Americans despite the huge amounts destined for perfectly comfortable families.'\nThat's from the editors of the Washington Post.\nThe Wall Street Journal, usually their opposite number, agrees. These non-targeted checks are unnecessary,' and struggling households can access targeted support like expanded jobless benefits, food stamps, child-care subsidies and much more.'\nThe liberal economist Larry Summers, President Clinton's Treasury Secretary and President Obama's NEC director, says, quote, there is no good economic argument' for universal $2,000 checks at this moment. He points out the CARES Act and the brand-new law will already have boosted overall household income, relative to the economy, back to its pre-pandemic levels, if not higher. \nIf specific struggling households need still more help after the huge, historic package that was just signed into law four days ago has taken effect, then what they will need is smart, targeted aid.\r\nNot another firehose of borrowed money that encompasses other people who are doing just fine.\nIn my view, colleagues like Senator Cornyn from Texas and Senator Toomey from Pennsylvania have pointed this out persuasively. \n***  But, more broadly, here's the deal:\nThe Senate is not going to split apart the three issues that President Trump linked together just because Democrats are afraid to address two of them.\nThe Senate is not going to be bullied into rushing out more borrowed money into the hands of the Democrats' rich friends who don't need the help.\nWe just approved almost a trillion dollars in aid a few days ago. It struck a balance between broad support for all kinds of households and a lot more targeted relief for those who need help most.\nWe are going to stay smart, we're going to stay focused, and we're going to continue delivering on the needs of our nation.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=D8C20728-AB93-4D18-9A39-9A9391888F92", "McConnell on NDAA: I Urge My Colleagues to Support This Legislation", "2020-12-29", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding NDAA and COVID-19 relief:\r\nCongress has returned to work this week to enact the 60th annual National Defense Authorization Act into law.\nYesterday, a bipartisan supermajority in the House voted to reapprove the conference report of this must-pass legislation. Today, the Senate will set up a final vote for tomorrow  Wednesday  for this chamber to follow suit. Soon this important legislation will be passed into law.\nPresident Trump has rightly noted this year's defense bill doesn't contain every provision that we Republicans would have wanted. I'm confident our Democratic colleagues feel the same way.\nBut that is the case every year. \nAnd yet, for 59 consecutive years and counting, Washington has put our differences aside, found common ground, and passed the annual defense bill. \nNot once in six decades has a Congress let its differences prevent it from completing this work for our national security and our men and women who wear the uniform.\nThis year's NDAA will continue our momentum in rebuilding and modernizing our armed forces.\nIt will authorize the personnel, equipment, tools, and training we need to reinforce the National Defense Strategy and deter great-power rivals like China and Russia.\nIt will cement our advantage on the seas, on land, in the air, in cyberspace, and in space.\nAnd the bill will help us continue to recruit, retain, and support the men and women who keep us safe. It provides a pay raise for the troops, improvements for military housing, childcare, and more.\nFor the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces, failure is not an option. \nSo when it is our turn in Congress to have their backs, failure is not an option here either.\nI urge my colleagues to support this legislation one more time when we vote tomorrow.\n***  On Sunday, President Trump signed into law another historic, bipartisan rescue package. It will provide major support to American families through what we hope will be the home stretch of our fight with the coronavirus.\nCongressional Republicans, congressional Democrats, and President Trump's senior team had all worked together to push hundreds of billions more dollars in urgent assistance to the people who need help most.\nThis new law will set up a targeted second round of the Paycheck Protection Program to save jobs. It will renew and continue federal programs that have helped laid-off workers endure this crisis. It will send more cash to households. It will invest billions in vaccine distribution so the success of Operation Warp Speed kills this pandemic as fast as possible. And much more.\nThis bipartisan compromise was our shot at getting help to working families on the urgent timeline that they need. Once again, I want to applaud President Trump for signing the bill and getting this much-needed assistance into the pipeline.\n***\nDuring this process, the President highlighted three additional issues of national significance he would like to see Congress tackle together. First, as he's explained, the President would like further direct financial support for American households.\nSecond is the growing willingness on both sides of the aisle to at least reexamine the special legal protections afforded to technology companies under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, including the ways it benefits some of the most prosperous, most powerful Big Tech firms.\nAnd the third subject  since every American, regardless of their politics, should feel the integrity of our democracy is beyond reproach  is exploring further ways to protect the sanctity of Americans' ballots, while continuing to respect the federal government's limited role in standing behind the state and local elections authorities who run elections.\nThose are the three important subjects the President has linked together.\nThis week, the Senate will begin a process to bring these three priorities into focus.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=36F48083-1BD7-48E0-A3CD-B2E22AC69D4E", "McConnell Statement on Billy Goodman", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOUISVILLE, KY  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the passing of Billy Goodman of Hart County: \r\nBilly Goodman was a trusted and loyal friend anyone would be lucky to know. Our shared values brought us together more than three decades ago. I have cherished our friendship every day since.\r\nBilly was an invaluable presence in Horse Cave. He comforted families during their most trying moments and was often the force behind the community's many successes. At every step, he brought a kindness and good humor that may be missed most of all.\r\nAlthough he was passionate about his business and his hometown, Debra and Nick were always at the center of his life. Elaine and I send our sincere condolences to them and everyone who loved Billy.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=C0B7C968-ACF1-4F69-A3F5-B3143A859A29", "McConnell Applauds President Trump for Signing Crucial Relief Legislation into Law", "2020-12-27", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOUISVILLE, KY  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement regarding the COVID-19 relief and government funding legislation being signed into law this evening:\r\nI applaud President Trump's decision to get hundreds of billions of dollars of crucial COVID-19 relief out the door and into the hands of American families as quickly as possible.\r\nThe bipartisan rescue package that Republicans in Congress and the Trump Administration negotiated with the Democrats will extend another major lifeline to workers at struggling small businesses, renew major relief for laid-off Americans, invest billions more in vaccine distribution, send cash directly to households, and more. The compromise bill is not perfect, but it will do an enormous amount of good for struggling Kentuckians and Americans across the country who need help now.\r\nI thank the President for signing this relief into law, along with full-year government funding legislation that will continue the rebuilding and modernization of our Armed Forces that his Administration has championed. His leadership has prevented a government shutdown at a time when our nation could not have afforded one.\r\nI am glad the American people will receive this much-needed assistance as our nation continues battling this pandemic.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-congratulates-christopher-ii-x-pardon-president-trump/", "Dr. Rand Paul Congratulates Christopher II X on Pardon from President Trump", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nDecember 23, 2020\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Tonight, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) released the below statement following the announcement of Christopher II X\u2019s pardon by President Trump:\n\n\u201cI just finished speaking with Christopher II X to congratulate him on receiving a full pardon from President Trump. This pardon is the culmination of hard work and perseverance on the part of many, including the diligent work of my staff and me for the last several years. As someone who made a choice to change his life for the better and then dedicated that life to lifting up his community, there is truly no one more deserving of this honor. We are so appreciative of all he has done for Louisville, and I\u2019m honored to call him a friend,\u201d said Dr. Paul.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m extremely grateful to be pardoned by President Trump. I\u2019ve worked hard for the past 20 years for peace and justice and to help those impacted by gun violence, especially children. I\u2019m proud to continue this work which is needed more than ever. I thank U.S. Senator Rand Paul, former U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Rob Givens, and special thanks to Spalding University President Tori Murden McClure, and University of Louisville Hospital\u2019s Chief of Surgery Dr. J. David Richardson for their support,\u201d said Christopher II X, Executive Director of Christopher 2X Game Changers.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=96200116-3AFE-4640-85B3-A71CEB185B2B", "McConnell Statement on Pastor Don Stayton", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the passing of Pastor Don Stayton of Rockcastle County:\r\nDon Stayton was a beloved shepherd who preached with humble sincerity. He welcomed me into his Mount Vernon church with the same kindness and compassion he showed every person who walked through his door.\r\nWith his entire congregation, we grieve his loss. But we also take comfort in the promises of our faith. Elaine and I will keep Donna and the entire church family in our prayers.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-releases-2020-festivus-report-government-waste/", "Dr. Rand Paul Releases 2020 \u2018Festivus\u2019 Report on Government Waste", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nDecember 22, 2020\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), chairman of the Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management (FSO) Subcommittee for the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), released his 2020 \u201cFestivus\u201d Report, totaling over $54 billion in government waste.\n\nThis marks Dr. Paul\u2019s sixth edition of the Festivus Report as he continues working to alert the American people to how their federal government uses their hard-earned money.\n\nThis year, each story received a \u201cPlatinum Pig Award\u201d that ranked the waste on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being the most wasteful).\n\nSections are broken down into Health Care; Foreign Aid; Environment, Energy, Science; Military; and Miscellaneous, and highlights include lizards on treadmills, losing over 100 drones in Afghanistan, and combating binge-watching.\n\nYou can find Dr. Paul\u2019s 2020 Festivus Report HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/newsletters?ContentRecord_id=109AE2C6-93A1-41AA-A48E-BA6F2E96E45F", "WHAT KENTUCKIANS ARE SAYING", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Another targeted COVID-19 relief package to provide more assistance to Kentuckians:\r\nSenator McConnell heard our calls for help during this crisis, and he delivered. We are so grateful for his leadership in allowing Louisville Tourism to access the PPP. This will ensure that I can keep my team employed now and in the future, said Karen Williams, President of Louisville Tourism. Our city and our Commonwealth have a powerful friend leading the Senate and looking out for us. Along with other tourism organizations across Kentucky, we look forward to a safe reopening when we can begin showing travelers all our community has to offer.\r\n\r\nSupporting those in recovery and stopping the flow of illegal drugs in Kentucky communities\r\nI appreciate Leader McConnell's continued commitment to Kentucky's law enforcement community, said Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Time and again he's stood up for the men and women in uniform, and he unequivocally supports their important work to keep communities across the Commonwealth safe. This funding will meet a critical need for law enforcement, and I'm grateful that Leader McConnell looks out for the interests of Kentuckians in Washington.\r\nSenator McConnell is an unmatched partner to Kentucky law enforcement in our mission to keep the Bluegrass safe,\"said Clark County Sheriff Berl Perdue, President of the Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police.\"His leadership in the Senate has brought millions of dollars to Kentucky to protect officers in the line of duty and to promote professionalism in their service. We are grateful one of the most powerfulpeoplein Washington is looking out for Kentucky and its law enforcement.\r\nEven as Senator McConnell was delivering the critical support to help St. Elizabeth's professionals combat the coronavirus pandemic, he also kept focus on the persistent substance use disorder crisis. We are grateful for his continued leadership on behalf of those working toward long-term recovery in Kentucky,said Garren Colvin, St. Elizabeth Healthcare CEO. Since he introduced the CAREER Act, Senator McConnell has secured critical federal funding to support our efforts to save lives from addiction. St. Elizabeth's no wrong door' process is tapping into this federal program to help Kentuckians battling addiction regain their independence and productivity. The federal funding will assist over 350 individuals in recovery in Northern Kentucky each year by working with area community partners to strengthen employment opportunities.\r\n\r\nSupporting Kentucky's Critical Role in our National Defense\r\nThe $69.3 million dollars for a new Van Voorhis Elementary School on Fort Knox is just another strong indication of the nation's investment in Fort Knox and the Families of our service members, BG Jim Iacocca, USA, Retired, President and CEO, Knox Regional Development Alliance (KRDA), said. Thanks to Senator McConnell and the rest of our Kentucky Congressional delegation for their tremendous support to our Soldiers, their families and our military installations infrastructure.\r\n\r\nFulfilling Obligation to Paducah Nuclear Workers\r\nOur community is appreciative of the additional funding that Leader McConnell secured for the Paducah Department of Energy (DOE) site, said Sandra Wilson, President of the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce.The DOE site is a critical economic driver for our local area.Last year, Senator McConnell secured a necessary funding increase to advance infrastructure improvements and reduce hazards on the site. With the Paducah Area Community Reuse Organization (PACRO), we're also increasing recycling efforts. Because of Senator McConnell's consistent commitment to Paducah, we are thrilled we will be able to once again have the much needed plus up funding to continue the important cleanup work.\r\nPassing the Fiscal Year 2021 Energy and Water Appropriations bill is critical for major inland waterways construction projects. This bill ensures that Kentucky Lock will not have to shut down construction and will receive efficient funding to continue reducing the overall cost and accelerating the completion of the project. Leader McConnell continues to be a strong advocate for the inland waterways, and all that use and benefit from this critical transportation system, said Matt Ricketts, Chairman of Waterways Council Inc. and President and CEO of Crounse Corporation in Paducah, Kentucky.\r\n\r\nCombatting invasive Asian Carp in West Kentucky\r\nSenator McConnell remains committed to Western Kentucky. He understands the impact Asian Carp are having on our waterways and with his experience and effectiveness, secured critical funding to finish what he started, said Lyon County Judge-Executive Wade White. By returning this money to Western Kentucky, Senator McConnell is guaranteeing that our ability to enjoy and earn a living on our waterways will be protected for years to come. Senator McConnell refused to accept the devastating effect these fish were having and continues to champion efforts against them that will benefit us all. He's more than my friend, he's the strong leader we need who's getting the job done for Kentucky.\r\n\r\nProviding Permanent Tax Relief for Kentucky's Signature Spirit\r\nOver the past several months, Leader McConnell visited Kentucky distilleries struggling through the pandemic and learned first-hand how a permanent reduction in the federal excise tax would offer them certainty in long-range planning and a financial lifeline in these trying times. Thanks to his dedicated leadership, the historic passage of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act will create good-paying jobs, ensure capital investment for years to come and strengthen Kentucky's place as the one, true and authentic home for Bourbon, said Kentucky Distillers' Association (KDA) President Eric Gregory. The Kentucky Distillers' Association and our members are deeply grateful for Leader McConnell's tireless support and guidance in these bold reforms that will benefit all Kentuckians, especially our craft distillers, farm families and tourism partners, as our signature industry continues its global revival.\r\nSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has long been a steadfast advocate for the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, and we are thrilled the bill has been made permanent in the year-end legislative package as a result of the Leader's efforts, said Chris Swonger, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States President and CEO.The Senator knows firsthand the devastating impacts the COVID-19 crisis has had on Kentucky distillers and that certainty over Federal Excise Tax (FET) rates will help distillers recover and grow well into the future.We appreciate Leader McConnell's leadership and commitment to Kentucky's economic vitality and look forward to continuing to work with him on issues of critical importance to Kentucky distillers and their communities.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=1002D267-F35B-4C88-9C8C-2160983EBC2D", "McConnell Celebrates Historic Bipartisan Agreement on Pandemic Relief and Government Funding", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding appropriations and COVID-19 relief:\r\nYesterday, leaders in the Senate, in the House, and the Secretary of the Treasury reached the major agreement that struggling Americans have needed for months.\r\nWe are going to pass another historic rescue package to help American families through this pandemic. We are going to pass full-year government funding so the Armed Forces and all federal departments have the resources and the certainty they need. And we are going to do both these things as soon as possible.\r\n***\r\nSenate Republicans have been trying since July to get more targeted, bipartisan relief into the hands of the American people.\r\nIn July, we proposed to send about $1 trillion to priorities including a second round of the Paycheck Protection Program, direct checks for households, and funding for healthcare providers, testing, and K-12 schools.\r\nDemocrats said no. They said they'd block anything short of their multi-trillion-dollar left-wing wish list.\r\nHere was one headline: $2 trillion or bust: Democrats draw red line in coronavirus spending battle.'\r\nSo in July and August, when Republican Senators tried to extend expiring federal unemployment benefits, Democrats blocked us. Laid-off workers lost their benefits.\r\nIn September and again in October, as people kept hurting, the virus kept spreading, and schools tried to find footing, every Republican voted for a multi-hundred-billion-dollar package.\r\nBoth times, Democrats blocked the relief. All-or-nothing.\r\nBut a few days ago, with a new President-elect of their own party, everything changed. Democrats suddenly came around to our position that we should find consensus, make law where we agree, and get urgent help out the door.\r\nIn a few days of hard work, we've assembled another historic, bipartisan, rescue package. Just under $900 billion of relief targeted toward our fellow Americans who need help the most.\r\n***\r\nI'll begin where this pandemic will end: vaccinations. Thanks to the genius of science and the leadership of President Trump, Operation Warp Speed has produced safe and effective vaccines. Now we need to distribute them nationwide. This rescue package provides many billions more dollars to expand vaccine purchasing and distribution.\r\nUntil we have won, we need to keep wearing masks and taking precautions. Even so, more Americans will fall ill. So this legislation continues to fund health providers and COVID testing.\r\nThe pandemic has fallen especially hard on children and parents. Our legislation includes major funding, more than $80 billion, for K-12 schools to reopen safely and get kids' educations back on track. There are billions more for childcare providers to reopen safely as well. And new investments in rural broadband will improve both education and telehealth down the road.\r\nAnd then, there are Americans' personal finances. The impossible kitchen-table questions that millions of working families have faced this year, through no fault of their own.\r\nBack in March, thanks to Chairman Rubio, Senator Collins, and Senator Cardin, we created the Paycheck Protection Program. It's saved small businesses and helped millions of American workers keep receiving paychecks rather than pink slips.\r\nIt would be insanity for us to have saved these jobs all this time only to drop the ball with the end in sight. So this bill will send more than $280 billion to re-open the PPP for a targeted second round. And we made sure churches and faith-based organizations will stay eligible.\r\nOf course, millions have already been laid off. So, months after Republicans tried to stop benefits from expiring in the first place, this package will resume a temporary federal supplement to unemployment insurance. And it extends other programs for self-employed and gig workers that would have expired.\r\nThanks to the particular leadership and direction of President Trump and Secretary Mnuchin, households will receive a second round of direct relief checks  $600 per adult and per child.\r\nThis is just some of the aid that will be heading Americans' way in a matter of hours.\r\nNo sprawling left-wing wish list. No unconstrained bailouts for state and local governments, with no connection to COVID needs. Just smart, targeted, bipartisan policies.\r\nI cited a figure of $900 billion. But listen to this: The net new cost is less than roughly $350 billion. We are recovering more than half a trillion dollars in unspent money that Congress had already set aside and channeling it to these urgent needs.\r\nAnd thanks to our colleagueSenator Toomey this legislation winds down some of the temporary emergency powers we lent the Federal Reserve to make sure our financial system survived last spring.\r\n***\r\nA lot of talented leaders helped make this happen. Leader McCarthy has been an invaluable partner. White House Chief of Staff Meadows has been central.\r\nColleagues such as Senators Collins, Murkowski, Romney, Cassidy, and Portman helped prod the Senate toward consensus with their bipartisan work. And I just mentioned Senator Toomey.\r\nI want to give particular thanks to the Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin.\r\nBefore the pandemic, Steven was already a crucial partner for the Republican majorities in Congress. We enacted the most consequential tax reform in a generation.\r\nWe helped create the conditions for explosive job growth, wage growth, and record-low unemployment. Our country had the strongest-possible starting point to weather this storm.\r\nThis year, the Secretary has been even more essential. He helped Congress develop and pass the historic CARES Act in record time. It prevented a complete economic collapse at the hands of this virus.\r\nFrom drafting CARES, to implementing it, to the intervening months, to this latest package, Secretary Mnuchin has been an extremely capable and patient partner.\r\nHe's helped guide our nation through this dark period toward the daybreak that lies ahead. On behalf of the Senate and the country, I thank the Secretary for his countless hours of work and his incredible effectiveness in extraordinary times.\r\n***\r\nWhile this rescue package will dominate headlines, we're also set to fund the entire federal government on a bipartisan basis.\r\nWe must not overlook the tireless work from Chairman Shelby, Senator Leahy, and our Appropriations Committees in both chambers.\r\nTheir hard work goes beyond just avoiding shutdowns.\r\nFull-year funding bills give our Armed Forces the certainty to make plans and budgets, so we can continue to modernize our capabilities and keep pace with competitors like Russia and China.\r\nThis year's bills also tackle important domestic priorities.\r\nEverything from agriculture research to the fight against opioid abuse to border security and law enforcement are provided for.\r\nWe aren't defunding the police or abolishing ICE around here. Not on our watch.\r\nFederal law enforcement from the U.S. Marshals to the Border Patrol will get the resources they need to protect innocent Americans and uphold the rule of law.\r\nAnd I want to especially thank Chairman Shelby and Congresswoman Granger for beating back a number of far-left poison pills.\r\nThese bills maintain pro-life guardrails on funding, secure President Trump's approach to Title X, and respect our citizens' Second Amendment rights.\r\nThe Senate is about to cast some incredibly impactful votes. None of us think any of this legislation is perfect.\r\nBut a big, bipartisan majority of us recognize the incredible amount of good it will do when we send it on to the President's desk.\r\nThe American people have waited long enough.\r\nI am glad for our country that we are now moving ahead together.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=422F5C97-3C40-4A8B-AC21-1D79DB8AF0DF", "Kentucky Benefits from Legislation Senator McConnell Led to Passage", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) led the Senate to pass the Fiscal Year 2021 government-funding bills that deliver necessary resources to provide for our national defense, continue important federal programs, and benefit Kentucky families and communities. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator McConnell secured the Kentucky priorities in the legislation, which now goes to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.\r\nKentucky's priorities are once again at the center of the federal government funding bill. I was proud to lead the Senate to pass bipartisan legislation with vital coronavirus assistance as well as critical resources to support our farmers, address substance abuse, promote Kentucky's role in our national defense, facilitate broadband deployment, and combat invasive Asian Carp, said Senator McConnell. My roles as Majority Leader and a senior member of the Appropriations Committee mean Kentucky has a front-row seat when major decisions are made. As a result, worthy causes across the Bluegrass State will receive the investments necessary to encourage growth and lift up families.\r\nTo help get more assistance to Kentuckians, Senator McConnell negotiated another targeted COVID-19 relief package that includes:\r\n\r\nFunding for vaccine distribution, so the success of Operation Warp Speed can save as many American lives as possible as fast as possible;\r\nA second round of job-saving Paycheck Protection loans to prevent layoffs at the hardest-hit small businesses;\r\nAdditional federal unemployment benefits for laid-off Kentuckians, and extensions for several jobless programs that would otherwise have expired;\r\nMore direct impact payments for Kentucky households, at the particular emphasis and leadership of President Trump;\r\nMore resources for K-12 schools to reopen safely and get our kids' educations back on track; and\r\nIncreased funding for broadband and rural broadband to help students learn during the pandemic.\r\n\r\nTo date, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has had a more than $13 billion impact in Kentucky. Earlier this year, Senator McConnell introduced and led to passage the CARES Act, the biggest rescue package in history. This federal assistance includes more than $1.7 billion for Kentucky's state and local government response to COVID-19, more than $1.4 billion for Kentucky healthcare providers, and over $2 million to expand telehealth programs. Kentucky small businesses, farmers, and nonprofits accessed more than $5.2 billion in assistance through 50,000 PPP loans. Kentucky families have also received $4 billion in Economic Impact Payments from the U.S. Treasury.\r\nClick HERE to read what Kentuckians are saying about Senator McConnell's leadership\r\nThe FY 2021 Government Funding Agreement contains the following important Kentucky priorities secured by Senator McConnell:\r\nSupporting those in recovery and stopping the flow of illegal drugs in Kentucky communities\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$25 million for the transitional housing pilot program established under Senator McConnell's Comprehensive Addiction Recovery through Effective Employment and Reentry (CAREER) Act, which will direct approximately $1 million to Kentucky. The CAREER Act, which is a measure Senator McConnell and Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) established in the landmark opioid package signed into law in 2018, helps address the devastating impact of substance abuse on America's workforce by connecting recovering individuals with career services and stable housing opportunities. CAREER's transitional housing pilot program will support long-term recovery by providing funding for temporary housing opportunities for individuals until they can arrange a more permanent living situation.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$6 million for the competitive grant program established under the CAREER Act, which provides funding to treatment centers to help individuals in recovery transition back into the workforce.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$50 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Anti-Heroin and Anti-Methamphetamine Task Force programs. Senator McConnell supported the increased funding for the Anti-Methamphetamine program to target this major problem endangering Kentucky families. The COPS funding supports state and local law enforcement agencies, including those in Kentucky, in their efforts to investigate the unlawful distribution of heroin, prescription opioids, and methamphetamines.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$3.4 billion for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which provides communities with resources to address their unique challenges, including the devastating effects from the opioid and substance abuse epidemic, especially for those communities in rural Kentucky.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$541.5 million to help state and local law enforcement officials respond to the opioid and substance abuse epidemic. This includes $108 million for Drug Courts and Veteran's Treatment Courts.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$484 million for the Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) program to support local law enforcement. Last year, Senator McConnell worked with state officials to secure millions to help Kentucky communities meet law enforcement needs, including supporting drug task forces throughout the Commonwealth.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$194 million to support the National Guard Counter-Drug Program. The Kentucky National Guard, working with Appalachia HIDTA, Kentucky State Police, and other law enforcement agencies, will use funding from this program to support marijuana eradication efforts in Eastern Kentucky.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$290 million for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program to combat meth and opioid abuse. Earlier this year, Senator McConnell announced that Boyd County, Kentucky was chosen for inclusion in the Appalachia HIDTA program. McConnell advocated for Boyd County's inclusion into the HIDTA program, which provides law enforcement agencies in designated counties with coordination, equipment, technology and additional resources to combat drug production and trafficking. Senator McConnell has also fought for the expansion of the Appalachia HIDTA to include hard-hit counties across the state, including Jefferson County in 2009, Hardin County in 2012, Nelson and Madison Counties in 2014, and Montgomery and Powell Counties in 2018. He also helped secure the inclusion of Boone, Campbell and Kenton Counties into the Ohio HIDTA in 2016. Because of Senator McConnell's consistent advocacy, nearly half of all Kentuckians currently live in a HIDTA county.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$102 million for the Drug Free Communities program. Senator McConnell is proud to support this special program, which provides funding to local communities to create educational programs and raise awareness about the dangers of substance abuse.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$4 million for Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers (CORCs), which Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) secured in 2018's landmark opioid legislation. Facilities will offer all FDA-approved treatments, counseling and wrap-around services for individuals working toward long-term recovery from substance abuse.\r\n\r\n\r\nSupporting Kentucky's Critical Role in our National Defense\r\n\r\n\r\nProvides well-deserved pay raise for servicemembers.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$84.3 million for new military construction projects in Kentucky, including $69.3 million for the new Van Voorhis Elementary School at Fort Knox and $15 million for the National Guard and Reserve Center building in Frankfort.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$20 million to continue the NSA's Workforce Transformation Cyber Initiative Pilot Program, which supports the University of Louisville's healthcare cybersecurity certificate program for first responders and military veterans.\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$936 million for the Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives programincluding $160 million in supplemental fundingwhich supports chemical demilitarization efforts at the Blue Grass Army Depot.\r\n\r\n\r\nFulfilling Obligation to Paducah Nuclear Workers\r\n\r\n\r\nSenator McConnell secured $316 milliona $2 million increase over last year's funding levelto support workers performing necessary environmental cleanup operations at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PDGP). Among other initiatives, funding will also support operations and critical facility upgrades at Paducah's DUF-6 conversion facility, which Senator McConnell established.\r\n\r\n\r\nCombatting invasive Asian Carp in West Kentucky\r\n\r\n\r\n$25 million to fight the War on Asian Carp. Senator McConnell helped secure $25 million for this initiative last year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will use the funding to help remove Asian Carp, an invasive species, from waterways like Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.At Senator McConnell's request, USFWS deployed the advanced Unified Method of Fishing in 2020, which involves corralling Asian Carp into one location using electronic technology and extracting the fish from the water with specialized nets. This technique has been successful in controlling Asian Carp populations abroad, and the USGS has successfully deployed it in Missouri and Illinois.\r\n\r\n\r\nProviding Permanent Tax Relief for Kentucky's Signature Spirit \r\n\r\n\r\nPermanently authorizes tax cuts in the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, which were scheduled to expire at the end of the year. This legislation was first signed into law in 2017 as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and later extended for one year through the 2019 government funding package. It includes a number of priorities for Kentucky's craft beverage industry, including:\r\n\r\nReduction in federal excise taxes and regulatory relief for Kentucky's distilleries, breweries and wineries.\r\nSenator McConnell's AGED Spirits Act, which allows distillers to deduct interest expense in the year it is paid, rather than at the end of the bourbon aging process.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nEconomic Development, Infrastructure and Preparing Students and Workers to Meet Their Bright Future \r\n\r\n\r\n$33 million for national broadband mapping to accurately identify areas that need improved service, which will help rural states, such as Kentucky. \n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$115 million for the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) pilot program, $25 million of which will go to Kentucky for the development of projects on land previously used to mine coal to support economic development in Appalachia. As Senate Majority Leader, Senator McConnell worked with U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY) to create the AML Pilot in 2015. So far, Senator McConnell and Congressman Rogers have helped secure $155 million from this federal program for Kentucky projects.\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$346 million for the Economic Development Administration (EDA), which provides federal competitive grants to communities to assist with economic development. This funding includes $33.5 million for EDA's Assistance to Coal Communities Program.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$34 million for the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville to continue its important work to create innovative products for visually impaired students and people across the country.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$10 million in U.S. Department of Education funding to support work colleges like Berea College and Alice Lloyd College in Kentucky.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$35 million through the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to provide career and training services to dislocated workers in rural areas, including dislocated coal workers in Kentucky.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$2.6 billion in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' major construction account that will support the continued construction of the Kentucky Lock project for Kentucky's more than 20,000 maritime workers.\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$180 million for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). This is record level funding for ARC and its important work in Eastern Kentucky. In particular, Senator McConnell helped secure ARC resources for the following priorities:\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$55 million for the Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) grant program. Funding provided through POWER grants gives local organizations the tools they need to make a positive impact in their communities. For example, just this year a Kentucky organization received a $1.7 million POWER grant to establish new centers to help Kentuckians in recovery combat their substance abuse addictions. In the past two fiscal years, Senator McConnell has secured $105 million for the POWER grant program;\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$16 million for infrastructure and water projects in distressed counties in Central Appalachia. This program was established by Senator McConnell;\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$10 million to continue a program for high-speed broadband deployment in distressed counties in Central Appalachia that have been most negatively impacted by the downturn in the coal industry. Over the years, Senator McConnell and Congressman Rogers have worked with ARC to deliver $60 million for broadband development; and\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$10 million for a pilot project established by Senator McConnell to address the substance abuse crisis in Appalachia.\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$30 million for the Delta Regional Authority (DRA). DRA supports economic and infrastructure development in the Mississippi Delta region, including a number of counties in Western Kentucky.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$100 million in dedicated funding for the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS), which will continue to fund the completion of 12 miles of road projects in Letcher and Pike Counties in Kentucky.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$165 million for the Essential Air Service Program, which benefits the Barkley Regional Airport in Paducah and the Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$1 billion for the U.S. Department of Transportation's BUILD grant program, which funds critical infrastructure projects around the country. Senator McConnell is proud to support his constituents' applications for these grants, and has worked to bring over $286 million to construction projects across the Bluegrass State.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nA provision directing the USFWS to continue to support the Green River National Wildlife Refuge (GRNWR) in Henderson County and its goals of conservation as well as increased hunting and fishing opportunities. In 2018, Senator McConnell secured language directing the Department of Interior to establish the GRNWR. Senator McConnell joined Trump Administration officials at a ceremony officially designating the new wildlife refuge last year.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$750 million for the Fossil Energy Research and Development Program, which includes support for research on clean coal technology as well as for research on rare earth elements. In years past, money from this program has gone to Kentucky to support clean coal technology, and the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research.\r\n\r\n\r\nHemp's Revival in Kentucky\r\n\r\n\r\nKentucky has been at the forefront of hemp production ever since the authorization of industrial hemp pilot programs established by Senator McConnell's provision in the 2014 Farm Bill. When President Trump signed into law the 2018 Farm Bill, it included Senator McConnell's initiative to legalize hemp as an agricultural commodity by removing it from the federal list of controlled substances. The end of the year funding bills included:\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$4 million for the research of hemp through Agriculture Research Service (ARS) sites  like those in Lexington and Bowling Green, Kentucky.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$5 million for ongoing medical research related to CBD.\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nA provision that continues to direct the Farm Credit Administration to offer loans and other services to hemp producers and businesses. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nA provision extending Senator McConnell's 2014 Hemp Pilot Program to allow states like Kentuckywho have been participating in the pilotample time to transition to the new program once it is finalized by USDA.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSupport for competitive USDA grants for hemp projects.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nA provision directing the Drug Enforcement Agency to ensure state and local law enforcement have access to hemp-testing technology to enable law enforcement officials to distinguish between hemp and marijuana in the field.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nA provision directing the USDA to develop regulations that would protect the transportation and processing of hemp that may temporarily exceed a THC concentration of 0.3%.\r\n\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=4917BA28-45FF-405A-835F-FD657C7E6042", "McConnell on The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined The Daily Briefing' today to discuss the COVID-19 relief agreement and the vaccine rollout. See below for highlights or click here to watch the full interview.\r\nOn the Targeted COVID-19 Relief Agreement:\r\nI said back in July, what the country needed was a package roughly of a trillion dollars focused on kids in school, small businesses, health care providers, and direct cash payments. We tried to pass -- we started advocating that in July and August and the talks were unproductive. So I essentially put that bill on the floor of the Senate in both September and October. Not a single Democrat supported it. Their view was give us everything we want or we would not give you anything, so it is noteworthy that at the end that they finally gave us what we could have agreed to back in July.\r\nI think what held it up was they did not want was to do anything before the presidential election, they felt that that would disadvantage the president, but look, we finally got it done, in exactly the same amount with the same configuration that we would have been able to do back in the summer, but for all of the intervening election shenanigans on the side of the Speaker and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.\r\nOn the Vaccine Rollout:\r\nI think it's important for the leaders in the country to step up, take the vaccine, and help reassure the American public, because polls indicate about half the public is either skeptical about taking the vaccine or does not want to take it at all. That has to change, because we can't solve this problem until large numbers of Americans are vaccinated.\r\nAs a polio victim myself, I fully understand the significance of vaccines. It took decades to develop the polio vaccine. This vaccine was developed in under a year, a modern medical miracle, and we need to take the vaccine.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=6B44C333-1ECF-42B2-AB08-10F3C2E6F292", "McConnell Delivers Senate Passage of Kentucky Water Priorities", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today the Senate passed several provisions he championed to invest in Kentucky's water infrastructure. The legislation will go to President Trump to be signed into law.\r\nKentucky's inland waterways are critical infrastructure that provide good jobs for tens of thousands of workers and cherished recreation for so many more. I was proud to deliver for communities across Kentucky in this legislation to strengthen our waterways, increase access to safe drinking water, and protect against the dangers of floods, said Senator McConnell. At the heart of our nation's inland waterways system, Kentucky communities have tapped into our waters' great potential. It's been my privilege to secure billions in federal funding for projects that continue to pay dividends in our Commonwealth.\r\nPreserving West Kentucky's Inland Waterways and Outdoor Recreation \r\n1. Kentucky Lock:Senator McConnell secured an increase in the federal funding authorization for Kentucky Lock to more than $1.1 billion. The improvement project was expected to reach its previous authorization limit as early as 2022.\r\n \r\n\r\nSenator McConnell has delivered $600 million to construct a new and larger lock since Congress first authorized the project in 1996.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nIn October, Senator McConnell joined Kentuckians in the Jackson Purchase to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Kentucky Lock and Dam.\r\n\r\n \r\nOn behalf of inland waterways operators in Kentucky and across the county, we are appreciative of Leader McConnell's leadership in passing the Water Resources Development Act of 2020, said Matt Ricketts, Chairman of Waterways Council Inc. and President and CEO of Crounse Corporation in Paducah, Kentucky. The bill includes a construction cost-share adjustment for inland waterways infrastructure that will allow for inland waterways projects to be completed more efficiently, and a reauthorization of Kentucky Lock that will allow for its work to continue to completion. Inland waterways projects such as Kentucky Lock return substantial cost-savings to not only Kentucky but the Nation, and facilitate shippers and manufacturers' ability to compete globally.\r\n2. 65% - 35% Cost-Sharing Agreement: Senator McConnell helped negotiate a new 65% - 35% cost-sharing agreement for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' major construction projects to invest more federal funding into projects like Kentucky Lock. This legislative cost-share change could accelerate the completion of the Kentucky Lock project by as much as three years.\r\n3. Asian Carp Prevention and Eradication Programs:Senator McConnell championed an authorization of $45 million for both the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to combat the invasion of Asian Carp. His legislation creates a new Asian Carp Pilot Program to be administered by the Army Corps and ensures that up to 10 projects must be deployed in the Cumberland or Tennessee River Watersheds, which would include Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. The legislation also directs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prioritize its work in these watersheds, which would include both Kentucky lakes.\r\nSenator McConnell remains committed to Western Kentucky. He understands the impact Asian Carp are having on our waterways and with his experience and effectiveness, secured critical funding to finish what he started, said Lyon County Judge-Executive Wade White. By returning this money to Western Kentucky, Senator McConnell is guaranteeing that our ability to enjoy and earn a living on our waterways will be protected for years to come. Senator McConnell refused to accept the devastating effect these fish were having and continues to champion efforts against them that will benefit us all. He's more than my friend, he's the strong leader we need who's getting the job done for Kentucky.\r\n4. Flood Control Pump Stations:Senator McConnell supported a provision to authorize $60 million for the repair of failing flood control pump stations, which could bring federal funding to replace failing pump stations in West Kentucky.\r\n\r\nProtecting Families in Louisville and the Lincoln Trail\r\n1. Louisville Flood Protection System Reconstruction:Senator McConnell included an authorization of $188 million to improve Louisville's flood protection infrastructure, which is in need of upgrades as shown by the severe flooding that took place in 2018.\r\nI want to thank Senator McConnell for his continued leadership for our city. Here is another example of why it is so critical to have the Senate Majority Leader from Kentucky, and more specifically Louisville, said Louisville Metro Councilman Anthony Piagentini, District 19. As a former Jefferson County Judge/Executive, Senator McConnell has not forgotten about his hometown. He has delivered on this critical infrastructure funding. This will have tremendous impact on our whole community, but will have especially positive impact on more historically disadvantaged communities. Thank you Senator McConnell for your hard work.\r\n2. Rough River Easements:Senator McConnell has continued fighting for families at Rough River Lake, authorizing $10 million for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to relinquish its rights to certain property at the lake. This authorization builds on previous legislation authored by Senators McConnell and Rand Paul, which prohibited the Army Corps from collecting costly administrative fees from property owners to fund the federal government's past land surveying mistakes.\r\nSenator McConnell continues to fight for the Rough River community, said Breckinridge County Judge/Executive Maurice Lucas. This provision builds on Senator McConnell's previous work to ensure local landowners avoid a costly and burdensome process. This will finally put this issue to rest, and we have Senator McConnell to thank for it.\r\n\r\nDelivering safe water to Rural Eastern Kentucky \r\n1. Kentucky 531 Environmental Infrastructure Program: Senator McConnell supported Congressman Hal Rogers' (KY-05) efforts to raise the authorization limit for Kentucky 531, an environmental infrastructure program Congressman Rogers established in 1996. This legislation authorizes $100 milliona $60 million increase from its previous authorization levelfor improvements to publicly owned wastewater treatment and water supply facilities as well as surface water resource protection and development initiatives.\r\n \r\n\r\nSenator McConnell also supported expanding the program's eligibility to four new countiesBoyd, Carter, Elliott, and Lincoln.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nIn January, Senator McConnell contacted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and asked it to include this program in the Army Corps' annual report to Congress that identifies environmental infrastructure projects eligible for congressional authorization. The Army Corps included the program, which paved the way for its authorization increase.\r\n\r\n \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=D2885679-F155-496A-A9D9-F181205FB0C8", "McConnell Leads Senate Passage of Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) led the Senate today in passing his Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which was included in the year-end government funding bill. The legislation now goes to President Trump's desk to become law. Senator McConnell introduced the bipartisan legislation in September, only days after the 146th Kentucky Derby, to recognize a uniform, national standard for Thoroughbred racing.\r\nKentucky's cherished horseracing traditions deserve to be protected. I'm proud the Senate agreed to my legislation to preserve our signature racing industry and the 24,000 workers who support it, said Senator McConnell. With the leadership of Congressman Andy Barr and the partnership of sport leaders, horse advocates, and fans, we're one step closer to promoting fairness and safety across Thoroughbred racing. As Majority Leader, I made this Kentucky-focused legislation a top priority in the Senate. I look forward to this major advancement for our beloved sport becoming law.\r\nThe House of Representatives passed the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act in September led by U.S. Congressmen Andy Barr (KY-06) and Paul Tonko (NY-20). U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)Senators representing states with prominent racetrackswere original cosponsors in the Senate.\r\nWith today's passage of HISA in Congress we are in the final stretch of achieving the most transformational and consequential reform of the Thoroughbred horseracing industry since enactment of the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978, said Congressman Barr. For almost a decade, I have worked with industry stakeholders and my Congressional colleagues to build consensus around reforms that will protect equine athletes and strengthen confidence and international competitiveness in the sport. I am proud to champion this historic, bipartisan legislation with Congressman Paul Tonko and Leader McConnell and I look forward to President Trump signing it into law.\r\nIn August, Senator McConnell and Congressman Barr joined horseracing leaders in Lexington, the Horse Capital of the World, to announce an agreement years in the making to create national standards for the sport. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority will be an independent regulatory authority, similar to other professional sports, to set medication use and safety protocols.\r\nThe bipartisan legislation has earned broad support from trainers, breeders, jockeys, and other leaders of the Thoroughbred racing industry: \r\nSenator McConnell's leadership has been critical in bringing the Thoroughbred industry together and prioritizing the passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, said Bill Carstanjen, Chief Executive Officer, Churchill Downs Incorporated. This is a pivotal moment for the future of horseracing, a sport that will now be governed by world class, uniform standards across the United States.\r\nThe passage of HISA is a landmark moment for the Thoroughbred racing community's ongoing efforts to ensure our horses are running under the safest and most transparent conditions possible and to protect the integrity of the sport for our athletes, horsemen and fans. The independent Authority established by HISA will bring a level of consistency and accountability that will improve our sport for years to come as they work to develop and implement uniform anti-doping, medication control and operational measures. Keeneland is honored to have been involved in this ground-breaking legislation, said Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason jointly with President-elect Shannon Arvin.\r\nThis marks the single most significant safety and integrity development in the history of Thoroughbred racing. This moment also demonstrates that great progress can be accomplished when the industry works together, said Drew Fleming, President and CEO of Breeders' Cup. We recognize that there is more to be done and we look forward to working with our counterparts to build on this momentum and further improve the sport for generations to come.\r\nI'd like to thank Senate Majority Leader McConnell for diligently focusing on getting this much-needed bill included in the must-pass Omnibus Appropriations Bill, said Stuart S. Janney, III, Chairman of The Jockey Club. Leader McConnell has been a powerful force when it comes to promoting and supporting the Thoroughbred industry in Kentucky and throughout the nation. With the passage of this bill, we restore confidence with our fans that the competition is clean, the game is fair and the horse and rider are protected.\"\r\nWe thank Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for his pivotal role in the passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) by the U.S. Senate, said Alex Waldrop, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). We look forward to President Trump signing the HISA into law and by doing so, commencing theestablishment of an independent and well-informed central authority that will ensure the integrity of our sport and the safety of our human and equine athletes nationwide.\r\nThis is a monumental step forward that will help secure the future of Thoroughbred racing in the United States, said Dave O'Rourke, President & CEO of the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA). For the first time, the sport will have a unified set of national safety and integrity standards to replace an outdated system that relied on patchwork regulation. The HISA will achieve the type of reforms long supported and advanced by NYRA, including a national approach to medication control and strongest anti-doping authority the sport has ever seen. This legislation will further modernize horseracing and arrives at a critical juncture in its history. NYRA looks forward to the work that lies ahead.\r\nThis is the day that the members of the Water Hay Oats Alliance (WHOA) have long been waiting for, said Staci Hancock, Managing Member of the Water Hay Oats Alliance. Since 2012 our grassroots movement has supported the passage of federal legislation to prohibit the use of performance-enhancing drugs in horseracing. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) brings much needed drug and medication reform, as well as national track safety standards, to our sport. It is with great pride and complete satisfaction that WHOA celebrates the bill's passage. We thank Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Sponsors, Congressmen Andy Barr and Paul Tonko, for getting it across the finish line.\r\nKitty Block, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States and Sara Amundson, President of the Humane Society Legislative Fund jointly stated:\r\nThis is a blue ribbon moment in the history of American horseracing, and this well-crafted measure sets the bar high and is a reminder that goodwill is indispensable in our politics. Working together with stakeholders to get it across the finish line, Senator McConnell and other leaders have helped to put the industry on a strong path to positive reforms. With their success in brokering an agreement with disparate stakeholders, and their dedicated work in the stretch run, Majority Leader McConnell, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Dianne Feinstein and Martha McSally and Reps. Andy Barr and Paul Tonko have risen to the occasion, building a broad base of support for lasting and meaningful change.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-stop-piling-debt-future-generations-open-economy-and-cut-waste-budget-pay/", "Dr. Rand Paul: Stop Piling Debt on Future Generations, Open the Economy, and Cut Waste in the Budget to Pay for Priorities", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nDecember 21, 2020\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Shortly before legislators received a nearly 5,600-page government funding/COVID-19 response bill that they are expected to quickly digest and vote on, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) condemned Congress\u2019 fiscal recklessness on the U.S. Senate floor and called for opening the economy so Americans can rebuild their livelihoods.\n\nDr. Paul also once again proposed cutting waste and finding savings in the current budget to pay for the pandemic response and other priorities.\n\n\u201cWe are $27 trillion in debt today. How do we expect a child to have the economic opportunity when this crushing debt is their inheritance from Congress?\u201d asked Dr. Paul.\n\n\u201cWe are borrowing and worsening this debt crisis, in part, because too many governors and mayors have imposed heavy handed restrictions that crush business,\u201d he later observed.\n\n\u201cThe need for help is real. I hear it every day from Kentuckians and across the country. But it\u2019s clear that government has worsened the economic damage and acted as the biggest obstacle to economic recovery,\u201d said Dr. Paul. \u201cThe answer is not printing up and distributing \u2018free money.\u2019 It\u2019s opening the economy,\u201d he later added.\n\nYou can watch Dr. Paul\u2019s speech HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=3AAF1CBA-D0CF-46A3-B170-64E3321434C0", "McConnell Announces COVID-19 Relief Agreement: More Help Is On The Way", "2020-12-20", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 relief:\r\nFor the information of all Senators, and for the information of the American people, we can finally report what our nation has needed to hear for a long time:\r\nMore help is on the way.\r\nMoments ago, in consultation with our committees, the four leaders in the Senate and the House finalized an agreement.\r\nThere will be another major rescue package for the American people. As our citizens continue battling the coronavirus this holiday season, they will not be fighting alone.\r\nWe've agreed to a package of nearly $900 billion. It is packed with targeted policies to help struggling Americans who have already waited too long.\r\nFor workers at the hardest-hit small businesses, there will be a targeted second draw of the Paycheck Protection Program. We have not worked so hard to save as many jobs as possible, all these months, only to fumble the ball with vaccinations already underway.\r\nSpeaking of vaccines, we can't nullify the success of Operation Warp Speed by falling asleep at the switch on distribution. So this agreement will provide huge sums for the logistics that will get these life-saving shots to our citizens as fast as possible.\r\nOf course, many millions of Americans have lost their jobs  and are continuing to lose them  through no fault of their own. This package will renew and extend a number of the additional important federal unemployment benefits that have helped families stay afloat.\r\nAcross all kinds of families, in all kinds of situations, this has been a difficult time across the board. So, at the particular request and emphasis of President Trump and his Administration, our agreement will provide another round of direct impact payments to help households make ends meet and continue our economic recovery.\r\nWe all know this crisis has tested our healthcare providers. This legislation will continue to fund the front lines.\r\nBut the crisis in American education has been staggering as well. So this package will supply billions and billions of dollars to help get kids back in school and do so safely.\r\nThese are just some of the key components. There are many more.\r\nAnd importantly, we're going to supply this emergency aid in a way that is smart and responsible. We will be repurposing more than $560 billion in money that was already set aside by the CARES Act  but not spent  toward these urgent needs.\r\nAnd we'll be appropriately paring back some of the most expansive powers that Congress temporarily gave unelected officials to stabilize the financial system back in the springtime.\r\nAnd I want to particularly thank Senator Toomey, for his extraordinary contribution to that effort.\r\nAt long last, we have the bipartisan breakthrough the country has needed.\r\nNow we need to promptly finalize text, avoid any last-minute obstacles, and cooperate to move this legislation through both chambers.\r\n***\r\nSo this is good news. But I need to close with one observation that is regrettable.\r\nFrom where I stand, from where Senate Republicans stand, there is no reason why this urgent package could not have been signed into law multiple months ago.\r\nFor months, Senate Republicans have consistently supported a targeted rescue package, under $1 trillion, focused on the same kinds of policies that we have settled on today.\r\nAs far back as July, and all autumn, Republicans have consistently supported a targeted package right in the ballpark of this total amount, with the same kinds of policies in the mix.\r\nThe package that will shortly become law falls exactly within the ballpark of what Senate Republicans have been proposing and trying to pass since last summer.\r\nCompare the shape of this major agreement with the shape of what I proposed all the way back in late July. Yes, some fine details are different.\r\nThere is no doubt this new agreement contains input from our Democratic colleagues. It is bipartisan. But these matters could have been settled long ago.\r\nSo why did it take all this time? We know why. We have heard Democrats say openly that they were not willing to deal all summer and fall, but are willing now, because they now have a President-elect of their own political party.\r\nThat's not my accusation  that's their admission.\r\nSo, look, I'm glad we've gotten this done. My Democratic colleagues and I have had good discussions this past week. Both parties have a lot to be proud of.\r\nBut I really regret that some on the Democratic side decided that partisan presidential politics were more important than getting urgent and noncontroversial relief out the door much, much sooner  to families who have needed this help badly.\r\nThe progress of this past week could have happened in July, or in August, or in September, or in October.\r\nSenate Republicans were advocating for a package just like this one, all along, in real time.\r\nI just wish our partners on the other side had put political calculations aside and worked with us to make this happen a long time ago.\r\n***\r\nWith that said, I appreciate the earnest conversations of this past week. I want to thank the Democratic Leader, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader McCarthy, as well as Secretary Mnuchin. Both sides, in both chambers, have worked hard to get this done.\r\nWe will be moving forward with both historic pandemic relief and full-year funding legislation for the federal government. And I hope we can do so as promptly as possible.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=741CF29F-1E2F-4334-AD94-8CBBDBD9605C", "Lets Make Today the Day We Join Together, Put Differences Aside, and Finally Get it Done", "2020-12-20", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 relief:\r\nOur bipartisan, bicameral discussions on another major pandemic rescue package continued all night and all morning.\r\nWe are winnowing down the remaining differences. I believe I can speak for all sides when I say that I hope and expect to have a final agreement nailed down in a matter of hours.\r\nYesterday evening, our Democratic colleagues agreed to important language authored by the junior Senator for Pennsylvania, Senator Toomey.\r\nBack in March, in the CARES Act, Congress funded several new emergency lending facilities, to be operated by the Federal Reserve.\r\nTheir purpose was simple: To backstop the basic foundations of our economy and prevent any kind of sweeping financial paralysis.\r\nOur actions worked. The other historic relief that Congress passed, combined with the existence of these lending facilities, staved off any systemic collapse.\r\nAmerican workers and families still need much more help, but a total financial meltdown never materialized.\r\nThese new emergency lending facilities were always intended to sunset at the end of this year.\r\nSenator Toomey and our Democratic colleagues have landed on compromise language that ensures this will happen; redirects the dormant money in these accounts toward the urgent needs of working Americans; and ensures that these expiring programs cannot be simply restarted or cloned without another authorization from Congress.\r\nAll while preserving both the independence of the Federal Reserve and the proper authority of Congress.\r\nYet another example of the good-faith bipartisan collaboration that has defined our discussions this week.\r\n***\r\nAt this point, we are down to the last few differences that stand between struggling Americans and the major rescue package they need and deserve.\r\nThese days and nights of negotiations have been encouraging. But our citizens need this waiting game to be over.\r\nYesterday alone, another 3,388 of my fellow Kentuckians tested positive for the coronavirus.\r\nThe virus continues to spread throughout our country. Thousands of Americans are being robbed of their lives on a daily basis.\r\nAnd while the resilience of the American people have brought along our economic recovery faster than expected, it will remain both insufficient and tenuous until the vaccines that will end this fight have been distributed across the nation.\r\nFor months Senate Republicans have been calling for another targeted package to reopen the job-saving Paycheck Protection Program, extend federal unemployment benefits, fund K-12 schools, fund vaccine distribution, and get a lot more help onto the front lines as fast as possible.\r\nI am relieved that we appear to be just hours away from legislation that will do exactly that.\r\nWhen we get this done, Congress will not deserve any special praise. Not with this relief having waited until late December; and not with some of our Democratic colleagues openly saying the reason they finally changed their tune was that they got a President-elect of their own party.\r\nWhen we finalize this measure and pass it, Congress will only have done our job. We will have finally done our duty in getting more relief to those who need it most.\r\nLet's make today the day we join together, put differences aside, and finally get it done.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=A46028FB-2FF1-474C-B07F-EBAA84BA6857", "McConnell Statement on Former Laurel County Sheriff Gene Hollon", "2020-12-20", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the passing of former Laurel County Sheriff Gene Hollon:\r\nFormer Sheriff Gene Hollon lived in courageous service to his neighbors and our Commonwealth. He was devoted to improving local public safety, both as a law enforcement officer and a volunteer fire chief.\r\nGene's leadership in Laurel County and across the region made real progress in tackling our biggest challenges. Today, brave officers continue to follow Gene's example in keeping Kentucky families safe.\r\nElaine and I join Sheriff Root and the entire department in sharing our sincere condolences with Edna and the Hollon family.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=8460EBAE-A37A-4DF8-89F1-2E2DFCF0A485", "We Need to Conclude Our Talks, Draft Legislation, and Land This Plane", "2020-12-19", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 relief:\r\nOur nation stands at a crossroads in our months-long battle with the new coronavirus. Tracking recent developments lately has felt like watching a split-screen television.\r\nOn one hand, Operation Warp Speed has fostered a modern medical miracle. The genius of science has brought forward safe and effective vaccines at a pace which, just months ago, many claimed would be impossible. For about nine months now, our nation has been treading water together. Now the road to victory is in sight.\r\nBut at the same time, even as we see this hopeful sunrise on the horizon, in the here-and-now, we are still facing an ongoing, five-alarm national crisis.\r\nThe virus is surging across our country. Two days ago my home state of Kentucky set yet another bleak new record -- the most Kentuckians lost in a single day of this pandemic so far.\r\nNationwide, since the start of December, we have lost around 3,000 of our fellow Americans to this disease every day.\r\nMeanwhile, although the American people have built our economic recovery with more speed and resilience than anyone had anticipated, we've known all along that recovering prosperity would come hand in hand with defeating the virus. Thus millions of working families across the nation are still under terrible strain.\r\nLast week, economists thought we'd see a slight downward tick in new unemployment claims. Instead, the number shot up, logging 885,000 new claims in just one week. Almost 900,000 newly laid-off Americans in one week alone.\r\nSenators on both sides know what we need to do.\r\nIn the springtime, when the country needed a bridge, we passed the largest rescue package in American history on a unanimous bipartisan basis.\r\nNow, what Americans need is another bridge. Fortunately, this time, we do not need a bridge over an unknown and frightening future, but a bridge through the next several months while the life-saving vaccines can flow through our country.\r\nFront-line healthcare workers are receiving the vaccine as we speak. Yesterday, Vice President Pence, Speaker Pelosi, and I all received first doses of vaccines, pursuant to preexisting plans for the continuity of our government.\r\nThese vaccines are safe. They are effective. They are our nation's path out of this hellish chapter.\r\nSo the first lines of the cavalry are already arriving. We just need to help American families hold on while the reinforcements continue to pour in.\r\nMore Paycheck Protection loans for the hardest-hit businesses. More additional federal unemployment aid. More direct assistance for families.\r\nA lot more funding for K-12 schools to reopen safely and get our kids' educations back on track.\r\nAnd perhaps most important of all, a huge amount of funding for vaccine distribution -- so that we aren't just helping Americans endure this battle, but we are helping them win this battle, as fast as possible.\r\nLast night, we extended government funding for another two days.\r\nThe Senate and the House need to finalize another rescue package containing all the policies I just named and many more. We need to finalize government-funding legislation for next year. And we need to pass these measures with a big, bipartisan vote and get them signed into law without delay.\r\nWe need cooperation and focus from all sides.\r\nThere is a kind of gravitational pull here in Congress, where unless we are careful, any major negotiation can easily slide into an unending catalog of disagreements. Let's guard against that.\r\nThe American people have already waited for more assistance longer than they could afford. In my judgment, they have waited far too long for a relief package of the same general size and scope that Senate Republicans have been proposing literally since the summertime.\r\nEvery one of us, in the Senate and the House, represents American families who simply cannot wait any longer for Congress to conclude these discussions.\r\nEvery day that we delay may very well cost more small businesses their survival, cost more American workers their jobs, and yes, cost more Americans their very lives.\r\nWe've had productive discussions this past week.\r\nI appreciate the good-faith spirit that has characterized my talks with the Democratic Leader, Speaker Pelosi, Leader McCarthy, and Secretary Mnuchin.\r\nBut the American people cannot feed their families or pay their bills with Congress's good-faith discussions. They need us to act. We need to conclude our talks, draft legislation, and land this plane.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=10B3D866-1747-4EFC-94E5-80EA47189979", "Majority Leader McConnell Honors Personal Office Chief of Staff Phil Maxson", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor today paying tribute to his departing personal office Chief of Staff, Phil Maxson:\r\nI jump at any opportunity to praise my incredible staff. I'm just sorry that one natural occasion is when great people head toward the exits.\nPhil Maxson of Lexington, Kentucky has mastered one of the toughest jobs on Capitol Hill.\nAs Chief of Staff for my personal office, he oversees the operation that delivers for Kentucky families and Kentucky priorities.\nHere's what that role means in our tight-knit organization. It's like being the player-coach on an old baseball teamwho's also a utility player at the same time. Phil wears about ten hats each day, orchestrating a seamless operation.\r\nHe's mastered policy. Political strategy. Messaging. Constituent services. He's budgeted and managed the office itself. And Phil is also a liaison and colleague to my leadership office here in the Capitol. He's the linkage between the two sides of my operation; the single person most responsible for helping me harmonize home-state priorities with my national duties and keep the Commonwealth at the center of all I do.\nIt's a tall order. It takes the best of the best. Someone who's so capable that every important issue will involve them, but so humble that situations never become about them.\nEnter Phil Maxson. A kind, cheerful, and unbelievably competent servant leader whom I'm convinced nobody on this planet dislikes.\nPhil climbed the Capitol Hill ladder the old-fashioned way.\r\nHe joined my team as an intern a decade ago. Actually, I think Phil may have snuck a late application into a last-minute opening. If I'm right about that, then his good fortune was ours as well.\r\nHe's done every job  legislative correspondent, legislative assistant, legislative director, and then the top spot. As one of his old bosses reminded me recently, every time a gap in the office appeared, Phil was the natural choice.'\r\nIt's not like he elbowed his way up; it's that circumstances and our needs kept pulling him up. He's that good.\nFor the past decade, Phil has walked into every meeting, every markup, every normal day at the office and every grueling far-flung CODEL with total preparation, complete professionalism  and the score of the latest UK game.\nAnother former supervisor of his put it this way: I don't think I ever asked Phil a single question he didn't already know the answer to, or didn't find the answer within about 10 minutes.'\nThat's high praise when your portfolio ranges from U.S.-Burma relations to the BUILD grants that improve our roads and everything in between.\r\n***\r\nIt helps that Phil is a Kentucky Thoroughbred, through and through. This man really is Dyed in the Bluegrass.'\nAs a young man in Lexington, he found part-time work giving tours at Henry Clay's Ashland Estate. He also graduated from Henry Clay High School. You could say the Senate was a natural destination.\r\nHere, he's met UK's Coach Calipari, President Netanyahu, and families from Kentucky's smallest towns. And they all got exactly the same attention, enthusiasm, and warmth from Phil Maxson.\r\nHe clicks with everyone. He's as affable as he is intelligent. In a town full of big egos and sharp elbows, he stands out because he doesn't try to stand out.\nFor the better part of a decade, virtually every significant win we've notched for our Commonwealth has had Phil at its nucleus. But if you dropped by the staff meeting the day after, what you'd hear is Phil explaining why everyone else deserves more credit than he does. Why it really all came down to my leadership...or his peers' efforts...or the hard work of the junior folks beneath him.\r\nYou'd have to go to everyone else to learn that Phil was the human glue that held it all together.\r\n***\r\nIt'd take me all day to list every win Phil's helped quarterback for our home state.\nA state-of-the-art chemical weapons destruction facility in Madison County\nThe transfer of the Rochester Dam to local ownership\nA new wildlife refuge in Henderson County\nEnvironmental cleanup and health benefits for nuclear workers in Paducah\nThe planned construction of a new VA hospital in Louisville\nFreedom to Fish and the raising of Lake Cumberlandand many more.\nBut alas, his dedication to Kentucky is so all-encompassing that he and his wife Sarah Beth have decided they don't want to raise their young family anywhere else.\r\nSo B and Phil on Capitol Hill,' as friends have called them, plus their two boys Barbour and Theodore, are homeward bound.\r\nI made the same decision myself as a young man, trading in the life of a Senate staffer for a move back home. So I can't exactly fault his decision. Phil needs to spend fewer breakfasts and dinners with me, and more with his own burgeoning clan. I get it. But I'm sure sorry to see him go.\r\n***\r\nPhil is the kind of Senate all-star who deserves a full-dress curtain call. He deserves toasts, and a dinner, and a big farewell party. I regret that, in these bizarre pandemic times, a floor speech will have to suffice -- at least for right now.\r\nSo Phil  thank you for your years of dedication to the state we both love. We'll miss your brain and we'll miss your heart. You're leaving behind one heck of a fan club all throughout the United States Senate. We wish you all the best in the chapters ahead.\r\n  February 2020: Phil Maxson with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in his personal office in Washington, D.C.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=3E6DC804-1165-47D6-A84F-861DB39E2D6C", "Lets Finish Our Business for the American People", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 relief:\r\nOur bipartisan discussions are continuing to make significant headway toward another relief package for the American people.\r\nThe Democratic Leader, Speaker Pelosi, Leader McCarthy, and I have been working around the clock for several days now. The talks remain productive.\r\nIn fact, I am even more optimistic now than I was last night that a bipartisan, bicameral framework for a major rescue package is close at hand.\r\nBut let's face it. It doesn't help struggling Americans keep their jobs, or endure unemployment, or pay their rent, or get vaccines any faster to keep hearing that we're having good discussions.\r\nWhat families across the country deserve  what they have needed and deserved for many months now  is an outcome. Another targeted relief package to get more assistance into their hands as fast as possible.\r\nStruggling small-business owners have already waited too long for the targeted second round of the PPP.\r\nLaid-off workers have already waited too long to have expiring programs extended.\r\nKids, teachers, and families have already waited too long for funding to help schools reopen safely.\r\nWe've already waited too long to fully fund vaccine distribution, so our scientists' historic sprint towards a safe and effective vaccine is followed up by the equally important logistics.\r\nThis has been an unbelievably hard year for our country. We've seen normal daily life grind to a halt and take a record-setting economy down with it.\r\nAnd even as we've watched doctors, nurses and researchers make life-saving history, we have lost more than 300,000 Americans too soon.\r\nLike I've said, the Senate will be right here until an agreement is passed, whenever that may be.\r\nWe'll just continue voting. There are more well-qualified nominees for important posts that we can confirm in the meantime. Let's finish our business for the American people.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-introduces-local-news-and-broadcast-media-preservation-act/", "Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Local News and Broadcast Media Preservation Act", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nDecember 18, 2020\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Yesterday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the Local News and Broadcast Media Preservation Act, S. 5058, which would give local broadcasters and newspapers much-needed relief from outdated government restrictions that are currently threatening their ability to succeed in an evolving media environment.\n\n\u201cWith the rise of social media and an ever-changing media landscape, it is imperative that our local newspapers and broadcasters are given the freedom to adapt. My Local News and Broadcast Media Preservation Act gets government out of the way and frees broadcast media from the chains that restrict their ability to better serve their customers,\u201d said Dr. Paul.\n\nThe Local News and Broadcast Media Preservation Act would exempt newspapers from federal antitrust laws to allow them to compete with and negotiate with national tech companies.\n\nAdditionally, the legislation would allow local broadcast companies to merge without government interference to allow those broadcasters to better compete against these tech giants.\n\nLastly, the bill would eliminate the local and national caps on radio and television ownership.\n\nYou can read S. 5058, Dr. Paul\u2019s Local News and Broadcast Media Preservation Act, HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=A7B89D9A-EB5E-4B7B-B0DD-11E17137E9C3", "COVID-19 Relief Update: Lets Make Law As Soon As Possible", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding appropriations and COVID-19 relief:\r\nWe in Congress are no strangers to December funding deadlines or the occasional pre-Christmas cliffhanger.\r\nIn that respect, the situation we face now is familiar. Funding for the federal government is hanging in the balance. In the next few days, Congress will either succeed or fail at providing secure and stable funding for our military commanders, our federal departments, and key investments for our future.\r\nFortunately, our colleagues on the Appropriations Committee and their House counterparts have been on the case. Bipartisan, bicameral committee work hasfull-year government funding legislation on the one-yard line.\r\nI'm optimistic that if we can close out our other, parallel business, we should be able to fund the government and move forward together.\r\nBut that brings me to the way in which this year is unlike anything we've seen before.\r\nIt's been more than nine months since our nation began to feel the full force of the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\nThe American people have done what Americans do when crises come knocking.\r\nEssential workers have kept our nation running. Healthcare professionals have worked day and night to care for strangers. Heroic American businesses have adapted, reinvented, and obeyed the advice of medical experts.\r\nNow we can see light at the end of the tunnel. Operation Warp Speed has given us safe and effective vaccines in record time. But the American people need another bridge to those better days that are not so far off. The country needs Congress to come through with another, targeted rescue package.\r\nThey've waited months. They've waited, and suffered, and some have died while needless political games have played out.The American people's wait for more emergency assistance ought to be over.\r\nFor months, I've called for a targeted, bipartisan package that would put hundreds of billions of dollars into payroll support, testing, vaccine distribution, extending unemployment aid, safe schools, and other essential priorities.\r\nSo I'm encouraged that our Democratic colleagues have now embraced this framework, that's been the right solution for our country all this time. And a bipartisan, bicameral agreement appears to be close at hand.\r\nThe outline that I've been discussing with the Democratic Leader, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader McCarthy would get another huge dose of bipartisan support out the door as fast as possible.\r\nWe have yet to nail down every detail. But in broad strokes:\r\nWe've been discussing the targeted second round of the job-saving Paycheck Protection Program that Republicans have sought since the summer.\r\nWe're discussing many tens of billions of dollars for distributing vaccines, COVID testing, and equipping safe schools to get our kids' educations back on track. We're discussing extending important unemployment programs.\r\nAt the particular urging of President Trump and Secretary Mnuchin, who have continued to be the champions of cash relief for American families, we're discussing more direct impact payments for individuals, plus the bonus for families with children.\r\nThese are just some of the major pillars. And equally important, we're agreeing to be smart about financing these extraordinary policies.\r\nWe intend to repurpose more than $400 billion in unspent funds which we already allocated in the CARES Act. It turned out these funds did not need to be tapped to restore basic stability to our economy. It's time we put that money to urgent use.\r\n***\r\nLike I said at this time yesterday, I am heartened by our discussions and our progress. I believe all sides are working in good faith toward our shared goal of getting an outcome.\r\nBut I will say this. In my judgement we're very close to a point that arises in every major negotiation. It's the point where each side faces a fork in the road.\r\nDo we want to lapse into politics as usual and let negotiations lose steam?\r\nDo we want to haggle and spar like this were an ordinary political exercise; get wrapped around the axle of language or policy riders that we know are controversial?\r\nOr, on the other hand, after months of inaction, do we want to move swiftly and with unusual bipartisanship to close out our issues, seal the deal, and write text that we can quickly pass into law?\r\nIn short, we're near the point in this process where we decide if we're going to stay on the fast track or drift back toward business as usual.\r\nI say the answer is obvious. After all these months, struggling Americans don't just need action; they need action fast.\r\nSo I continue to appreciate our productive discussions. But I hope we also remember just how urgent the situation is for millions and millions of our fellow citizens.\r\nFor the information of all Senators, we are going to stay right here until we are finished, even if that means working into or through the weekend.\r\nAnd if we need to further extend the Friday funding deadline before final legislation can pass in both chambers, I hope we only extend it for a very, very short window of time.\r\nOur citizens can't afford for us to get bogged down in the back-and-forth. Let's finish up our bipartisan framework. Let's make law as soon as possible. That's what our people deserve.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=B2B7DF38-C3F8-4805-8355-5B422F9261B4", "McConnell: Kentuckians and All Americans Should Accept the COVID-19 Vaccine", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today regarding the COVID-19 vaccine:\r\nSince last spring, following health guidelines, I have advocated mask wearing, social distancing and other best practices.\r\nBecause of the health professionals at the FDA, Operation Warp Speed, and provisions of the CARES Act that I was proud to get signed into law, we now have a vaccine that is ready for use. But I am disappointed to see early public sentiment that shows some hesitation towards receiving a vaccine. \r\nA recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs poll shows about a quarter of U.S. adults aren't sure if they want to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Roughly another quarter say they won't. It is concerning that half of Americans feel this way.\r\nThe only way to beat this pandemic is for us to follow the advice of our nation's health care professionals: get vaccinated and continue to follow CDC guidelines.\r\nAs a polio survivor, I know both the fear of a disease and the extraordinary promise of hope that vaccines bring. I truly hope all Kentuckians and Americans will heed this advice and accept this safe and effective vaccine.\r\nBecause of government continuity requirements, I have been informed by the Office of the Attending Physician that I am eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, which I will accept in the coming days.\r\nEven with a vaccine, I will continue following CDC guidelines by wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and washing my hands frequently. I would strongly encourage everyone to continue following these important guidelines. It is the only way we will defeat COVID-19 once and for all.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=C8094067-5AC6-4A27-A339-46DEB01834B2", "McConnells CARES Act Sends Another $143 Million to Kentucky to Help Fight COVID-19", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today Kentucky is receiving an additional $2,500,325 to be used to help fight COVID-19. Of the funding, $1,584,325 will go towards vaccine preparedness and $916,000 for testing and contact tracing. These federal resources, distributed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), were made available by Senator McConnell's Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. To date, Kentucky has received more than $120 million from the CDC for COVID-19 response.\r\nAdditionally, Senator McConnell announced $141,828,054 will also be provided to 598 Kentucky healthcare providers. This federal funding, distributed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), was made available through Senator McConnell's CARES Act Provider Relief Fund which has sent more than $1.4 billion to Kentucky's healthcare heroes on the frontlines of this pandemic.\r\nThere's a genuine feeling of excitement throughout the country over the delivery of the Coronavirus vaccine. I'm proud to announce today the incredibly urgent, targeted funding to get Kentuckians vaccinated and support our healthcare heroes to finish this fight, said Senator McConnell. Since May, I've visited more than 30 Kentucky healthcare providers to personally thank frontline healthcare heroes. Especially now with vaccines on the way, my CARES Act is providing critical federal resources so that healthcare providers can keep our communities safe from this terrible virus.\r\nTo date, Senator McConnell's CARES Act has had a more than $13 billion impact in Kentucky. Senator McConnell's legislation has delivered $4 billion in relief to address urgent housing, transportation, healthcare, education and economic development priorities. Kentucky small businesses, farmers, and nonprofits accessed more than $5.2 billion in assistance through 50,000PPP loans. Kentucky families have also received $4 billion in Economic Impact Payments from the U.S. Treasury.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=CF1BBCA9-1ED5-4DCB-8B34-6ADAFE954BD5", "Kentucky to Receive $5 Million for Substance Abuse Prevention Efforts", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today eight Kentucky communities will receive a total of $5 million over five years for their substance abuse prevention efforts. Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) James Carroll, also known as the Drug Czar, contacted Senator McConnell to share the recipients of the funding from the Drug-Free Communities Program.\r\nAcross Kentucky and the country, we're investing in our comprehensive response to opioid and substance abuse. I'm grateful to Director Carroll and the dedicated Kentuckians who are working to keep drugs away from our children, said Senator McConnell. Tragically, substance abuse is an ongoing problem in Kentucky. The multi-year federal resources for these programs can help educators and local leaders develop a long-term strategy to fight abuse and save lives.\r\nThe following entities will each receive $125,000 annually for five years for their addiction prevention efforts:\r\n \r\nButler County Educational Foundation\r\nCampbell County Drug Free Alliance\r\nErlanger-Elsmere Board of Education\r\nFamily & Children's Place (Louisville)\r\nGraves County Fiscal Court\r\nMuhlenberg County Health Department\r\nShawnee Transformation Youth Coalition (Louisville)\r\nSpencer County Public Schools\r\n \r\nEarlier this year, Senator McConnell applauded ONDCP's announcements of $2.25 million into Kentucky's substance abuse prevention efforts.\r\nThe E3C Drug Free project and the Erlanger-Elsmere Schools are humbled and proud to be a recipient of the Drug Free Communities Support Program Grant, said Erlanger-Elsmere Superintendent Chad D. Molley. Thanks to Senator McConnell, this funding will provide an incredible opportunity for our school district to increase community partnerships and to offer valuable resources to our students and families. These partnerships and resources will enable us to deepen our district's whole-child, whole-family approach to public education, which will, in turn, have a long-term positive impact on our community.\r\nSince becoming Majority Leader in 2015, Senator McConnell has prioritized the fight against the opioid and substance abuse epidemic by increasing federal funding for the response. Under Senator McConnell's leadership, Kentucky has received more than $275 million. He worked with the University of Kentucky to help secure an $87 million competitive federal grantthe largest in school historyto address the opioid crisis in high-risk communities. He has also helped secure the inclusion of some of Kentucky's hardest-hit counties in the ONDCP's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program to promote coordination and support for law enforcement in Kentucky.\r\nSenator McConnell consistently draws attention to Kentucky's prevention, treatment and enforcement efforts with the President's Cabinet and federal agencies. Multiple ONDCP Directors have visited Kentucky at his request to see the innovative work being done in the Commonwealth. This year, Director Jim Carroll visited Simpson, Logan, Clark, and Boyd counties at Senator McConnell's request to discuss the benefits of their recent HIDTA designations.\r\nIn 2018, President Trump signed into law the landmark opioid and substance abuse bill Senator McConnell helped shepherd to enactment. The bill included his CAREER Act  which U.S. Congressmen Andy Barr (KY-06) introduced in the House  recognizing the connection among employment, housing, and long-term recovery. The legislation also contained the Senator's Protecting Moms and Infants Act, which authorized an increase in federal funding to help babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=999D6650-CE05-4943-8662-044DBD979488", "Congressional Leaders on Both Sides Are Going to Keep Working Until We Get it Done", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 relief:\r\nThe Democratic Leader and I worked into the evening alongside the Speaker of the House and the House Republican Leader. We made major headway toward hammering out a targeted pandemic relief package that would be able to pass both chambers with bipartisan majorities.\r\nWe committed to continuing these urgent discussions urgently until we have an agreement. And we agreed we should not leave town until we've made law.\r\nThe American people need more help. It's that simple. Further targeted relief is now months overdue. We need vaccine distribution money. We need to re-up the Paycheck Protection Program to save jobs. We need to continue to provide for laid-off Americans.\r\nCongressional leaders on both sides are going to keep working until we get it done.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=B9FF6D2A-5E46-4973-9B0E-85D096E7F2C1", "McConnell Announces $450,000 for Infrastructure Upgrades in Bell County", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced the City of Middlesboro will receive $450,000 to upgrade aging infrastructure at a wastewater treatment plant. The federal funding comes from the Appalachian Regional Commission's (ARC) Central Appalachian Distressed County Infrastructure Program, which was established by Senator McConnell. These communities have received more than $40 million from this ARC fund.\r\nEvery Kentucky family deserves access to reliable water service. I am proud the ARC infrastructure and water program I established continues to deliver for thousands of families in Eastern Kentucky, said Senator McConnell. This major investment is welcome news for Bell County and will provide vital benefits for years to come. Along with my friend Congressman Hal Rogers, we're continuing to invest in this wonderful region's bright future.\r\nAccording to ARC, the investment will provide reliable wastewater treatment to 4,345 households and 605 businesses. The current water treatment facilities were built in 1986, and the aging equipment is subject to frequent failures and costly repairs. The threat of overflows from electrical and mechanical failures is high. The renovations funded by this ARC announcement will promote uninterrupted service and could save the city $17,000 annually.\r\nMiddlesboro Mayor Rick Nelson said: The citizens of Middlesboro appreciate the efforts of Leader McConnell and Congressman Hal Rogers for their help in securing this important funding for the citizens of Middlesboro.\"\r\nIn September, Senator McConnell joined U.S. Congressmen Hal Rogers (KY-05), Andy Barr (KY-06) and James Comer (KY-01) to announce $3.9 million for water infrastructure projects from this ARC fund.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=0BD928C7-84CE-4DA4-BE90-464312BB56E3", "McConnell Applauds Attorney General Bill Barr", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today regarding Attorney General Bill Barr\r\nAttorney General Barr is one of the most dedicated and capable public servants I have ever seen in action. For nearly two years, he's provided wise counsel to President Trump and rendered outstanding service to our country. He has helped keep America safe from criminals and terrorists and advanced the bedrock American value of equal justice under law.\r\nWhen his country came calling two years ago, Bill Barr did not have to answer. He had already completed a distinguished career in government. He had already led the Department of Justice, having been confirmed by a voice vote to serve President Bush 41 as one of the youngest Attorneys General in our nation's history. He had a wildly successful private-sector career. Fortunately for the nation, his dedication to the men and women of the Department of Justice compelled Attorney General Barr to clock back in.\r\nIn a time of intense polarization, and notwithstanding unfair criticism from the far left and the media, Attorney General Barr did his work with clarity, principle, and professionalism. He fostered greater accountability in the DOJ and confronted the egregious abuses surrounding the FBI's handling of the 2016 election. He worked to protect innocent Americans from violent crime and protected our nation's capital and its historic monuments when peaceful protests were hijacked by violent rioters. He fought against China's lawbreaking and corrosive influence. He was a warrior for religious liberty and free speech who ensured that DOJ safeguarded these liberties even during a pandemic. And he stood for the simple but apparently controversial proposition that the federal government should actually enforce the laws on the books, in subjects from immigration and border security to the death penalty that federal law reserves for the gravest offenses.\r\nNow, for a second time, Attorney General Barr will leave the Department and the rule of law in this country stronger than he found them. He has more than earned a return to private practice and more time with his family. I warmly wish him and his family the very best.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=9635BDBC-D677-4491-9B40-65B8103FD711", "Senator McConnell Names New State Director", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is welcoming Robbin Morrison Taylor back to his team to serve as his State Director for Kentucky. She previously worked for Senator McConnell from 1991 to 2000 as the South Central Kentucky Field Representative in Bowling Green. Taylor, currently a Principal at McCarthy Strategic Solutions in Frankfort, will transition and begin her new role as State Director in January. Taylor will succeed Terry Carmack, who McConnell recently named as his new Chief of Staff in his Washington, D.C. personal office.\r\nRobbin is known across Kentucky for producing results. I'm glad she accepted my offer to bring her ability and leadership back to my team as State Director, said Senator McConnell. Robbin's years of experience will be invaluable as she leads my state staff to connect Kentucky families with their government. Working with my new Chief of Staff Terry Carmack, she'll help keep our Commonwealth's priorities front and center in the Senate.\r\nTaylor spent 18 years at Western Kentucky University in several prominent roles including as Vice President of Public Affairs. She represented WKU's interests in Washington, D.C. and across the state with special focus in Frankfort directing development, alumni, corporate, and government relations.\r\nTaylor earned a Master's of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Public Relations from Western Kentucky University.After graduating from WKU in 1990, Taylor began her career as an intern in Senator McConnell's press office.\r\nSenator McConnell's main state office is in Louisville. Click HERE for contact information and a full list of his field offices across the Commonwealth.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=D35F949B-EAB4-40D8-93D6-7FDBC10BB22A", "McConnell Applauds President Trump & Congratulates President-Elect Biden", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding President Trump and President-Elect Biden:\r\nOver the last four years, our country has benefitted from a presidential term filled with major accomplishments.\r\nPresident Donald Trump has repeatedly surprised the skeptics, confounded his critics, and delivered significant policy victories that have strengthened our country.\r\nCase in point:\r\nBack in May, when the President set the goal of finding a pandemic-ending vaccine by the end of this year, his timeline was dismissed by people who assumed they knew better.\r\nQuote: Trump promises coronavirus vaccine by end of the year,' scoffed one headline, but his own experts temper expectations.'\r\nFact check,' complained another headline, Coronavirus vaccine could come this year, Trump says. Experts say he needs a miracle' to be right.' End quote.\r\nWell, with the genius of science, support from Congress, and the bold leadership of the Trump Administration, that medical miracle arrived right on schedule.\r\nAmericans on the front lines are receiving vaccinations as we speak.\r\nThis episode offers a kind of microcosm of the last four years.\r\nOn so many subjects  from economic prosperity to foreign policy to protecting American families  the skeptics doubted him, the critics derided him, but President Trump has delivered.\r\n***\r\nWhen President Trump ran for office, he promised to help open a new chapter for working families.\r\nAfter eight years of failed policies that concentrated wealth and optimism among a lucky few, prosperity was going to flow to all kinds of workers in all kinds of communities, he said.\r\nAnd that is exactly what happened.\r\nBefore this pandemic spread from China and the world had to slam on the brakes, the American people had the best job market in living memory.\r\nWith help from the policies of President Trump and Republicans in Congress, American workers dynamited the stagnation that experts had said was the new normal.\r\nUnemployment hit a 50-year low. Capital markets hit record highs. And this time, all kinds of Americans got to share in the gains.\r\nWe saw earnings grow faster for workers than for managers; faster for the bottom 25% than for the top 25%.\r\nThis success was fueled in part by the policy leadership of President Trump.\r\nThis Administration pursued bold regulatory changes.\r\nOnce-in-a-generation tax reform had eluded prior leaders. This President signed it into law in his first year.\r\nAnd together we repealed the worst part of Obamacare. The unfair individual mandate was zeroed out.\r\nPresident Trump also took historic steps to strengthen the future of our trade with the world.\r\nHe secured the historic United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and bilateral tax treaties with partners in Europe and Asia.\r\nA nation this productive needs plenty of energy to keep it going. Fortunately, President Trump and his administration ended the ideological war on fossil fuels and hit the accelerator on all-of-the-above American energy dominance.\r\nIn the last four years we surpassed Saudi Arabia in oil production. We saw energy exports exceed energy imports for the first year in almost 70 years.\r\nMeanwhile we saw our CO2 emissions fall, along with other harmful pollutants.\r\nThat energy independence has dramatically strengthened our hand with respect to the rest of the world, particularly the Middle East.\r\nSpeaking of the Middle East, President Trump wasted little time pulling back from the prior administration's disastrous Iran deal.\r\nHis team eliminated daylight between us and Israel and repaired our relationships with Arab partners.\r\nAnd he aligned these relationships around our common shared interests  countering threats like radical Islamic terrorists and Iranian aggression.\r\nUnder President Trump's command, our forces took terrorist leaders like Al-Baghdadi and Soleimani off the battlefield.\r\nThe physical caliphate that ISIS established on the previous president's watch was destroyed.\r\nAll this paved the way for the Abraham Accords  the historic normalization of relationships between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and most recently Morocco, with the potential for more on the horizon.\r\nNow, the Middle East isn't the only place where the Trump Administration has shored up our footing on the world stage.\r\nOur 45th commander-in-chief set out to rebuild and modernize our military, and to move our foreign policy from a chapter of weakness and apology into a renewed posture of strength.\r\nFour years later, we have a new National Defense Strategy to compete with and deter adversaries like Russia and China.\r\nWe have rebuilt the military and invested in new technologies to ensure America keeps our edge in everything from cyber to space to advanced weapons systems.\r\nAnd the President's leadership has not stopped with those who are currently serving.\r\nHe also signed into law the historic VA MISSION Act, to ensure our dedication to our men and women in uniform does not end when their tours conclude.\r\n***\r\nClearly, the list of American accomplishments since 2016 is nearly endless.\r\nThere are the many miles of new protections on our southern border. At one point apprehensions at the border hit their lowest level since the 1970s.\r\nEssential causes like religious liberty and the most vulnerable, the unborn, have had a champion in this Administration, instead of an adversary.\r\nThere have been historic new steps to conserve our national treasures, like the Great American Outdoors Act.\r\nAnd perhaps most important of all, President Trump nominated  and this Senate confirmed  three outstanding Supreme Court Justices along with more than 220 more Article III federal judges.\r\nThese are brilliant, young, constitutionalist men and women in lifetime appointments who will renew the judiciary for a generation.\r\nAll because President Trump knows we need judges who respect the essential but limited job description the framers wrote for our third branch of government.\r\n***\r\nAs you can see, it would take far more than one speech to catalog all the major wins the Trump Administration has helped deliver for the American people.\r\nThe outsider who swore he would shake up Washington and lead our country to new accomplishments both at home and abroad proceeded to do exactly that.\r\nPresident Trump and Vice President Mike Pence deserve our thanks and our gratitude for their tireless work  and their essential roles in all these victories and many more.\r\n***\r\nSix weeks ago, Americans voted in this year's general election. The legal and constitutional processes have continued to play out.\r\nYesterday, electors met in all 50 states. So, as of this morning, our country officially has a President-elect and a Vice President-elect.\r\nMany millions of us had hoped the presidential election would yield a different result. But our system of government has processes to determine who will be sworn in on January the 20th.\r\nThe Electoral College has spoken.\r\nSo today, I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden. The President-elect is no stranger to the Senate. He has devoted himself to public service for many years.\r\nI also congratulate the Vice President-elect, our colleague from California, Senator Harris. Beyond our differences, all Americans can take pride that our nation has a female Vice President-elect for the first time.\r\nI look forward to finishing out the next 36 days strong with President Trump. Our nation needs us to add another bipartisan chapter to this record of achievement.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-introduces-hemp-act-relieve-unnecessary-constraints-hemp-industry-provide/", "Dr. Rand Paul Introduces HEMP Act to Relieve Unnecessary Constraints on Hemp Industry, Provide Transparency and Certainty", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nDecember 15, 2020\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) continued his efforts to address Kentucky hemp farmers\u2019 concerns with federal overreach and bring clarity, transparency, and certainty to regulation by introducing the Hemp Economic Mobilization Plan (HEMP) Act of 2020.\n\nIn response to concerns raised by Kentucky hemp farmers and processors, Dr. Paul\u2019s HEMP Act would change the legal definition of hemp to raise the THC limit from 0.3% to 1%. Currently, any hemp crops testing above 0.3% have to be destroyed.\n\nThe legislation would require testing of the final hemp-derived product instead of the hemp flower or plant itself, as the 15-day window for testing the hemp flower or plant does not take potential testing backlogs, lack of personnel to collect samples, harvesting time, or environmental factors that farmers cannot control into account.\n\nDr. Paul\u2019s HEMP Act would also protect legitimate hemp farmers, processors, and transporters by requiring hemp shipments to contain a copy of the seed certificate showing the hemp was grown from 1% THC seed, and it would address current uncertainty by defining a margin of error for testing THC levels. Neither current law nor the USDA\u2019s interim final rule provide such a margin.\n\n\u201cFor years, I\u2019ve led the fight in Washington to restore one of Kentucky\u2019s most historically vital crops by legalizing industrial hemp. We achieved a hard-won victory, but there is still work to do to prevent the federal government from weighing down our farmers with unnecessary bureaucratic micromanaging. My legislation will help this growing industry reach its full economic potential, and I am proud the bill has strong support all the way from local Kentucky farmers and activists to national groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation,\u201d said Dr. Paul.\n\n\u201cThe U.S. hemp industry has had its share of roadblocks, but we continue to push forward and make changes that will help hemp producers thrive. Senator Paul\u2019s HEMP Act has the potential to improve upon the highest priority issues for hemp growers, processors, and labs, while making sure to keep our consumers safe as well. We are grateful for the continued support from our federal delegation and ask that folks at home call their Congressional representatives to ask for their support,\u201d said Katie Moyer, Owner of Kentucky Hemp Works.\n\n\u201cWe are so excited to hear about Senator Paul\u2019s H.E.M.P. Act, which will help farmers, processors and retailers in our young hemp industry. We believe that loosening up some important interstate business requirements are a much-needed step toward more prosperous times in the hemp economy,\u201d said Kentucky Hemp Association President Tate Hall and Vice President Jana Groda.\n\n\u201cWe appreciate Sen. Paul\u2019s leadership and support for hemp farmers in Kentucky and across the United States. The HEMP Act makes critical improvements that will better allow farmers to successfully grow and profit from hemp,\u201d said Vote Hemp President Eric Steenstra.\n\nDr. Paul has been a leading voice for removing government restrictions on hemp, and his past efforts, including championing legislation, testifying before the Kentucky legislature, and advocating for Kentucky farmers in Washington, have helped ensure Kentucky can rebuild its hemp industry and push forward to a prosperous future. You can find a video detailing his efforts HERE.\n\nYou can read Dr. Paul\u2019s HEMP Act of 2020 HERE, and you can find background and further details in a one-pager HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=C1C75507-ADB1-4734-A4E8-C47F978BB7EE", "McConnell on Targeted COVID Relief: Lets Get This Done", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 relief:\r\nThis past weekend we saw that the historic, nationwide effort to bring this pandemic to heel has begun a critical final chapter.\r\nAfter months of development, the first U.S. doses of a COVID-19 vaccine rolled off the assembly line, bound for treatment facilities across the country.\r\nI'm particularly proud that an important waypoint on that journey is my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.\r\nYesterday alone, Pfizer shipped 2.5 million vaccine doses. And less than an hour after their airlift began, shipments bound for the eastern United States were passing through the UPS Worldport logistics hub at Muhammed Ali International Airport.\r\nIn the days and weeks ahead, the hard work of Kentuckians at UPS's new Healthcare Command Center in Louisville will play a critical role in finishing this fight.\r\nAlready, they've helped direct tens of thousands of doses to Kentucky hospitals, where they're being administered to the Commonwealth's healthcare workers and most at-risk residents.\r\nThere's a historic success story being written today along the vaccine supply chain, from Missouri to Massachusetts to Michigan to Kentucky to front lines across the country. And it's emblematic of an approach that has been helping our country since the earliest days of this crisis.\r\nFrom the personal precautions that helped save our health system.\r\nTo the bravery of the doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers who spent sleepless nights tending to victims of the virus.\r\nTo the ingenuity of entrepreneurs who have spun out masks and sanitizer or kept serving their customers safely.\r\nTo the patience of parents and schoolkids who have had to adapt in extraordinary ways.\r\nTo our economic efforts to blunt the pain of a self-inflicted slowdown without precedent.\r\nAll along the way, it has been the heroic, resilient American people fighting and winning this battle  with the government providing smart, targeted, and essential support to sustain them.\r\nIt's the American people who have brought the light at the end of the tunnel within sight. But Washington has played a key role in creating the conditions for them to do it.\r\nThat joint effort is how the unanimous, bipartisan CARES Act programs helped sustain struggling families, prevented millions more layoffs, and gave Main Street a fighting chance.\r\nIt's how Operation Warp Speed has helped unleash private enterprise and the genius of researchers on a breakneck campaign for a cure that, just a few months ago, the mainstream media was lecturing President Trump would be impossible.\r\nAt every step, the story of this year has been American workers and families digging deep, muscling through, and lending one another a helping hand, with an assist from us in Congress.\r\n***\r\nBut there's a problem. The American people's work is not finished. The struggle continues every day. Cases and deaths are mounting. The commerce that sustains small businesses is still depressed.\r\nWorking families are still trying to grind through but recently, Washington has not held up its end of the bargain.\r\nFor months, literally months, both sides in Congress have known roughly what the shape of a compromise rescue package could look like. We know all the areas where we do not even disagree, and should be able to make significant law.\r\nBut partisan dynamics and political posturing have prevented us from getting more relief out the door, even in areas where nobody even claims to disagree.\r\nI don't want to relitigate the last weeks and months this afternoon. Anyone who wants to dole out blame has a clear record they can analyze.\r\nBut it is time for this body to collectively recognize that finger-pointing doesn't put food on the table for struggling families.\r\nFinger-pointing doesn't help people avoid having to choose between Christmas gifts and making rent. And finger-pointing does not do a darn thing to fund vaccine distribution so we can slam the door on this virus as fast as possible and maximize the number of lives we can save.\r\nThat last point is a concern that state health officials across the country have raised repeatedly.\r\nEven with vaccines on the way, many are reporting they don't have the funds to hire enough trained workers or purchase enough PPE to safely administer them as fast as possible.\r\nAs one health observer put it, quote, It would be a shame if all the effort on Warp Speed for development isn't warp speed for distribution.'\r\nBut that is what we risk if Congress can't get our act together and supply the funds to deliver this literal shot in the arm to our people.\r\nThis is the support that state and local governments need most urgently. Not unfettered slush funds for non-COVID-related needs that predate the pandemic; but incredibly urgent, targeted money to get citizens vaccinated and finish this fight.\r\nBut that isn't the only urgent priority that Congress must not leave behind.\r\nThe same small business owners and working families who relied on the Paycheck Protection Program to get them through the bleakest points of the spring and summer are once again facing tough choices.\r\nRenewed health restrictions and decreased demand mean that some American jobs that have been sustained all this way may not survive this last home stretch.\r\nWe can help. We can provide a second round of the job-saving PPP, tailored to those who need it most.\r\nAnd what about Americans who have already lost their jobs this pandemic, through no fault of their own? Several key unemployment programs are set to expire at the end of this month.\r\nThat is not an outcome that struggling people deserve, least of all during the holiday.\r\nWe should act.\r\n***\r\nSo, the next several days are going to bring about one of two outcomes.\r\nEither 100 Senators will be here shaking our heads, slinging blame, and offering excuses about why we still have not been able to make a law or we will break for the holidays having sent another huge dose of relief out the door for the people who need it.\r\nIt's up to us. We decide. This is entirely within our control.\r\nThe Republican side wants to make law, to agree where we can and help people who need it.\r\nI hope and believe that my Democratic colleagues feel the same way.\r\nSo let's get this done.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=5AC40B1F-99DA-49DA-A2D8-42D00791C1D4", "Senate Passes Critical Defense Bill with Kentucky Priorities", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) led the U.S. Senate to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report. The Senate vote marks the 60th consecutive year Congress has passed the defense policy bill. Senator McConnell secured critical provisions in the legislation for Kentucky's servicemembers, military installations, and defense programs.\r\nThe Senate has continued rebuilding and modernizing the world's greatest fighting force to protect Americans, our interests, and our allies. I was proud to vote in support of our men and women in uniform and their families, said Senator McConnell. This legislation is a victory for Kentucky's role in our national security. From the reactivation of the historic V Corps at Fort Knox to the stationing of a new C-130J aircraft squadron for the Kentucky Air National Guard, Kentucky's military installations continue to be recognized for their elite contributions to our Armed Forces. This year also brought landmark progress in chemical weapon destruction at the Blue Grass Army Depot as well as a deployment of Fort Campbell soldiers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a high honor to provide for our military heroes as they sacrifice to keep our country safe.\r\nIn addition to a well-deserved pay raise for our servicemembers, Senator McConnell secured authorizations for these Kentucky priorities:\r\n \r\n$69.3 million for construction of the Van Voorhis Elementary School at Fort Knox;\r\n$20 million for the NSA Workforce Transformation Cyber Initiative Pilot Program, which supports the University of Louisville's recently-announced healthcare cybersecurity certificate programs; and\r\n$15 million for an Army National Guard/ Reserve Center building in Frankfort.\r\n \r\nThe NDAA also includes the following provisions to support military families:\r\n \r\nResources and authorities to support the U.S. Armed Forces' COVID-19 response and protect the health of our servicemembers;\r\n$50 million for the Defense Community Infrastructure Program, which provides competitive grants for quality of life projects for servicemembers and families;\r\nSupport for military spouse employment programs and funding for re-licensing costs incurred when changing duty stations; and\r\nImproved oversight over privatized military housing system to ensure high-quality, healthy, and safe housing.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-reintroduces-government-shutdown-prevention-act/", "Dr. Rand Paul Reintroduces the Government Shutdown Prevention Act", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nDecember 11, 2020\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) reintroduced the Government Shutdown Prevention Act under Rule 14 to make it available for quick consideration. The bill incentivizes Congress to properly consider and debate spending legislation in the future, as it is the only shutdown prevention plan that immediately cuts spending if an agreement is not reached.\n\nInstead of Congress risking government shutting down operations, Dr. Paul\u2019s plan would keep government open but institute a one-percent cut to then-current funding levels for any agency, program, and activity that Congress failed to fund by the start of the fiscal year (October 1). Funding would be reduced by another one percent every 90 days thereafter that an agreement is still not enacted.\n\n\u201cMy Government Shutdown Prevention Act would help ensure Congress starts hitting its deadlines, making it a more responsible steward of the American people\u2019s resources,\u201d said Dr. Paul.\n\nCurrently, Congress does not face any consequences for failing to pass appropriations bills on time, which has helped lead to it pursuing procrastination over prudence and risking shutdowns due to impasses.\n\nAlong with ensuring government honors its obligations and maintains its operations, Dr. Paul\u2019s proposal would give agencies the certainty of knowing that, in a worst-case scenario, they will always be able to operate with a full year of funding at no less than 96 percent of their then-current levels.\n\nYou can read Dr. Paul\u2019s Government Shutdown Prevention Act HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=52C50045-7DB5-4DA2-9DC8-418107BE0C2B", "McConnell Celebrates Truly Exceptional Senator Cory Gardner", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO):\r\nIt's my honor today to pay tribute to a truly exceptional U.S. Senator.\r\nSomeone who arrived in this body with a full head of steam; a determination to cram as much service as possible into every day he got to wake up and serve his neighbors who sent him here.\r\nOur good friend Cory Gardner, the junior Senator for Colorado, has been a man on a mission from the day he arrived.\r\nHe already knew the institution. He was already one of the highest-energy high-achievers that anybody who knew him had ever met. So he got to work. And he's spent six years delivering a dizzying list of accomplishments.\r\nIf you've heard about Cory Gardner's early days, you know this high-speed can-do attitude is nothing new.\r\nCase in point: One evening when Cory was a boy, he and his friends got tired of their hoop sessions ending at sundown, because the public basketball court lacked sufficient lighting.\r\nThe group of friends considered how to remedy this. Cory's dad happened to be a town councilman. So a little government relations took place around the dinner table.\r\nWell, no Senator who Cory's ever pressed for a vote will be surprised to hear that the lighting infrastructure was soon adjusted, and the kids could take their pick-up games into primetime.\r\nSo young Cory was no stranger to persistence, or to public service.\r\nBut it was in high school that he scored an opportunity to taste a level beyond Yuma's local government.\r\nHe won admission to the U.S. Senate Youth Program. It's a scholarship that brings promising students from around the country to these halls for a quick immersion experience.\r\nTeenaged Cory Gardner liked the looks of this place. He made a mental note. By the way, to this day, Cory, along with his fellow alumna Senator Collins, continue to make sure that special experience is paid forward.\r\nIt didn't take Cory long to come back and begin strolling these hallways for real. After earning honors at Colorado State and a law degree from CU Boulder, he wound up working for our former colleague Senator Wayne Allard -- and rising quickly through the ranks.\r\nIn short order, he developed a reputation as a highly effective advocate for Coloradans.\r\nIn fact he was so well-liked, so effective, and so thoroughly the proud son of Yuma that folks started to wonder if it wasn't time for Cory to put his own name on a door somewhere.\r\nSo it wasn't long before the men and women of Colorado's state House District 63 found out firsthand what happens when you hire Cory Gardner to fight on your behalf: You get results. Big time.\r\nNot much later, his neighbors then gave Cory a new assignment here in Congress. Again, Congressman Gardner didn't just meet the bar, as one out of 435.\r\nHe excelled. A powerful, energetic voice on the most consequential issues. He brought home one win after another where it mattered.\r\n***\r\nIt didn't take long before another promotion came calling. And so, appropriately enough, the Senate's freshman class of 2014 included a new member from the land of 14ers  what Coloradans call their peaks higher than 14,000 feet.\r\nCory was already accustomed to altitude. So here in this upper chamber,' Senator Gardner hit the ground sprinting.\r\nI believe he's authored 11 standalone bills that have been signed into law in just six years.\r\nWithout Cory's tireless work -- and his travels to the four corners of Colorado and beyond -- the biggest conservation bill in a generation, the Great American Outdoors Act, would not be law.\r\nThere's been his key role in the Supreme Court confirmation of fellow Coloradan Neil Gorsuch His mission to move the Bureau of Land Management to Grand Junction\r\nAnd, of course, the nuts-and-bolts constituent work that Cory and his staff are famous for mastering.\r\nThis not-so-junior Senator has used Colorado values to improve Washington, and Washington influence to advance his home state.\r\nHe dived headfirst into his leadership role on the East Asia Subcommittee on Foreign Relations. His work with regional allies helped drive the Senate to approve meaningful sanctions against North Korea.\r\nAnd the impact of the Asia Reassurance Initiative should echo long after all of us here today have left the scene.\r\nThe litany of Cory's work just does not end.\r\nThere's the new, nationwide, three-digit suicide prevention hotline.\r\nThere's the fact that this freshman not only scrapped over a national defense issue with our late colleague Chairman John McCain  talk about fearless  but that he somehow emerged mostly unscathed, and with a win on space launch vehicles to show for it.\r\nBut like I said, one of the best aspects of Cory's operation is his almost obsessive focus on looking out for his people  one family, one story at a time.\r\nThat's why it's impossible to give a speech on Senator Gardner without working your way to another name: Don Stratton.\r\nWhen Don was first met with our colleague, the 95-year-old Navy veteran was living with his wife in Colorado Springs.\r\nBut the story began 76 years earlier, when he was among the fortunate few sailors to survive the bombing of the U.S.S. Arizona at Pearl Harbor.\r\nAt 19, Don had survived severe burns, but insisted on returning to combat with the fleet. After the war, he raised a family and wrote a book about his experiences.\r\nBut Don's request to Senator Gardner wasn't anything for himself. It concerned a comrade who'd saved his life that day 79 years ago this very week.\r\nAt risk to himself, a sailor named Joe George had literally thrown the lifeline that brought Don and five of shipmates to safety. But Joe's lifesaving efforts had gone unrecognized before his death.\r\nFor years, Don didn't even know who had saved him. So once he found out, Don Stratton made it his mission to ensure our nation formalized our gratitude for his guardian angel.\r\nWell, let's just say the Strattons picked the right state to retire in. Colorado's junior Senator was on the case.\r\nCory and his staff waded through tangles of bureaucracy. They appealed decisions all the way to the Secretary of Defense. And you better believe they secured that Bronze Star for Petty Officer First Class Joe George -- with the V device for valor, to boot.\r\nDon passed away earlier this year. By all accounts, he and his family had come to regard Senator Gardner not just an incredible advocate, but a true friend.\r\n***\r\nNow in fairness, this same eagerness and almost maniacal problem-solving can also get Cory in the occasional pickle.\r\nI remembered recently that, just months after the Senator was sworn in, he and I were on a CODEL together in the Middle East.\r\nI think the itinerary was something like eight countries in six days.\r\nAt one point, we were waiting to meet with a foreign leader.\r\nAs everyone else was just waiting patiently in this grand palace, Cory spots what looks like a stray piece of paper lying on the floor.\r\nEarnestly thinking he should leave the place better than he found it, Cory bends over and picks up the trash.\r\nExcept it wasn't trash.\r\nJust then, the monarch rolls in with a color guard\r\nA color guard that is looking anxiously for the floor marker that was supposed to indicate where to stop marching.\r\nLuckily the only diplomatic fall-out was a good laugh.\r\nActually, good laughs tend to follow Cory in his wake. Our colleague finds humor in the everyday like few can, and shares it freely.\r\nI understand one of his favorite stories concerns a chat in the well with yours truly, and former Senator Hatch. Cory was filling me in on the efforts to legalize marijuana in states like his. Orrin comes by, and sensing an ally, I pulled him in: Orrin, is this true? What the heck is going on out West?'\r\nWithout missing a beat, our friend from Utah, a member of the LDS church, shook his head sadly and said: First, it was tea. Then, coffee. And now this!'\r\nCory's version of this story comes complete with his finest Hatch and McConnell impersonations. Believe me, he's got the voices down pat.\r\n***\r\nFor six years, Coloradans have been represented by this remarkable person, who lives and works with relentless focus and infectious joy. Globe-trotting diplomacy. A thick stack of signature bills signed into law. And generational accomplishments that were only possible because he was here.\r\nAs Cory likes to say himself: Not bad for a boy from Yuma, Colorado!'\r\nWe know what he means. But I have to observe that Cory's roots and his accomplishments are not in conflict. Quite the contrary. It is only because Cory Gardner is exactly who he is... that he is able to do what he does.\r\nCory, everyone knows darn well your transition is no quote-unquote retirement. This is a brief pause between great chapters.\r\nI bet Jaime will call it a victory if she, Alyson, Thatcher, and Caitlyn can just get you to sit still and stay home through the holidays!\r\nBut we all know it will take about five minutes before you've found a dozen new ways to keep doing big things, winning victories on behalf of others, and paying forward the ways in which you've been blessed.\r\nColorado and your country aren't finished with you yet, Senator. Not by a long shot.\r\nSo thank you for everything. We'll miss you badly around here. But we can't wait to see what course you chart next.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=7F063CCA-E3DF-4618-A4CC-236C21D8C848", "McConnell on National Defense Authorization Act", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding NDAA:\r\nYesterday, we began moving the conference report of the National Defense Authorization Act toward the floor.\r\nFor the information of all Senators, we should expect the potential for a late night tonight and the possibility of votes tomorrow.\r\nBack in July, the Senate passed our version of this crucial annual bill. Now our colleagues on the conference committee have done their tough job and reconciled two different approaches so we do not leave our military in the lurch.\r\nOn Tuesday, the House passed the conference report with overwhelming bipartisan support.\r\nNow it's the Senate's turn to make it an unbroken 60-year-streak of passing this legislation to keep our military strong and our homeland safe.\r\nThis NDAA will unlock more than $740 billion for the training, tools, and cutting-edge equipment that our servicemembers and civilian employees need to defend American lives and American interests.\r\nIt will give our troops the 3% pay raise they deserve.It'll keep our forces ready to deter China and stand strong in the Indo-Pacific.\r\nAnd it will secure President Trump's major progress at modernizing our capabilities, our technologies, and our strategic nuclear deterrent.\r\nThis legislation will secure wins on priorities that all of us share. It does not contain every policy that either side would like to pass. But a huge number of crucial policies are included and a lot of bad ideas were kept out.\r\nI encourage all our colleagues to vote to advance this must-pass bill.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=FBB8E7A5-31FF-437A-9B81-47BCD5FBBC5F", "Americans Cannot Afford To Wait for Targeted COVID-19 Relief", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 relief:\r\nWe learned a few minutes ago that new unemployment claims just hit their highest weekly total since mid-September.\r\nIt's the largest one-week jump since back in March. And the number of continuing claims  people struggling with joblessness on an ongoing basis which had plateaued for months but at least not increased, just ticked back up as well.\r\nOur economic recovery thus far has been faster than expected. Americans are tough and resilient.\r\nBut our people need another dose of support as we hope to close out our battle with this virus.\r\nWe should be doing everything we can to prevent layoff, create jobs where possible, and race toward the vaccines that will end this nightmare.\r\nWhile Democrats hold the Paycheck Protection Program hostage over controversial state government bailouts, family businesses are closing their doors.\r\nWhile Democrats resist the kinds of common-sense legal protections that we've put in place during past emergencies, our re-opening and recovery is threatened by  according to one estimate  more than 6,500 lawsuits and counting.\r\nHere's what one litigator told one reporter a couple days ago: These lawsuits are, quote, pretty common these days. I have seen 10 like this over the past 30 days.'\r\nThe American Council on Education told Congress in May that colleges and universities need temporary but strong legal protections. Our Democratic colleagues want to pretend they are bravely fighting big corporations, but they're really bullying small-business owners and college presidents, who've been pleading for these protections for months.\r\nOur Democratic colleagues have not even let us pass non-controversial money to invest in vaccine distribution. Not unless the two parties settle a whole list of issues that are controversial the way they want.\r\nI hope our colleagues let Congress deliver more help soon. A lot of Americans cannot afford to wait.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-condemns-effort-prevent-president-trump-stopping-endless-war/", "Dr. Rand Paul Condemns Effort to Prevent President Trump from Stopping Endless War", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nDecember 10, 2020\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) condemned a provision in the U.S. House-passed 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that is aimed at preventing President Trump from withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and that could instead extend the war indefinitely. Dr. Paul specifically called out the hypocrisy of those who would at any other time argue for virtually unlimited presidential power to start a war without congressional authorization now seeking to prevent a president from ending one.\n\nCurrently, language in the 2021 NDAA would tie the president\u2019s hands in red tape before troops could be withdrawn and the war ended. It would also cut off funding for those aims in the meantime.\n\n\u201cThe hawks and the neocons somehow want you to believe, in contrast to all logic, that the President of the United States has the unitary power to go to war anytime he wants, anywhere, free from interference from Congress. That\u2019s their stated position anytime war comes up. Yet, today, in the NDAA, they say they now want a president that cannot leave a war without their permission,\u201d said Dr. Paul.\n\n\u201cThis Defense Authorization bill could more aptly be called, \u2018A Bill to Prevent the President from Ending the Afghan War,'\u201d he later observed.\n\nYou can watch Dr. Paul\u2019s speech HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=39040CB7-C8C6-4B98-BD94-F218D4389E0A", "We Cant Do A Thing Unless Democrats Decide They Want to Make Law", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 relief:\r\nThe American people are hurting. We're in the thick of one of the worst national crises in modern memory. And people's eyes are fixed on Congress. They need the House and the Senate to stop chasing our tails and make law.\r\nThere are small-business employees who've held onto their job all this time because of the Paycheck Protection Program  but are facing the prospect they might be laid off now, with vaccines around the corner, because Washington fumbles the ball in the red zone.\r\nThere are medically-vulnerable Americans who've watched Operation Warp Speed appear to succeed at an historic pace  but Congress can't even agree to fully fund the distribution efforts that will get the vaccine to you.\r\nThere are Americans who've been thrown out of work through no fault of their own who are watching federal aid programs tick toward expiration in a few weeks  even though neither side in Congress opposes extending them!\r\nSenate Republicans have made one offer after another after another to try and make law on all the significant areas where nobody even disagrees. We have spent July, August, September, October, and November trying different ways to create common ground.\r\nBut the Speaker of the House and the Senate Democratic Leader have been just as consistent. At every turn, they have delayed, deflected, moved the goalposts, and made the huge number of places where Congress agrees into a hostage of the few places we do not.\r\nBack in the summertime I pointed out the obvious.\r\nI said leading Democrats simply didn't want any more help to reach American families before the election.\r\nThe other side claimed great offense. How insulting to even suggest that much cynicism might be at play.\r\nBut now they're admitting it. Out loud.\r\nYesterday, on CNN, the Democratic Whip was asked point-blank why the Speaker and the Democratic Leader were so unwilling to play ball in the autumn.\r\nThe number-two Senate Democrat responded, quote, there was some exuberance involved because an election was coming.'\r\nBecause an election was coming.\r\nA few days ago, Speaker Pelosi told reporters why she reversed months of statements and suddenly began discussing comparatively more reasonable sums of money. Her answer was simple: she thinks the presidential election went the way she wanted.\r\nThe Speaker of the House of Representatives views it as a success that she denied struggling people relief they badly needed, for months, because she thinks she got the political result she was after.\r\n***\r\nI count no fewer than 10 separate times that top Democrats rejected or blocked various Republican efforts to jump-start this process. Here is just a partial sampling.\r\nIn July, Republicans sketched a comprehensive plan for safe schools, jobs, and healthcare. We could have made law in July. But the Democratic Leader wouldn't even engage with it.\r\nJust before August, Republicans tried to at least extend unemployment aid before it expired. Democrats blocked that too.\r\nIn September, we tried something else  a targeted effort to send hundreds of billions of dollars for the PPP, vaccine development, and other priorities. Every Democrat voted to block us from even debating it. And they did it a second time in October.\r\nLast week, after speaking with the Administration, I made yet another overture. The Democratic Leader said no thanks.\r\nAnd just yesterday, the Speaker and the Democratic Leader brushed off two different overtures in the space of about two hours!\r\nI suggested that both sides drop what seem to be the most controversial demand in the eyes of our counterparts. Democrats continue to oppose common-sense legal protections that university presidents have been begging for; and Republicans see no need to send huge sums of money to state and local governments whose tax revenues have actually gone up.\r\nNegotiating 101 suggests we set those two controversial pieces aside and plow ahead with the huge pile of things that we agree on. But that would require both sides to truly want an outcome.\r\nJust hours after Democrats poured cold water on that, Secretary Mnuchin tried another new tack, and sent over an offer. In a bizarre and schizophrenic press release, the Speaker and the Leader said the Administration was obstruct[ing]' negotiations by negotiating.\r\nTwo more brush-offs in about two hours. More deflection, more delay, and more suffering for innocent Americans.\r\n***\r\nCan anyone point to a single sign, from April through now, that Democratic leaders have seriously wanted another bipartisan deal to become law?\r\nCan anybody name one way  just one  the Democratic leaders would have behaved differently if their singular goal was to kill any compromise?\r\nThat hypothetical world looks suspiciously like the world we've been living in.\r\nThink of it: We have a Speaker of the House from San Francisco who has spent months ensuring that unemployed Californians can't have jobless aid extended and California restaurants can't get another round of the PPP... unless the Governor of California gets a federal slush fund out of any proportion to proven need.\r\nDo working families agree they should not get any more help themselves unless their Governors and state legislatures get a controversial bail-out?\r\nAre struggling Americans saying thank goodness the Democrats are bravely blocking help for me and my family unless my state politicians get some cash'? I'd say not.\r\nOur people need more help. There's a huge list of helpful policies that both sides agree on. This need not be rocket science.\r\nBut we can't do a thing unless the Democrats decide they want to make law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=3E39CACB-B3F1-4039-971F-13E4CCAAAC23", "Kentucky Nursing Homes Receive Nearly $11 Million in Additional Coronavirus Relief", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today 139 Kentucky nursing homes received a total of $10,947,338 in additional federal funding to combat the coronavirus. The funding, distributed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), was made available by the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Senator McConnell introduced the CARES Act, which became the largest economic rescue package in history, and led it to enactment in about a week.\r\nWith promising signs of a vaccine on the horizon, now is not the time to lose focus on slowing the spread of this virus. I'm proud my CARES Act is continuing to invest in protecting Kentucky seniors and frontline workers, said Senator McConnell. Kentucky's healthcare heroes have received over $1.3 billion so far to fight the coronavirus. I'd like to applaud these medical professionals for their excellence in keeping our Commonwealth's seniors healthy. As Senate Majority Leader, I will continue working to deliver additional relief for families, workers, small businesses, doctors and nurses.\r\nIn October, HRSA awarded $5.3 million to Kentucky nursing homes through performance-based incentive payments to slow the virus' spread. Today's payments recognize the nursing homes that have successfully reduced COVID-19 related infections and fatalities.\r\nTo date, Kentucky nursing homes have received more than $180 million from the CARES Act.\r\nThis most recent monetary bonus for our quality outcomes and clinical success fighting COVID-19 helped bring much needed public recognition and stabilization to our industry in Kentucky at a very critical point in time! said Joe Steier, President and CEO of Signature HealthCARE. The $10 million funding assistance for quality COVID-19 care to all Kentucky centers helps save our elders and our staff at a time when our front line healthcare heroes are fighting the hardest amidst great uncertainty. This much needed reward lets everyone know we are beating this virus and this funding will help us keep our doors open providing much needed care for some of the most vulnerable in our Kentucky communities.We remain grateful to Leader McConnell for fighting for our elders and frontline healthcare heroes again and helping get this done!\r\nWe are grateful for Senator McConnell's leadership and HHS's continuous support and consideration for Kentucky's most vulnerable, said Betsy Johnson, President of the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities.Long-term care workers have been on the front lines in battling this dangerous virus and are exhausted. Congratulations to those providers who are receiving this essential funding for their residents and staff. We must keep our focus and attention on long-term care during the administration of this highly anticipated vaccine.\r\nSenator McConnell's CARES Act has had a more than $13 billion impact in Kentucky. Senator McConnell's legislation has delivered $4 billion in relief to address urgent housing, transportation, healthcare, education and economic development priorities. Kentucky small businesses, farmers, and nonprofits accessed more than $5.2 billion in assistance through 50,000 PPP loans. Kentucky families have also received $4 billion in Economic Impact Payments from the U.S. Treasury.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=B6A793FA-6285-4734-A669-8AB8E58816F7", "McConnell Pays Tribute to Superintendent Manny Caulk", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following tribute today on the Senate floor in memory of Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Emmanuel Manny Caulk, M.Ed., J.D.:\r\nLast week, students and families in Kentucky were met with tragic news. On Friday, Manny Caulk, the Superintendent of Fayette County Schools, passed away unexpectedly.\r\nManny was the first member of his family to graduate college. In 2015, he assumed responsibility for the second-largest school district in Kentucky.\r\nAn education had changed his life and he wanted to share that gift with others. By all accounts, he did just that.\r\nManny encouraged his students to aim high and helped them exceed expectations, starting with his first students in a county detention center. And in 2018, his colleagues chose him as Kentucky's Superintendent of the Year.\r\nI was glad to have Manny's partnership as we worked to protect Kentucky families from COVID-19. At every step, he kept focus on the well-being of Lexington students.\r\nOver the weekend, condolences poured in as we reflected on Manny's lasting contributions.\r\nI'd like to add the Senate's gratitude for this top-tier educator. Our prayers are with Manny's wife, Christol and their children at this difficult time.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=FA78ADF5-F8F8-4020-A1CD-0B3F8854C9C6", "McConnell Condemns Treatment of Jimmy Lai and Continued Crackdown on Hong Kongers", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding China:\r\nLast week, the struggle to preserve freedom and autonomy in Hong Kong was dealt another disturbing blow.\r\nOn Thursday, Jimmy Lai, a prominent media figure and pro-democracy activist, was denied bail. The Chinese Communist Party continues cracking down on dissent and free speech.\r\nNot long ago, the international community hoped China's modernization would create more respect for basic freedoms. Unfortunately, the CCP has just marshaled new tools for making its oppression even more stifling.\r\nAnd internationally, we've seen the CCP find more success exporting its warped vision into the global public square than the free world has had getting Beijing to respect the rules of the road.\r\nFor the last four years, thanks to this Administration's leadership and this Senate, we've begun exchanging the old naivete about China for a smarter and tougher approach.\r\nThrough new National Security and National Defense Strategies, the United States has committed to deterring a new wave of threats from near-peer competitors like China and Russia.\r\nReforms to our budgets and policies are underway. We've used NDAAs and appropriations to invest in a military that is prepared to meet and defeat these threats.\r\nMaintaining our edge will mean sustaining these reforms, along with strong diplomacy to counter China's influence.\r\nIn coordination with the executive branch, our Intelligence Committee has highlighted the need for everyone to strengthen their defenses against the CCP's espionage, intellectual property theft, and political influence campaigns.\r\nSenators Cornyn and Feinstein, in particular, have led bipartisan efforts to reform CFIUS and protect against predatory foreign investments aimed at threatening or stealing high-tech and critical infrastructure.\r\nAllied countries are following our lead. And public- and private-sector cooperation has improved, to defend the institutions, alliances, and international order the CCP wants to disrupt.\r\nThe Administration has worked with international partners to ensure the security of 5G, reassert freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, and blunt harmful elements of China's exploitative Belt and Road Initiative.\r\nOf course, more must be done, particularly on human rights. The treatment of Hong Kongers in the spotlight reminds the world of the ways we know Beijing is treating Uighurs and Tibetans in the shadows.\r\nAnd if China treats its own citizens with brutal violence, just think how it plans to treat its neighbors.\r\nSo I welcome the latest sanctions imposed by the Administration and the latest authorities granted by Congress. We are raising the stakes for China's repression.\r\nBut our work isn't over.\r\nOur partners will continue to look to us to lead with a tone of zero tolerance for this behavior.\r\nThe United States must continue to work alongside China's peaceful neighbors and our democratic allies like Japan and Australia.\r\nWe must give voice to those in Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet who have been repressed and jailed.\r\nWe must stand against the worst instincts and actions of the Communist Party.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-icymi-dr-rand-paul-urges-senate-block-us-arms-sales-united-arab-emirates/", "ICYMI: Dr. Rand Paul Urges Senate to Block U.S. Arms Sales to the United Arab Emirates", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nDecember 9, 2020\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator and Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Rand Paul (R-KY) urged the U.S. Senate to support two bipartisan joint resolutions of disapproval he offered with Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) to block proposed U.S. arms sales to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).\n\nThe sale includes 50 F-35A fighter jets (costing an estimated $10.4 billion), 18 MQ-9B drones (costing an estimated $2.97 billion), and Hellfire missiles, among other weapons and associated training and support. Currently, Israel is the only country in the Middle East that has the F-35.\n\nIn his speech, Dr. Paul cited his concerns with the UAE\u2019s record on attacking free speech in the country, discussed the humanitarian crisis the Saudi-UAE coalition helped create in Yemen, and talked about a report that some of the weapons and vehicles that were sent to the coalition ended up in the hands of terrorists.\n\nDr. Paul stated his support for the recent advance toward peace between Israel and the UAE in his speech, but he asked, \u201cCan a lasting peace be purchased with more weapons? Will selling sophisticated fighter jets and weaponized drones bring more stability to the Middle East?\u201d\n\nRegarding concerns about how the sales will impact Israel\u2019s Qualitative Military Edge (QME), Dr. Paul observed, \u201cThe easiest way, if you favor protecting Israel\u2019s QME, or military edge, is to stop sending military assets to other countries in the region.\u201d\n\n\u201cI would urge my colleagues to consider the possible consequences of this sale. We should not accelerate an arms race in the Middle East. We should not jeopardize the security of our military technologies, and we should not reward a decade-plus of undesirable behavior by the UAE,\u201d Dr. Paul said.\n\nYou can watch Dr. Paul\u2019s speech HERE.\n\nUnfortunately, a majority of the Senate chose to support the sales, further fueling a Middle East arms race.\n\nThe Arms Export Control Act of 1976 provides the special procedures whereby a senator can force a vote on an arms sale, and, over the past several years, Dr. Paul has led multiple efforts to stop the sale of U.S. weapons and equipment to Saudi Arabia and other nations that have been involved in the devastating war in Yemen.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=2B709023-6E4C-4B6F-BEE0-D641A7A35AD8", "McConnell Speaks Against Efforts to Block Sales to the UAE", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding UAE arms sales:\r\nThis week, some Senators indicate they may attempt to move a privileged resolution to disapprove of the Administration's proposed sale of advanced armaments to the United Arab Emirates, a critical partner in the fight against terrorists.\r\nIt's a little baffling to suggest that, now of all times, a protest gesture with no chance of obtaining a veto-proof majority is a valuable use of the Senate's time. But above and beyond that, the strategic realities dictate that Congress should not stand in the way of this sale.\r\nIn August, the UAE reached the first of the Abraham Accords, the landmark peace deal with Israel, brokered by the Trump Administration, which Bahrain soon went on to reprise. That step, the first normalization of relations between an Arab nation and the state of Israel in nearly 30 years, cemented an important new chapter in the UAE's international relations and its close relationship with the United States.\r\nOf course it is a key American objective to preserve and protect Israel's quantitative military edge. Fortunately, Israel's Ambassador, Defense Minister, and Prime Minister have all made clear they are comfortable with this deal.\r\nSenators considering this sale need to consider a reality we cannot escape. A significant competition for influence in the Middle East is underway, and China and Russia will be more than happy to meet the demand for advanced capabilities if the U.S. simply takes our ball and goes home.\r\nIf our colleagues make the Senate vote on this measure, I urge all my colleagues to vote against it.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=96B7695D-5489-4E1A-9E53-FAD54F117EB6", "Senator McConnell Names New Personal Office Chief of Staff; Thanks Phil Maxson for Decade of Service", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today he has named Terry Carmack as the next Chief of Staff in his personal office in Washington, D.C. Carmack currently serves as Senator McConnell's State Director. McConnell's outgoing Chief of Staff, Phil Maxson, is leaving after nearly 10 years with the office to return to Kentucky to raise his family.\r\nPhil has led by example and with good humor as my Chief of Staff, creating one of the best teams on Capitol Hill, Senator McConnell said. His wise counsel and masterful knowledge of legislative procedure, the committee process, and Kentucky projects have produced a lengthy record of accomplishments of which he should be proud. Phil has my sincere thanks for his decade of service in my office. I wish him, Sarah Beth, and their family the very best for their future.\r\nMaxson, of Lexington, has served as Senator McConnell's Chief of Staff since 2017. He previously served as Legislative Director and oversaw the appropriations portfolio for the office as the Director of Projects. He was also responsible for defense and military legislative affairs.\r\nTerry Carmack has been a friend and trusted advisor for more than 30 years. I'm grateful he will continue to serve Kentucky as my new Chief of Staff, said Senator McConnell. He's the perfect mixture of talent and hard work. For the last decade as my State Director, Terry has traveled to every corner of Kentucky to listen to families' stories and concerns. Now, he's the best choice to help me advance our Commonwealth's priorities in the Senate. Terry is ready to lead my DC and state staffs, in coordination with my leadership office, to deliver for Kentucky and Middle America.\r\nCarmack, who grew up in Marshall County, has served as Senator McConnell's State Director since June 2010. He previously worked as the Political Director at the National Republican Congressional Committee and served as Chief of Staff for two Kentucky Members of Congress, Anne Northup and Ed Whitfield. Carmack also has experience in positions at the White House and the Small Business Administration. His first job on Capitol Hill was working in Senator McConnell's mailroom beginning in 1985. Carmack attended Murray State University and is a graduate of George Mason University.\r\nThe transition will officially take place in January. Sharon Soderstrom is the Chief of Staff in McConnell's Leadership office.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=700F6E79-EBD6-47F5-BFC2-A9E99185A312", "Even Prominent Democrats Most Urgent COVID Priorities Are Already Addressed in Republican Proposal", "2020-12-07", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 relief:\r\nWe've reached the time of year when the Senate has more important outstanding business than we have days to complete it.\r\nDelivering for the American people will take focus, dexterity and real bipartisanship.\r\nOn government funding, as I've said for weeks, it's my hope that our committees' work will bear fruit and a full-year funding package will come to the floor in both chambers.\r\nI anticipate that the Senate will take up a one-week extension this week so the government does not close on December 11th and work can continue through the end of next week.\r\nThe nation needs our Democratic colleagues to resist the temptation to play brinkmanship with long-settled policy issues or push poison-pill riders that they know would tank the process.\r\nWe also expect to receive and pass a conference report of the annual defense authorization. And we need to continue confirming impressive nominees to vacancies in the judiciary and the executive branch.\r\nWe Senators are no strangers to end-of-year drama. But this time, the stakes are far higher.\r\nWe're up against another, even steeper surge in COVID-19 cases than we saw in the spring.\r\nWorkers and small businesses are once again struggling to make ends meet as states and localities step up precautions.\r\nAnd while the latest news on vaccine trials suggests that that victory over this virus may soon be within reach, our work in that area is far from complete. As one recent article put it, State [and] local officials plead for vaccine distribution funds'.\r\nOur nation's historic sprint to victory through vaccines seems poised to succeed in record time. But the critical last step -- getting hundreds of millions of doses out to the American people -- is still in front of us.\r\nCongress cannot stay on the sidelines.\r\n***\r\nNow yesterday, our colleague from Illinois, the Democratic Whip, gave an interview in which he named three examples of highly urgent matters that need to be addressed for our nation right now.\r\nHere are three things Senator Durbin mentioned as flashing-red urgent priorities:\r\nThe millions of people who are going to lose their unemployment insurance the day after Christmas'\r\nThe businesses that are trying to decide whether or not they can continue'\r\nAnd the vaccine logistics to make sure that this vaccine is on the road and vaccinating people across America as quickly as possible.'\r\nThose are the three urgent issues he named as examples: Extending unemployment insurance; helping small businesses; and funding vaccine distribution.\r\nI do not question the sincerity of our colleague, who I believe is engaged in these discussions in good faith.\r\nBut these comments illustrate perfectly a point that Republicans have been making for weeks.\r\nThose three urgent issues are issues where there is almost total bipartisan consensus. No real disagreement whatsoever.\r\nIn fact, the framework for a smart, targeted relief package that I put forward last week  something which Democrats quickly attacked  would have resolved all three of those subjects.\r\nThe targeted Republican framework extends unemployment insurance programs that will otherwise expire. It creates an entire second round of the Paycheck Protection Program for the hardest-hit small businesses. And it lays groundwork to distribute the vaccines that appear to be on the horizon.\r\nCheck, check, and check.\r\nThe Democratic Whip is right to recognize these three subjects as especially urgent. They are!\r\nThat's why Republicans have been trying over and over to get them passed.\r\nThat's why Republicans have been saying for months that Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Leader should let Congress get outcomes in all the places where we already agree, rather than holding everything hostage over their most controversial partisan demands.\r\nBut month after month after month, it is the Democratic leaders who have said that no relief whatsoever can pass, no consensus items can become law, unless multiple controversial areas where we don't agree are resolved to the Democrats' liking.\r\nThat's why the Democratic Leader had every single Senate Democrat vote to filibuster a targeted COVID-19 rescue package in September and in October. That bill would have taken care of small businesses, unemployment insurance, and vaccine distribution months ago. But Senate Democrats blocked it.\r\nWell, I think if the Senate Democratic Leader would allow it, the three things the Democratic Whip mentioned  small business aid, re-upping unemployment aid, and setting up vaccine distribution  could pass the Senate by a landslide.\r\nA targeted compromise on the most urgent items could pass by a massive bipartisan margin. We could easily put together a whole slew of commonsense policies  including those three and other things like legal protections that universities and the American Council on Education have been pleading for  bring it to the floor, and pass it.\r\nEverybody knows why that hasn't happened. There's one reason. The Speaker of the House and the Democratic Leader have spent months tying the most bipartisan, common-sense policies to their most controversial requests, and saying the country can't get the former unless they get the latter.\r\nTheir strategy has been all or nothing. And so struggling Americans have gotten nothing.\r\nWell, we are down to the wire.\r\nThe light at the end of the tunnel is in sight. Operation Warp Speed seems poised to deliver vaccines on an historic, almost miraculous timetable.\r\nWe have seen some hopeful signs of engagement from our Democratic colleagues. But we have no reason to think the underlying disagreements about policy are going to evaporate overnight.\r\nRepublicans and Democrats do not need to resolve every one of our differences to get badly-needed relief out the door.\r\nWe just need both sides to finally do what members of Congress do when they're serious about wanting an outcome: Drop the all-or-nothing tactics, drop the hostage-taking, and make law in the many places where we have common ground.\r\nThat's what this country is counting on. That's how we can do right by the American people by Christmas.\r\nSo let's get it done.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=AC9A0DEA-80A5-4A9F-88A7-1B9AE0DB1C88", "McConnell, Paul, and 36 Senate Republicans File Brief Urging Supreme Court to Reaffirm Religious Liberty Still Exists in a Pandemic", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOUISVILLE, KY- U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Rand Paul (R-KY), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), David Perdue (R-GA), John Thune (R-SD) ,John Barasso (R-WY), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Todd Young (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AZ), Mike Braun (R-IN), Richard Burr (R-NC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Ron Johnson (R-WI), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Jerry Moran (R-KS), James Risch (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Roger Wicker (R-MS), issued the following statement Friday regarding the amicus brief they are submitting to the Supreme Court concerning Danville Christian Academy v. Beshear:\r\nU.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), and 36 of their fellow Republican Senators announced Friday they are submitting an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron's religious liberty lawsuit, Danville Christian Academy v. Beshear.\r\nIn the brief, Senators McConnell, Paul, Loeffler (R-GA), Perdue (R-GA), and their colleagues explain that the Constitution cannot permit the selective and overzealous targeting of religious institutions by local officials who seek to impose stricter restrictions in the name of public health than the restrictions enforced against similar but non-religious establishments. In this case, Governor Beshear in Kentucky has unconstitutionally ordered K-12 schools including religious schools to shut their doors while permitting preschools, colleges, business offices, entertainment venues, and many other secular institutions to remain open.\r\nEveryone understands this has been a challenging time for local leaders, but pandemics don't erase our First Amendment rights, said McConnell. Courts have repeatedly had to defend Americans of faith from overzealous officials who have tried to treat religious institutions in a uniquely disfavored way relative to other parts of society. Enough is enough. I am proud that Kentucky's own Attorney General Daniel Cameron is leading the way to defend the religious liberty of Kentuckians and all Americans.\r\nI'm proud to co-lead this brief on behalf of all Kentuckians, whose fundamental right to religious liberty is guaranteed by the First and Fourteenth Amendments, and stand up to our power-hungry Governor who continues to overstep his authority with yet another unconstitutional shutdown of the free exercise of religion,\" said Paul.\r\nAcross the country, Democrat governors are using the pandemic as an excuse to trample Americans' Constitutional rights, most especially their religious freedom, said Loeffler. Governor Beshear's order is a complete disgrace to both common sense and the Constitution, and I am proud to join Majority Leader McConnell and Senator Paul in standing up for religious freedom.\r\nDemocrats across the country have shown that they are willing to shut down houses of worship and religious schools, said Perdue. These decisions trample on the Constitutional rights of their citizens and are a disturbing overreach by the government. Religious schools are at the forefront of innovation in finding ways to keep their doors open and mitigate the effects of the coronavirus. Rather than using the heavy hand of government to trample on the constitutional rights of parents and these schools, we should be looking to their example as we work to get all kids safely back in the classroom, reopen the economy, and lead our country through this crisis.\r\nWhen imposing coronavirus restrictions, lawmakers and other government officials need to exercise the greatest respect for our first freedom  the free exercise of religion  and ensure that churches and other religious institutions are not subjected to disproportionately severe measures, said Thune. I'm hopeful that the Supreme Court will continue to safeguard religious freedom.\r\nReligious liberty is a first freedom. Parents have a right to send their kids to religious schools, said Barrasso. For families, for parents, for kids, this case is crucial.\r\nIt is completely unconstitutional to ban in-person religious activities when many other in-person secular activities face no similar restrictions, said Blunt. There are precautions we need to take to protect public health and safety. Those precautions do not require Americans to arbitrarily give up their constitutionally protected rights.\r\nIf people are permitted to congregate in casinos and shopping centers, folks can safely and responsibly go to church and kids to school, said Ernst. These orders are fundamentally unfair and in violation of basic constitutional rights, and that's why we're urging the Supreme Court to step in and uphold the freedoms of these institutions and individuals.\r\nIrresponsible governors and mayors have exploited the pandemic to target religious schools and even church services for burdensome lockdowns. These politicians claim they're acting impartially in the interest of public health, said Cotton. But there's nothing impartial about shutting down religious institutions while allowing gambling parlors and entertainment venues to operate unimpeded. The Supreme Court should defend the free exercise of religion by striking down Kentucky's unconstitutional and arbitrary lockdown.\r\nAmericans from all walks of life have made enormous and unprecedented sacrifices to curb the spread of this virus. But elected Democrats have continually exploited this crisis to abuse their power and impose authoritarian restrictions on Americans, said Cruz. According to Governor Beshear, during this pandemic Kentuckians can gamble, go to college, or shop in stores, all while sending their children to preschool, but not to religious K-12 schools. Governor Beshear's orders not only subvert the Bill of Rights and our constitutional liberties, they will be profoundly destructive to students and families across the state who choose to send attend religious institutions. I'm proud to join my colleagues in asking the Sixth Circuit to consider the full scope of these orders and their violation of Kentuckians' religious liberty.\r\nReligious freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution, and this amicus brief is in support of this foundational freedom, said Hoeven.\r\nWe all want COVID-19 defeated, but governors, mayors, and other leaders must not use this fight to violate constitutionally-protected rights like religious liberty, said Hyde-Smith. This amicus brief serves as a reminder that religious-based schools and other activities cannot be illegally restricted while other nonreligious activities are open for business.\r\nThere is nothing neutral' about an order that allows numerous secular entities, including preschools and universities, to continue operations while shutting down K-12 schools, including religious ones, said Inhofe. While liberal governors and mayors may abuse COVID restrictions in an effort to squash religious expression, I will continue to fight to ensure our First Amendment rights are protected.\r\nAmid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our states and nation must continue to balance health, safety, and the protection of our constitutional rights, said Lankford. I am grateful Americans like those at Danville Christian Academy continue to press that our freedoms to live our faith and attend religious services and other faith-based activities should not be treated differently than secular activities and subjected to different restrictions. I urge the Court to preserve the First Amendment free exercise of faith for Kentuckians and all Americans.\r\nInfringing on the First Amendment's right to religious practice and education cannot be arbitrary, even in the midst of a pandemic, said Moran. In light of the facts, the Supreme Court should uphold this constitutional freedom.\r\nKentucky's Governor wants to keep gambling parlors open and Christian schools shut. This is textbook nonsense that gets handed down by ignoramuses who can only get jobs in government. Bureaucrats don't get to add except during a pandemic' to the First Amendment, and they cannot disregard religious liberty and due process during a public health crisis, said Sasse. The Supreme Court should rule again in favor of the First Amendment and slap down this nonsense from governors like Cuomo and Beshear.\r\nI've said all along that students need to go to school. You can't close down schools while allowing other establishments to open. It's wrong, said Rick Scott. Parents need to have the option to decide what makes the most sense for their families.\r\nAttempts by Democratic Governors, such as Governor Beshear, to treat Americans' freedom of religion as a second class right must be stopped. Governor Beshear's order is clearly not neutral and discriminates against faith-based schools which are prohibited from holding in-person classes, said Tillis. Faith based schools are a fundamental part of religious expression and Governor Beshear's order must be enjoined.\r\nThe free exercise of religion is an inalienable right of all Americans, said Wicker. I am glad to join Leader McConnell and Sen. Paul in this effort to ensure religious freedom does not become a casualty of the pandemic.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=18A6653F-A80E-4E8A-9BAD-5CCD72961B4A", "Senator McConnell Comments on Former Kentucky State House Republican Caucus Chair Bob DeWeese", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the passing of former Rep. Bob DeWeese of Louisville:\r\nFor more than two decades, Bob DeWeese's leadership in Frankfort helped chart the course for a stronger Kentucky. His team laid the foundation for the Commonwealth's first Republican House Majority in nearly a century. Today, that Majority stands as a testament to Bob's vision and determination to fight for our families and values.\r\nBob poured himself into his work, both as a legislator and a surgeon. But Angie and their children always remained at the center of his life. Elaine and I are grateful they shared him with us for so many years.\r\nWith Bob's former colleagues and his many friends, our sincere condolences are with Angie and the entire family.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=F2B76DA0-EED7-4597-8C84-67E3E9C6F0AF", "Congress Should Deliver Consensus COVID-19 Relief Right Away", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 relief:\r\nAnyone who's heard me speak about coronavirus relief going back months has heard one central principle: Let's deliver right away on all the subjects where everybody agrees, and argue over the rest later.\r\nThat solution to this impasse has been in plain sight for anyone willing to see it. Agree where we agree, bank that progress, make law, take a whole lot of pressure off struggling people, and then keep debating the areas where we don't agree.\r\nThere is no actual reason why the fates of common-sense policies like a second round of the job-saving Paycheck Protection Program had to be linked to the fates of fringe proposals like stimulus checks for illegal immigrants.\r\nThere's no reason why the fate of funding for vaccine distribution, or extending unemployment aid, or legal certainty for universities, should have been tied to radical ideas like paying people more not to work than essential workers earn on the job.\r\nThose linkages have been totally arbitrary. Just a political decision that Democratic leaders made many months back.\r\nDemocratic leaders have tried to create a narrative where it's taken for granted that the most bipartisan, commonsensical relief policies would live or die with their side's most outlandish ideas. But that isn't so.\r\nThey have tried to create a dynamic where they move from one made-up number to a second, slightly smaller arbitrary number and call it a meaningful concession.\r\nThe truth is simple. This has always been about policy differences. We have two sides with different visions for the best way to support our nation through what we hope will be the last chapter of the pandemic.\r\nThat's not new. We have disagreements all the time. Our system can handle it. But both sides have to be willing to compile their commonalities and make law there.\r\nAnd up to now, our Democratic colleagues have declined to do that.\r\nRemember, their side said in March this pandemic was, quote, a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision.'\r\nSo when Republicans tried to pass common-ground relief measures in July and in September and in October our Democratic colleagues actually blocked policies they do not even claim to oppose.\r\n***\r\nNow, it's been heartening to see a few hopeful signs in the past few days.\r\nAfter months of arbitrary attachment to sky-high dollar amounts that the Speaker of the House claimed were essential -- that it would be an insult to settle for a nickel less -- those baseless claims have suddenly evaporated.\r\nThat is at least movement in the right direction.\r\nBut the underlying reality is still with us:\r\nThere are many important policies that have strong bipartisan support; there are many others that do not; and the way to help the country is for our Democratic colleagues to finally let the former group be signed into law while we keep arguing over the latter.\r\nThe targeted second round of the Paycheck Protection Program that we've been trying to establish since July would help a huge number of small businesses survive to the finish line and help huge numbers of workers keep their jobs. And it could pass the Senate today, probably with 95 votes.\r\nWith the apparent success of Operation Warp Speed, it makes no sense to skimp on the systems to distribute and deliver vaccines around the country. Those funds could pass the Senate today, possibly unanimously.\r\nUniversity presidents have made it clear they need legal certainty for their re-openings.\r\nThat shouldn't be partisan. Liability protections should be able to pass the Senate today.\r\nA number of our Democratic colleagues have focused especially on several of the unemployment relief programs that are set to expire in a matter of days. I specifically made sure to include those programs in my framework a few days ago.\r\nThat extension could pass the Senate today.\r\nThe House of Representatives is spending this week on pressing issues like marijuana. You know, serious and important legislation befitting this national crisis.\r\nBut here in the Senate, I put forward a serious and highly targeted relief proposal including the elements which we know the President is ready and willing to sign into law.\r\nWhy should these impactful and non-controversial life preservers be delayed one second longer?\r\nAt long last, let's do what Congress does when we want an outcome. Let's make law on all the subjects where we agree, on all the areas where President Trump is ready to sign bipartisan relief into law.\r\nI promise, our deep differences will still be here to debate. Our disagreements will be right where we left them.\r\nBut you know what can't wait?\r\nAmerican workers. American small businesses. K-12 schools. The vulnerable Americans and frontline healthcare workers for whom speedy vaccine distribution will literally be a life or death matter.\r\nYesterday, my home state of Kentucky experienced yet another dreadful record-setting day.\r\nBut Kentuckians also know hope is in sight. Our state's workers are standing by at the UPS Worldport in Louisville and the DHL Express Americas Hub in northern Kentucky, key logistics centers that will play crucial roles in sending vaccines across the country.\r\nOur people are hurting, but they are ready to finish this fight. Congress should not keep them waiting for reinforcements that should have arrived months ago.\r\nCompromise is within reach. We know where we agree.\r\nWe can do this. We need to do this.\r\nLet's make law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-icymi-dr-rand-paul-holds-hearing-state-and-local-cybersecurity-during-pandemic/", "ICYMI: Dr. Rand Paul Holds Hearing on State and Local Cybersecurity During the Pandemic", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Yesterday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), chairman of the Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management (FSO) Subcommittee for the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), held a hearing on \u201cState and Local Cybersecurity: Defending Our Communities from Cyber Threats Amid COVID-19.\u201d\n\n\u201cEffective cybersecurity is an ongoing, everyday line of effort. The threat landscape is diverse. The best practices are constantly changing. The information you get may not always be reliable. The maintenance tasks can seem overwhelming, and, most importantly, the stakes are high. And in this context, I have often found myself thinking: effective cybersecurity cannot move at quote \u2018the speed of government,'\u201d Dr. Paul said in his opening statement.\n\nAs Americans continue to conduct more of their activities online due to the pandemic, including going virtual for school and sensitive needs such as consultations with physicians, the subcommittee hearing examined cybersecurity threats faced by state and local governments, with a focus on concerns about ransomware attacks/cyber extortion in critical sectors such as health care and public education.\n\nOver the past several months, a number of school districts around the country have been victims of ransomware attacks, including Fairfax County Public Schools in Northern Virginia \u2014 one of the largest public school districts in the country. Unfortunately, Fairfax County Public Schools declined to appear at the hearing or to give a reason for turning down the opportunity.\n\nEarlier this year, the first day of school for Hartford Public Schools in Connecticut had to be postponed due to a ransomware attack, and, just this week, Baltimore County Public Schools were forced to close for multiple days for the same reason.\n\nOn September 17, the Associated Press reported that a D\u00fcsseldorf, Germany, woman died en route to a hospital in a neighboring city because the hospital in D\u00fcsseldorf had been taken off-line by a ransomware attack.\n\nWhile this hearing was originally scheduled for September 22, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) forced its postponement by blocking the Senate from conducting committee business in protest of President Donald Trump\u2019s then-upcoming selection of future Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.\n\nIn an example of how Washington should function, Dr. Paul worked in close cooperation with subcommittee Ranking Member Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) to craft the hearing.\n\nYou can find Dr. Paul\u2019s opening statement HERE, and you can watch the entire hearing HERE.\n\nWITNESSES:\n\nPanel I\n\nBrandon Wales\n\nActing Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency\n\nU.S. Department of Homeland Security\n\nPanel II\n\nDenis Goulet\n\nCommissioner\n\nNew Hampshire Department of Information Technology\n\nLeslie Torres-Rodriguez, Ed.D.\n\nSuperintendent of Schools\n\nHartford Public Schools\n\nJohn Riggi\n\nSenior Advisor for Cybersecurity and Risk\n\nAmerican Hospital Association\n\nBill Siegel\n\nChief Executive Officer and Co-Founder\n\nCoveware, Inc.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=2CA21114-BE97-4C4B-9669-3B0D92F88DF7", "Leader McConnell Pays Tribute to Friend and Colleague Chairman Lamar Alexander", "2020-12-02", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN):\r\nThe Senate revolves around people.\r\nThe body consists of 100 individuals. One of our key duties concerns the personnel whom we examine and confirm. And there are all the dedicated staff professionals who make this place go.\r\nToday, it is both my great honor and my regrettable task to honor someone who secured all three parts of that senatorial Triple Crown.\r\nThe senior Senator for Tennessee  the Chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions  Lamar Alexander.\r\nLamar first set foot here as a talented young staffer. Decades later, he appeared before us as a super-successful former Governor and university president with a nomination to the Cabinet.\r\nAnd for the past 18 years, the other 99 of us have gotten to serve alongside one of the most impactful Senators in modern history.\r\nI've known Lamar for more than 50 years. We first met in 1969, when I was working for the freshman Senator Marlow Cook and he worked in the executive branch.\r\nWe met at the suggestion of his previous boss and mentor, Senator Howard Baker, Jr. Either he suspected our paths might cross again later, or he just saw two serious young guys in need of some livelier social lives.\r\nNow this may shock you, but I'm afraid young Lamar Alexander and young Mitch McConnell did not exactly go crazy and paint the town red.\r\nBut I'll take a five-decade friendship any day.\r\nBoth of us headed back home to continue our careers. It was already clear that a bright future in elected office likely lay in store for him.\r\nLamar's reverence for public service started early. I believe he was about 10 years old when his father, himself a long-time local official, took him to meet his hometown congressman, Howard Baker, Sr. The father of his future boss shook the boy's hand and handed him a dime. I think Lamar was hooked, then and there.\r\n***\r\nDecades later, when Lamar announced his 1996 presidential run, he was in his hometown of Maryville. His speech began with a story about his mother. She'd read where he'd lovingly described his upbringing aslower-middle-class, and she'd taken umbrage at that.\r\nAfter all, Lamar had had a library card, and music lessons. In her words  everything you needed that was important.' And I'd certainly add loving parents to that list.\r\nThis son of two educators grew up steeped in the importance of schooling. He'd later reference his mother's work in early childhood education by saying he is probably the only Secretary of Education in history who spent five years in kindergarten.\r\nThat passion would remain throughout Lamar's career. His cutting-edge focus on improving opportunities and reforming education benefitted Tennessee hugely in the 1980s, and our whole nation during his time in President Bush's Cabinet.\r\nBut that isn't the only way Lamar has honored his roots.\r\nYou couldn't walk across the entire state of Tennessee in a plaid shirt, get elected Governor before the age of 40, and serve more combined years as Governor and Senator than anyone else in the history of the Volunteer State without becoming entirely intertwined with the place.\r\nEvery corner of the state is better for his service. His groundbreaking work to bring home good-paying auto jobs has paid dividends. So has his major focus on infrastructure and better roads.\r\nBut alas, even building a statewide and then national reputation does not always translate into honest-to-goodness celebrity status.\r\nI understand that following Lamar's governorship, a stretch of highway in Maryville was fittingly named the Lamar Alexander Parkway to honor him.\r\nI further understand that some time later, Lamar was driving on that very road and stopped for breakfast. When it was time to pay for his food, he handed over his credit card.\r\nThe woman on the other side of the counter glanced at the name on the card... then back at Lamar.\r\nHey!she said. Were you named after this road?!'\r\nNow, as a man of faith, I'm certain Lamar knowsLuke, chapter 4: No prophet is accepted in his hometown. Apparently neither are statesmen to be recognized on their own highway!\r\n***\r\nHere in the Senate, too, Lamar's impact has been massive. And the convictions that fueled it have been straightforward.\r\nHe starts with a firm framework: The right-of-center principles that Ronald Reagan used to rebuild a confident, prosperous America and beat communism. The federal government isn't meant to take over our states, neighborhoods, or lives.\r\nBut Lamar's career has also confirmed that conservative governance is not a contradiction in terms.\r\nThere are genuine public goods it is government's job to secure: Public roads, public lands, public education, certain aspects of public health.\r\nHe's dedicated himself to making those things better and stronger, especially for those who need opportunity most.\r\nThis vision aligns with the greatest traditions of the Republican Party and indeed of American history. Government that is limited, but effective and smart. A system where power stays close to the people and working families can thrive and prosper.\r\nThese principles made our colleague a nationally-known leader long before he was sworn in as a Senator. But I'd say they've reached full flourishing with Chairman Alexander's astonishingly effective leadership here in this body.\r\nStudents, families, and teachers benefit every day from the Every Student Succeeds Act, Chairman Alexander's historic bipartisan makeover following No Child Left Behind. One report called it the largest devolution of federal control to the states in a quarter-century.'\r\nMillions of medically vulnerable Americans also have their champion in our friend from Tennessee. The overwhelmingly bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act was the single most important law of the entire 114th Congress.\r\nIt's paving the way for more innovation and faster innovation to benefit patients who have no time to waste. Another Lamar Alexander production.\r\nHis leadership was instrumental in the landmark legislation we passed two years ago to combat the opioid epidemic.\r\nJust this year, he was a driving force behind the Great American Outdoors Act, the Senate's historic project to secure our parks and public lands for generations to come.\r\nThe list doesn't end there. There have been other education wins, like permanent funding for historically Black colleges and universities and simplifying the student loan process.\r\nThere have been laws like the Music Modernization Act, which Lamar hammered out with our former colleague Senator Hatch. A legislative duet from two musical virtuosos in their own rights.\r\nSenator Alexander knows about 50 different issues as well as most Senators know three or four. He is hands-down one of the most brilliant, most thoughtful, and most effective legislators any of us have ever seen.\r\nHe likes to say this about the Senate:it's hard to get here; it's hard to stay here; so while you're here, you might as well try to accomplish something.'\r\nWell  mission accomplished and then some.\r\n***\r\nIf you reviewed Senator Alexander's resume and results without knowing the man, you might suspect he arrived as an established hot shot and threw his weight around.\r\nBut even as Lamar has mastered the levers of power here, his character has never been captured by Washington. Lamar's remained clear that he's just been on loan from Tennessee this whole time.\r\nSo we've had more than just a master legislator to call upon.\r\nWe've been blessed with a sober, honest, deliberate statesman. Someone who cares as much about preserving this institution as the near-term results he can wring out of it.\r\nFrom daily conversations to committee business to the most dramatic moments on the floor, whether in the minority or in the majority, Lamar has taken pains to treat his colleagues exactly as he'd hope to be treated in their shoes. He has worked to build consensus in a consensus-based body.\r\nHe has cherished and defended the Senate the framers designed.\r\nAnd it's no exaggeration to say Lamar Alexander is one of the most brilliant people I've met in my life. His mind is a steel trap.\r\nI understand he likes to keep his staff experts locked around a conference table for long sessions, turning a complex issue over and over, until they've arrived at the best path forward for the country and the most precise, concise way to communicate it.\r\nMastery of policy. Mastery of the English language. And I can't forget to mention my friend's good cheer.\r\nLamar really does live by the motto he inherited from his good friend and fellow Tennessean, the late author Alex Haley: Find the good and praise it.'\r\nI've leaned on Lamar's wisdom for many years. But I think I've leaned just as much on his optimism. His can-do spirit. His ability to look on the bright side and then discern how some more hard work could make it brighter still.\r\nI will badly miss our regular dinners  even with our weeknight scheduling and official one-drink limit.Like I said, we weren't exactly party animals in our twenties, either.\r\nBut here's something else that never changes:\r\nHow reassuring it is to be weighing a thorny question and see Lamar Alexander sitting across the table.\r\n***\r\nThe Senate can be all-consuming. It's not only our colleagues, but their spouses and loved ones, that all get folded into the extended family around here.\r\nSo I am extremely grateful that it turned out Mitch McConnell was not the most important young person that Lamar Alexander met during his first stint in Washington. Not by a mile.\r\nHoney Alexander is a remarkable woman. She is a force of nature and an incredible partner for Lamar. She raised a young family in the Governor's mansion for eight years.\r\nShe charmed and impressed more voters during Lamar's various campaigns than Lamar himself. And she's devoted her own career to public health and philanthropy.\r\nTheir shared love and mutual respect inspire everyone. Honey is just about the finest in-law the U.S. Senate could have ever had. Elaine and I are grateful to call her our friend.\r\nSo, as much as I am dreading life in the Senate without my brilliant friend, even I cannot begrudge him the silver lining.\r\nThis most distinguished public servant has more than earned the right to spend more days fly-fishing or walking trails in the Smokies more mornings waking up on Blackberry Farm and a much larger share of his time with Honey and their family.\r\nAbout six years ago, it fell to Lamar to eulogize his friend and mentor Howard Baker. Here on the floor, he quoted another Senator who'd said that when it came to the Senate,there was Howard Baker, and there was the rest of us.\r\nWell, my friend  for 18 years, there has been Lamar Alexander, and there's been the rest of us.\r\nI am sorry that, in a few more weeks, it'll just bethe rest of usleft.But you are leaving this body... and those of us in it... and the nation it exists to serve... stronger and better because you were here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=5163BA71-647F-4080-AA05-BD88B0B6DAC3", "We Need to get More Bipartisan, Targeted Coronavirus Relief out to the American People", "2020-12-02", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 relief:\r\nWhen I opened the Senate on Monday, I repeated something Republicans have stated for months now: We need to put partisanship aside and get more bipartisan, targeted coronavirus relief out to the American people.\r\nDating back to the summer, and all fall, Senate Republicans tried repeatedly to advance hundreds of billions of dollars to prevent layoffs, protect small businesses, fund vaccine distribution, and continue assisting workers who've already lost their jobs due to this crisis.\r\nEvery time, the Speaker of the House and the Democratic Leader blocked our efforts. It had to be the entirety of their left-wing wish list or nothing at all.\r\nBut finally, this week, we are seeing cracks starting to form in the Democratic leaders' stone wall. And thank goodness for the country that is happening.\r\nIn the last several days, the Democrats' leaders have signaled a new willingness to engage in good faith. And yesterday, a number of Senate Democrats proposed a different compromise.\r\nBut at the risk of repeating something we all know, making law will require not just the Senate's approval, but also the signature of the President of the United States.\r\nSo, after several conversations with the Secretary of the Treasury and the White House Chief of Staff, I put forward yesterday another proposal reflecting what the President is ready to sign into law.\r\nWhat we've proposed would give universities and nonprofits the legal certainty they need. It would create a second draw of the job-saving Paycheck Protection Program to prevent more layoffs.\r\nAnd it would extend two important emergency unemployment benefit programs that were created by the CARES Act and which will expire in December without action. These programs have been championed by our Democratic colleagues, particularly the senior Senator for Virginia, and we made sure they were included in this framework.\r\nI hope our Democratic colleagues will finally let Congress pass a bipartisan bill that the President will sign into law  and do so soon.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=71C68CB0-F2D5-4035-8981-34DE5154F92B", "McConnell Tribute to Trailblazing Senator Martha McSally", "2020-12-01", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ):\r\nAs the 116th Congress draws to a close, I once again face a task that's among my favorite and least favorite jobs at the same time: Bidding farewell to some of the people we proudly call colleagues and friends.\r\nBut I'll take any excuse to brag about the impressive men and women we get to work alongside every day.\r\nToday, I'll begin with the junior Senator for Arizona, Martha McSally.\r\nFor the last two years, Senator McSally has held the seat formerly occupied by our dear friend John McCain. It's only fitting that our Maverick was followed by a fellow veteran and pilot who's approached her service to the people of Arizona with such unabashed pride.\r\nBy her own account, if you had asked a school-aged Martha McSally -- who was apparently both shy and prone to motion sickness -- whether a career in cockpits and then in politics sounded appealing, she'd have looked at you like you were crazy.\r\nBut even then, the future full-bird colonel and Senator was already on her way to a life defined by service.\r\nWhen Martha lost her father, a Navy veteran, at a young age, his final words to her were, quote, make me proud'. With this challenge in mind, the youngest of five children took her academic and athletic talents to the U.S. Air Force Academy.\r\nThe plan was to earn a trip to medical school through military service.\r\nBack then, a ground-based career must've sounded like a sensible plan. After all, being a combat pilot wasn't an option for female officers. And besides, she was on the wrong side of the height requirement for any pilot's seat.\r\nBut after a ride-along training mission in an F-16 during one of her summer assignments, Cadet McSally realized that flying was just too cool to pass up. Some doors were going to have to open to make it an option but if those doors weren't open already, then Martha McSally was prepared to bust them down.\r\nThat meant shaking off three straight rejections for a medical waiver of the height requirement.\r\nIt meant inventing new tests to prove her exceptional aptitude -- not only among the female candidates, but the entire pool.\r\nIt meant not taking no for an answer, and ruffling as many feathers as needed until she got to serve. Of course none of these skills and talents would sound at all familiar to us here in the Senate.\r\nBy the time our future colleague won her spot as the first woman behind the stick on a combat fighter mission, she was charting a unique course in more ways than one.\r\nHer place in the squadron had made history. And the jet she flew -- the A-10 Warthog -- had a unique place of its own.\r\nThe A-10 flies low over the battlefield. It provides close air support, hunting and destroying threats to friendly forces on the ground. It's a machine gun on wings that holds special respect among combat infantry.\r\nMany seasoned soldiers have a story or two about times when pilots like Martha McSally swooped in to get them out of a bind. So Martha's flight hours were literally clearing the way for her fellow servicemembers in more ways than one.\r\nHer trailblazing helped change the perception and treatment of women in our armed forces. In one instance, she took the DOD to court over unfair dress codes for female servicemembers overseas, and won an important change in policy.\r\nPretty quickly, folks caught on to the fact that when Colonel McSally put her mind to something, it got done.\r\nSo naturally, when the then-Congresswoman was sworn in here in the Senate, she dove right into tracking down answers for her fellow Arizonans, solutions for American servicemembers, and the care and justice her fellow veterans deserve.\r\nFrom her first day, Senator McSally reminded everyone here that public service is personal. That what we do here has a direct impact on the lives of millions of Americans.\r\nSo, after swearing the oath on a Bible recovered from the bombing of the U.S.S. Arizona at Pearl Harbor, she brought her experience and expertise to solving issues that are personal to her and to others who've worn the uniform.\r\nIn solidarity with her fellow A-10 pilots and the forces they protect, Senator McSally fought to preserve and fund that unique weapon.\r\nUsing her role on the Armed Services Committee, she let her own painful personal experiences with sexual assault in the military fuel the pursuit of justice for fellow survivors.\r\nShe authored expanded protections for service academy students who have experienced assault. She proposed new preservation requirements for service records to promote accountability. And she made sure each was included when the Senate passed defense authorizations.\r\nHer service to men and women in uniform didn't stop with those on active duty. Senator McSally has also championed expanded care and services for our veterans as they transition back to civilian life.\r\nGreater federal support for telehealth and suicide prevention. Expanded veterans' treatment courts. So many important changes have been enacted because Martha McSally made them happen.\r\nLast year, it came to her attention that one remarkable 95-year-old Arizona veteran had not received the formal recognition he deserved for distinguished service back in World War II.Senator McSally made sure he got that Purple Heart  hand-delivered, with dozens of young airmen on hand to honor him.\r\nSo the junior Senator from Arizona has charted a singular course. She has balanced respect for tradition with an eye toward the future. She's opened countless new doors for others.\r\nAt every step, our colleague has done it with dignity, faith, and a deep love of her state and her country that she cannot help but wear on her sleeve.\r\nShe departs with a long list of accomplishments and every reason to hold her head high.\r\nWherever life after the Senate takes her, I'm confident our colleague will continue to be the most enthusiastic advocate for her state for its people, its prosperity, and its natural wonders.\r\nThat includes all the interesting creatures that she and her four-legged wingman, Boomer, meet when they're out hiking its trails.\r\nNo, I'm pretty certain Martha McSally is not through fighting yet.\r\nSo Martha, on behalf of not just the Senate, but the nation, thank you so much for your service to our country -- in uniform and here in the Senate.\r\nWe wish you all the best in the bright days to come.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=BF6B5459-EBC9-444A-B765-70768BF7A2D8", "McConnell and Barr Announce $1.1 Million for Transitional Housing to Promote Long-Term Recovery in Kentucky", "2020-12-01", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) announced today Kentucky received $1,116,000 for substance abuse transitional housing programs from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) recently-launched Recovery Housing Program. The HUD program was authorized by the CAREER Act, which was introduced in the Senate and House by McConnell and Barr, respectively. President Trump signed the CAREER Act into law as part of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act in October 2018.\r\nThe CAREER Act recognized the links among transitional housing, steady employment, and long-term recovery for those suffering from substance abuse. The law directs HUD to establish a pilot program focused on the 25 areas hardest-hit by the substance abuse epidemic. Kentucky, along with 23 other states and DC, were chosen to receive federal funds to support those in recovery.\r\nAs Senate Majority Leader, I've mobilized the federal government to tackle the opioid and substance abuse crisis by directing over $275 million to our Commonwealth's comprehensive prevention, treatment, and enforcement efforts, said Senator McConnell. Congressman Andy Barr has been an indispensable partner in this effort, including to promote safe, transitional housing options for Kentuckians rebuilding their lives. I look forward to working with him and the dedicated professionals across Kentucky as we help save lives from addiction.\r\nMore help is on the way for Kentuckians in recovery from substance abuse, said Congressman Barr.Through the Sixth District Recovery Working Group  a coalition of non-profit addiction recovery organizations that I convened several years ago  I have consistently heard about the need for federal resources to support long-term transitional housing.As a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal housing policy, I understand the importance of transitional housing, financial literacy, and job training as part of therecovery process.I want to thank Leader McConnell for shepherding this through the Senate.This funding will be invaluable for Americans in recovery.\r\nSince becoming Majority Leader in 2015, Senator McConnell has prioritized the fight against the opioid and substance abuse epidemic by increasing federal funding for the response. Under Senator McConnell's leadership, Kentucky has received more than $275 million. He worked with the University of Kentucky to help secure an $87 million competitive federal grantthe largest in school historyto address the opioid crisis in high-risk communities. He has also helped secure the inclusion of some of Kentucky's hardest-hit counties in the ONDCP's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program to promote coordination and support for law enforcement in Kentucky.\r\nSenator McConnell consistently draws attention to Kentucky's prevention, treatment and enforcement efforts with the President's Cabinet and federal agencies. Multiple ONDCP Directors, known as Drug Czars, have visited Kentucky at his request to see the innovative work being done in the Commonwealth. This year, current-ONDCP Director Jim Carroll visited Simpson, Logan, Clark, and Boyd counties at Senator McConnell's request to discuss the benefits of their recent HIDTA designations.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=F879BB3E-4F76-45B3-BB5A-AD061FCAB415", "Americans Need More Targeted COVID-19 Relief", "2020-12-01", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the week's business:\r\nThe latest results of vaccine trials continue to suggest that our victory over the coronavirus is on the horizon.\r\nBut here in Washington, the additional relief that would help families, workers, schools, and small businesses cross the finish line has been held up for months while Democratic leaders pursued an all-or-nothing approach.\r\nWhen the Speaker of the House put forward the so-called HEROES Act back in May, multiple House Democrats called it out for the political stunt it clearly was. One Democrat said it was not focused,' rushed to a vote too fast,' and it doesn't help us accomplish [the] core mission' of helping struggling people.\r\nWell, after several months with no progress, this same Democrat just said a few days ago that Senate Republicans' proposal is, quote, a bill we can pass' and we should negotiate that to the finish.' Even Speaker Pelosi's own members think our Senate Republican bill is better than hers.\r\nWell, let's hope our Democratic colleagues will finally let us make law in all the enormously important areas where we do not even disagree.In the meantime, the Senate will proceed with pressing business on the executive calendar.\r\nWe'll vote to confirm several more well-qualified nominees, beginning today with Taylor McNeel, the president's choice to serve as U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi.I hope each of my colleagues will join me in supporting this impressive nominee and those who will follow.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=6A78AEE1-62E0-4FC2-9537-00C7F7A9EA38", "McConnell Welcomes Senator Chuck Grassley Back to the Senate", "2020-11-30", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA):\r\nFirst, as the Senate reconvenes this afternoon, I'm especially happy to welcome back our President Pro Tem.\r\nSenator Grassley quarantined and worked from home following his positive COVID test two weeks ago. We all predicted that if any member of this body had the stamina and spirit to kick the virus to the curb, it would be him  and sure enough, our colleague reports that he experienced no symptoms. His doctors have cleared him to come back to work and we are sure glad to see him today.\r\nChairman Grassley had to put his epic streak of consecutive votes temporarily on hold for the sake of others. Of course, leadership and example-setting are nothing new for the senior Senator for Iowa. I am confident our colleague will pick up exactly where he left off, resuming both his perfect attendance record and the tireless work for Iowans that it represents.\r\nWe all benefit so much from his leadership.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=C265CE93-F307-4E14-8E48-E26BA7D8CF4A", "The American People Need More Help and They Need It Now", "2020-11-30", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 relief:\r\nThe Senate is back in session to finish up 2020. The American people are counting on us to finish strong. We need to reach agreement on federal government funding to avoid a lapse in basic programs and services.\r\nWe need to finish the annual defense authorization to shore up the U.S. military's competitive advantage over our adversaries.\r\nAnd we need to continue processing well-qualified nominees for vacancies throughout the government, especially on the federal bench.\r\nThese are important assignments. But they aren't the only things that Congress should get done before the end of the year. There is no reason why we should not deliver another major pandemic relief package to help the American people through what seems poised to be the last chapters of this battle.\r\nThis morning, we got yet another major sign of hope. More data appear to confirm that the vaccine developed by Moderna is more than 94% effective. They are going ahead and asking the FDA for emergency-use authorization.\r\nExperts are calling this news absolutely remarkable'. Alongside other promising vaccine developments from Pfizer, Astra-Zeneca, Johnson and Johnson, and others, there is continued cause to suspect that victory over this pandemic is not far off.\r\nBut a huge amount of work remains before us.\r\nIf Operation Warp Speed remains on this historic trajectory, we need to continue investing in the system that will distribute these vaccines around the country.\r\nIf we want the small businesses that have already hung on for most of the year to survive a few more months, we need a second round of the job-saving Paycheck Protection Program for the workers at the hardest-hit establishments.\r\nSome major parts of the historic CARES Act have already run dry. Many others are set to expire at year's end.\r\nRepublicans have spent months trying to renew important help and provide even more.\r\nWe've tried to send more than $100 billion to help schools welcome students and teachers safely to the classroom.\r\nWe've tried to implement common-sense legal protections that universities and charities have been clamoring for.\r\nRepublicans have tried to pass all of this, over and over again. But Speaker Pelosi and the Senate Democratic Leader have blocked it.\r\n***\r\nThey have been very transparent with their political strategy.\r\nThe Speaker of the House spent the entire summer and the entire autumn literally gambling with the health and welfare of the American people.\r\nShe gambled that if American families didn't get any more relief before the election, her party would expand its majority in the House, and Democrats could continue demanding the right to remake all of society along far-left lines in exchange for passing any more COVID relief whatsoever.\r\nBut their all-or-nothing obstruction has backfired.\r\nDemocrats did not pick up seats in the House, but instead appear to have lost seats. They have not gained any leverage, but instead lost leverage.\r\nAnd in the meantime, with the coronavirus surging from coast to coast, the American people have gone entirely without any additional aid  even the least controversial, most bipartisan programs  on Democrats' say-so.\r\nHere is a summary from one news outlet. Quote: Pelosi seems to have overplayed her hand as she held out for $2 trillion-plus right up until the election. The results of the election, which saw Democrats lose seats in the House, appear to have significantly undercut her position.'\r\nBy now it's abundantly clear to everyone that the Speaker will not be getting to fundamentally transform American society in a socialist direction in exchange for more bipartisan relief. That hostage-taking was never going to work.\r\nThere is only one remaining question for the Speaker and the Democratic Leader. One.\r\nWill they finally let Congress pass hundreds of billions of dollars of relief on all the subjects where we agree? Or will they continue to insist that either they get their entire ideological wish list or the American people get nothing at all?\r\nEven their fellow Democrats are increasingly seeing this is not a difficult question to answer.\r\nOver the weekend, Professor Austan Goolsbee, who chaired the Council of Economic Advisers under President Obama, called on Democrats to finally play ball. Quote: There are a lot of people really hurting I hope [Congress] can agree on something soon if they have to accept half a loaf, then they should accept half a loaf.'\r\nSpeaker Pelosi's number-two, the House Democratic Majority Leader, feels the same way. Quote: I just hope that we can get agreement. It may not be everything that everybody wants, but at least some significant relief to people.'\r\nOur distinguished Senate colleague from Illinois, the Democratic Whip, said the same thing. Quote: Get something done that is significant; do what we can achieve now.'\r\nHere is the headline from Newsweek: Democrats Urge Pelosi to Accept Smaller Stimulus Package to Ensure Relief By End of Year.'\r\nEven the Speaker's own House Democratic members are now openly campaigning for our Republican approach.\r\nHere is one of the Democratic Congressman who nearly lost his reelection after Speaker Pelosi's stonewalling. Quote: We absolutely have to get something done Mitch McConnell is talking about a bill we can pass We should negotiate that to the finish.' That's a House Democrat saying that the Senate Republican proposal is the template that can pass.\r\nRank-and-file Democrats in both chambers are telling Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Leader to stop stonewalling and move forward with the approach Republicans have been urging for months.\r\nThe American people need more help and they need it now.\r\nDemocratic leaders have already burned through three months. And they didn't even get the political results that their cynical strategy was supposed to deliver.\r\nLet's hope our colleagues at the top of the Democratic Party can finally hear their own members and stop blocking the commonsense, multi-hundred-billion-dollar measures that Republicans have been ready to deliver for months.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=C5C00AEC-A028-46BA-B2DA-704D3F47246D", "Kentucky Air National Guard Selected for Eight New Aircraft", "2020-11-25", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOUISVILLE, KY  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Congressmen Hal Rogers (KY-05), John Yarmuth (KY-03), Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Thomas Massie (KY-04), Andy Barr (KY-06), and James Comer (KY-01), along with Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY) announced today the Kentucky Air National Guard's (ANG) 123rd Airlift Wing was selected to receive a squadron of eight new C-130J aircraft, replacing its current fleet. Only four Air National Guard units in the entire country were chosen by the U.S. Air Force in a competitive stationing process.\r\nThe 123rd Airlift Wing, based in Louisville, is among the most highly-decorated ANG units in the nation having received 18 Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards. The Kentucky Congressional Delegation contacted Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett on multiple occasions in support of the unit's selection, touting its premier abilities and strategic location.\r\nKentucky is grateful to the 123rd Airlift Wing and the 8,000 soldiers and airmen of our Commonwealth's National Guard for their dedication to protecting our communities and our country. As Senate Majority Leader, it was a privilege to help bring these aircraft to the Bluegrass State, said Senator McConnell. For several years, my colleagues in the delegation and I have supported the necessary federal funding for these planes and highlighted Kentucky's critical role in defending our country. Secretary Barrett made an excellent choice for the new C-130J aircraft, and I look forward to the 123rd Airlift Wing's continued excellence at home and abroad.\r\nThe Kentucky ANG's current squadron of eight C-130H aircraft is rapidly aging and in need of recapitalization. The new C-130J aircraft offers improved capabilities to fulfill the ANG's missions domestically and abroad. In particular, the new model will provide the Kentucky ANG a 25% greater immediate response capability when executing its emergency and disaster response missions. Stationing the C-130J aircraft in Louisville is not only a cost-effective basing decision, but will also maximize the value of its increased capacities.\r\nThis new platform will give increased capability, allowing Kentucky's airmen to remain a viable force and continue providing theater airlift support around the globe. I am incredibly proud of the women and men of KYANG, and I am honored to have helped secure this aircraft for the Commonwealth, said Senator Paul.\r\nThe Kentucky National Guard is a critical component of our state and our nation, with highly trained men and women who are always prepared to respond to emergencies here at home and overseas. It has been an honor to work alongside Senator McConnell and our state delegation to ensure that the Kentucky Air National Guard remains at the top of the priority list for the new state-of-the-art Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, said Congressman Rogers, Dean of the Kentucky Delegation. As a senior member and former Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, I started working to secure federal funding for these essential military transport aircraft several years ago, knowing the need that existed within the National Guardboth in Kentucky and around the country. I'm pleased that we are one step closer to bringing these incredible jets to Kentucky to support the brave troops we have in the Commonwealth.\r\nIt is my honor to represent the men and women of the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Airlift Wing in Congress, and I am thrilled that the federal funding we've been able to secure will make Louisville home to the C-130J, said Congressman Yarmuth. This talented wing has never hesitated in answering our nation's call, and that dedication to service has made them one of the most decorated units in the United States Air Force. The basing process was highly competitive and, once again, the 123rd Airlift Wing got the job done. I thank Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett for maintaining an open line of communication with our delegation as we pushed for this, and I congratulate the Kentucky Air National Guard on this tremendous news.\r\nThe Kentucky Air National Guard provides indispensable protection for our country and the Commonwealth. I am pleased that the 123rd Airlift Wing will receive the latest in aviation equipment to ensure they can accomplish any mission they are given, said Congressman Guthrie. I would like to thank Leader McConnell as well as my fellow Kentucky colleagues in Congress for their efforts to ensure our men and woman in uniform have the best equipment. The service members of Kentucky's ANG serve with distinction and honor. I am very thankful for their sacrifice and dedication to our nation.\r\nCongressman Massie said, Louisville's 123rd Airlift Wing is one of the most respected units in the nation. The Air Force's decision to deploy a new C-130J squadron to them means the men and women of the 123rd Airlift Wing will have the state-of-the-art equipment needed to fulfill their vital mission. I thank Secretary Barrett for recognizing the significant role Kentucky plays in defending our nation by selecting the 123rd Airlift Wing as one of only four recipients of these new aircraft.\r\nI am thankful every day to the citizen soldiers and airmen who serve in the Kentucky National Guard and the 123rd Airlift Wing, one of the nation's most decorated units. This new squadron of eight C-130J aircraft will support the Air Guard's critical airlift mission here at home and abroad, and will replace the aging fleet of C-130H models, said Congressman Barr. I have been proud to work with my colleagues in the Kentucky Congressional delegation throughout the appropriations process in the past several Congresses to fund these aircraft. Building on this effort, I have also advocated directly to Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett, former Chief of the National Guard Bureau General Joseph Lengyel, and other Air Force and National Guard leadership to help secure this favorable basing decision for Kentucky. I am grateful to Secretary Barrett for choosing the Kentucky Air National Guard to receive these aircraft.\r\nThe patriots who make up the Kentucky Air National Guard deserve quality, modernized aircraft to be able to respond quickly to emergency situations. This new aircraft fleet is tremendous news for Kentucky, and I want to thank the men and women of the 123rd Airlift Wing for their dedication and service to our nation, said Congressman Comer.\r\nGovernor Beshear said, The Kentucky National Guard has protected this country for generations, and are now protecting us during this pandemic. With the U.S. Air Force only selecting four Air National Guard units in the entire country during this competitive process, their selection of Kentucky demonstrates the commonwealth's commitment to our military and military families, the capability of our service members and our ability to move forward and create a better commonwealth for all Kentuckians as we emerge from this pandemic.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=6DFA854E-0B21-4251-81C0-8BE2D70FB0ED", "McConnell on Treasury Announcement and COVID-19 Relief", "2020-11-20", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOUISVILLE, KY  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement regarding targeted COVID-19 relief:\r\nSecretary Mnuchin's actions yesterday concerning some of the lending facilities established by the unanimous, bipartisan CARES Act are fully aligned with the letter of the law and the intent of the Congress.\r\nThere is an obvious right use for these hundreds of billions of dollars of already-allocated but unused funds. Congress should repurpose this money toward the kinds of urgent, important, and targeted relief measures that Republicans have been trying to pass for months, but which Democrats have repeatedly blocked with all-or-nothing demands.\r\nAmerican workers should not lose their jobs needlessly when a second round of the job-saving Paycheck Protection Program for the hardest-hit small businesses would make a huge difference. Our medical system should not be denied additional support, including for distributing the life-saving vaccines that appear to be on the horizon. Republicans continue to support passing these kinds of urgent and targeted measures as soon as possible.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=DDB04E62-CCD9-4B2F-95CB-98FC923929A0", "Democrats Still Blocking Vaccine Distribution Funds and Small Business Aid", "2020-11-18", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 relief:\r\nSenate Republicans have spent months trying to get another bipartisan rescue package passed and signed into law for the American people.\r\nFor months, our position has been consistent: We want to reach agreement on all the areas where compromise is well within reach, send hundreds of billions of dollars to urgent and uncontroversial programs, and let Washington argue over the rest later.\r\nThere is no reason why doing right by struggling families should wait until we resolve every difference on every issue.\r\nBut unfortunately, both Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Leader have been equally consistent. And they don't think Congress should do anything unless they get to cash out a far-left ideological wish list, including things with zero relationship to the present crisis.\r\nThey've continued to insist that Congress must pass their so-called HEROES Act' or do nothing at all.\r\nThe problem is that their proposal is a multi-trillion-dollar laughingstock that never had a chance of becoming law.\r\nLet's recall what Speaker Pelosi's own members said when she first released this proposal.\r\nQuote: I think the HEROES Act went too far. It got loaded up with a bunch of political wish list things'\r\nQuote: This is Washington politics at its worst a partisan wish list.'\r\nQuote: It's a middle finger to the American people.'\r\nThose are the reactions of House Democrats.\r\nAnd no wonder. Because here are just some of the demands the Speaker will not drop:\r\nA massive tax cut specifically for wealthy people in blue states.\r\nA colossal slush fund for consistently mismanaged state and city governments with no linkage to actual pandemic needs.\r\nThese things are included, but they managed to completely leave out any new funding for a second round of the job-saving Paycheck Protection Program. Something we made sure to include in every Republican offering.\r\nThey want to spend $3 trillion, but couldn't find one cent of new money for the job-saving program that has kept small businesses afloat from coast to coast.\r\nAnd by the way, because the far left decided in the summertime that they didn't much like the men and women of law enforcement anymore, between the first and second versions of this proposal, the Speaker literally took out hundreds of millions of dollars for hiring, equipping, and training local law enforcement.\r\nI guess, by their account, the police don't count as HEROES' any longer.\r\nBy playing all-or-nothing hardball with a proposal this radical, our colleagues have thus far guaranteed that American workers and families get nothing at all.\r\nThe pace of our economic recovery and the promise of vaccines on the horizon give us reasons for major hope. But we are nowhere near out of this woods yet.\r\nVaccines will need to be distributed nationwide, and quickly. Republicans' targeted proposal provided billions of dollars to make that happen. But Democrats blocked it.\r\nThe PPP has helped millions of American workers and small businesses hang on thus far. But now, in the home stretch, they need more help. Republicans' targeted proposal would have renewed that lifeline for the hardest-hit small businesses. But Democrats blocked it.\r\nThink about it. We moved heaven and earth and spent mountains of money to help workers keep their jobs and help small businesses keep the lights on  from the springtime all the way up to now.\r\nBut now, after all that, with the end seemingly in sight, we might lose the hardest-hit small businesses in the home stretch because Democrats have refused to let us continue helping.\r\nWe kept family businesses alive for months and months only to see some of them fail now, with vaccines on the horizon, because Democrats have blocked another round of the PPP.\r\nWell, it's not too late to make a difference.\r\nRepublicans stand ready to deliver this urgent aid.\r\nLet's fund all the programs where there is not even real disagreement. Let's do it now.\r\nWe just need Democrats to finally get serious about this.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=5598082D-59C5-47A5-94C5-8BC4F0FD04B2", "McConnell on Important Legislative Priorities before the Senate", "2020-11-17", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding legislative business:\r\nThere is significant outstanding business that Congress needs to complete before the end of the year.\r\nMy Republican colleagues and I have stated over and over that we still want to pass more coronavirus relief for the American people. Senate Republicans have voted multiple times to send hundreds of billions of dollars for schools, small businesses, healthcare, and laid-off workers. If Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer had not made the calculation to block it, that money could have been out the door many weeks ago.\r\nInstead, our Democratic colleagues have spent months holding all of that urgent help hostage over unrelated left-wing wish-list items.\r\nTheir so-called HEROES' proposal is so unrealistic and poorly-targeted that Speaker Pelosi's own moderate Democrats ridiculed the bill the instant she put it out and said it would never become law.\r\nIt includes things like a massive tax cut for wealthy people in blue states and huge sums of money for state and city governments with no linkage to demonstrated COVID needs.\r\nSome blue states including New York and California have actually seen higher state income tax revenues this autumn than they saw during the same months in 2019, in part because they are taxing a chunk out of vulnerable people's unemployment benefits. They're receiving more tax revenue now than they did in 2019!\r\nBut Democrats still want coronavirus relief for the entire country held hostage over a massive slush fund for their own use.\r\nWell, even if our Democratic colleagues continue to block any bipartisan pandemic relief from becoming law, there are other responsibilities we still need to tackle together.\r\nThe federal government is currently funded through December 11th. The next few days will tell us a lot about whether Congress can pull off the bipartisan, bicameral appropriations process that I believe both sides want to deliver.\r\nLast week our colleagues on the Senate Appropriations Committee released all 12 bills for fiscal year 2021. The bills would fully fund all kinds of crucial priorities  from securing our border, to caring for our veterans, to supporting public health at this critical time.\r\nWhat needs to happen now is simple:\r\nOur colleagues on the Committee and their counterparts in the House need to continue their bicameral discussions and settle on top-line dollar amounts for each bill.\r\nI hope they'll be able to reach this broad agreement by the end of this week. That would keep us on course to deliver full-year funding legislation, which helps our Armed Forces and all federal agencies plan and get ahead of the curve, by the December deadline.\r\nFor nearly two years now, we've avoided the drama that had become a Washington routine and funded our government on a bipartisan basis. Last August, we passed a two-year bipartisan funding agreement that let our committees do their work even amid divided government.\r\nWhen both sides have honored the agreement and kept bills clean of poison pills, Chairman Shelby has been able to deliver full-year bills without drama.\r\nI hope we can replicate that successful pattern this year.\r\nCongress should also reach a bipartisan, bicameral compromise on the National Defense Authorization Act and pass a conference report before the end of the year.\r\nOur men and women in uniform need every tool and resource to confront the great-power competitors, rogue states, and terrorists who wish us harm. Congress should be an asset to our own servicemembers, not a liability.\r\nThis year would make the 60th consecutive year Congress will have passed an NDAA. This is no time to break that streak and leave our forces in the lurch. Let's get this done and pass a conference report through both chambers this year.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=6318C9E6-BBC9-4A73-9B02-17B5BEBFBD95", "Senate Confirms Benjamin Beaton of Kentucky to be U.S. District Judge", "2020-11-17", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor prior to the confirmation vote for Benjamin Beaton to serve as a district judge for the Western District of Kentucky:\r\n\r\nWhile our committees are working, the full Senate is keeping busy with one of our core constitutional responsibilities: continuing to confirm well-qualified men and women to lifetime appointments to the federal judiciary.\r\n\r\nWe'll vote today on Benjamin Beaton, a Kentuckian who has been nominated to be a District Judge for the Western District of Kentucky.\r\n\r\nThis Paducah native is yet another outstanding choice by President Trump.\r\n\r\nMr. Beaton received a first-rate education from Kentucky's Centre College and then Columbia Law School, where he edited the law review. He clerked on the D.C. Circuit and on the Supreme Court for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.\r\n\r\nSince then, Mr. Beaton has excelled at some of the country's top law firms. He's also undertaken a substantial pro bono caseload and shown a dedication to community service.\r\n\r\nAt each step, the nominee has demonstrated a firm commitment to the Constitution and the rule of law. The American Bar Association has confirmed what Kentuckians already knew: Mr. Beaton is well qualified to serve as a district judge.\r\n\r\nLast month, our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee advanced this brilliant nominee with no members voting in opposition. I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting to confirm him later today.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=ADAD5C52-7D4A-4456-8B6D-DD085A92FFD3", "Senate Confirming More Impressive Nominees to Federal Courts", "2020-11-17", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding nominations:\r\nWhile our committees are working, the full Senate is keeping busy with one of our core constitutional responsibilities: continuing to confirm well-qualified men and women to lifetime appointments to the federal judiciary.\r\nYesterday, we voted to advance the nomination of Kristi Haskins Johnson, the current Solicitor General of Mississippi with multiple impressive clerkships under her belt, to serve as a District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi. She'll make history as the first woman to join the bench in that district.\r\nThis is just the first of several nominations we'll consider this week. We'll also vote today on Benjamin Beaton, a Kentuckian who has been nominated to be a District Judge for the Western District of Kentucky.\r\nThis Paducah native is yet another outstanding choice by President Trump.\r\nMr. Beaton received a first-rate education from Kentucky's Centre College and then Columbia Law School, where he edited the law review. He clerked on the D.C. Circuit and on the Supreme Court for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.\r\nSince then, Mr. Beaton has excelled at some of the country's top law firms. He's also undertaken a substantial pro bono caseload and shown a dedication to community service.\r\nAt each step, the nominee has demonstrated a firm commitment to the Constitution and the rule of law. The American Bar Association has confirmed what Kentuckians already knew: Mr. Beaton is well qualified to serve as a district judge.\r\nLast month, our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee advanced this brilliant nominee with no members voting in opposition. I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting to confirm him later today and our other impressive nominees this week.\r\nNow, this week's nominees are only the latest examples of the incredible qualifications that have characterized President Trump's nominees.\r\nTake the metric that our Democratic colleagues have called the gold standard, the ratings of the left-leaning American Bar Association. As of a few months ago, across all the people that President Trump had nominated to the federal district courts, 68.8 percent had earned the ABA's top rating of well qualified.\r\nIf you look back over the last seven presidential administrations, only one -- Bush 43 -- has managed to post a higher average rating for judicial nominations. Even then, it was only higher by a hair.\r\nEven the Democrats' own supposed gold standard destroys the talking point that President Trump's nominees have been less than thoroughly qualified. It's just not factual.\r\nEarlier this year, looking at clerkships and professional experience, one liberal commentator admitted that, quote, the average Trump appointee has a far more impressive resume than any past president's nominees.'\r\nLet me say that again. This is a left-leaning writer. Quote: The average Trump appointee has a far more impressive resume than any past president's nominees.'\r\nIt's pretty hard to argue that these haven't been extraordinary additions to our federal courts.\r\nThis has been a tremendous accomplishment. These are judges who will serve our nation honorably for generations to come.\r\nOur colleagues here in the Senate should be rightly proud to have confirmed them. And we're going to continue doing just that.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-applauds-confirmation-benjamin-beaton-serve-western-kentucky-district-court/", "Dr. Rand Paul Applauds Confirmation of Benjamin Beaton to Serve on Western Kentucky District Court", "2020-11-17", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nNovember 17, 2020\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) released the following statement after the U.S. Senate confirmed Benjamin Beaton to be a United States District Judge for Kentucky\u2019s Western District:\n\n\u201cCongratulations to Paducah, Kentucky, native Ben Beaton on his confirmation to serve as a judge for the Western District of Kentucky. From clerking for the U.S. Supreme Court to litigating cases at the federal and state levels, Ben has the experience and fortitude needed to uphold the rule of law on the federal bench, and I was proud to support his nomination today.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:39:51Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=C0B1CAE7-8329-4CCF-B88B-FE7B20A37032", "Premature Afghanistan Exit Would Jeopardize Trump Administrations Record of Success", "2020-11-16", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the ongoing presence of U.S. forces in the Middle East to combat terrorism:\r\nThe last several days have brought renewed speculation about the prospect of rapidly withdrawing all U.S. military forces from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.\r\nHere in Congress, a small minority in both parties seem to think it is in America's power to unilaterally resolve conflicts by simply walking away from them.\r\nOf course all wars must end, the question is how they end, and whether the terms on which they end are favorable or unfavorable to the security and interests of the United States. And nothing about the circumstances we face today suggests that if we lose resolve, the terrorists will simply leave us alone.\r\nOver the last four years, the Trump Administration has made tremendous headway in creating the conditions that will secure the enduring defeat of the terrorists.\r\nThis president and his policies have strengthened America's hand in multiple Middle East conflicts while reducing the risks and costs to our country. The ISIS caliphate has been shattered and millions have been liberated from their brutal rule. We have removed master terrorists like al-Baghdadi, Soleimani, and senior Al Qaeda and ISIS leaders from the battlefield.\r\nThe Trump Administration has brokered diplomatic successes that should help bring long-term stability and more economic opportunity to a troubled region. The Abraham Accords are a geostrategic game-changer.\r\nThe last four years have also brought increased skin in the game from our allies and partners.\r\nOur friends in Europe and elsewhere have a shared interest in stopping safe havens for terror. Today, in Africa, our limited American presence supports a multinational initiative led by France to combat radical Islamic terrorists. Likewise, in the places where American forces continue to play roles in ongoing conflicts across the broader Middle East, Secretaries Mattis and Esper worked hard and successfully to secure renewed contributions from European partners and to transition our posture more and more toward a supporting role.\r\nOur local partners are demonstrably shouldering the lion's share of the burden of this fight. In neither Afghanistan nor Iraq nor Syria are American combat forces playing a primary role.\r\nWe've scored major battlefield successes by supporting and working with and through local partners such as the Afghan National Security Forces, the elite Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, and the local Kurdish and Arab fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces.\r\nThe situation we face today is totally different than we faced ten years ago. We do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. We are not an occupying force.\r\nToday our limited American military presence in the Middle East is supporting local forces and enabling multinational efforts. We are playing a limited but important role in defending American national security and American interests against terrorists who would like nothing more than for the most powerful force for good in world history to simply pick up our ball and go home. They would love that.\r\nThat's why, last year, 70 Senators  a bipartisan supermajority  voted for an amendment I authored. It acknowledged the progress made in Syria and Afghanistan, identified the risks that remain, and cautioned that precipitous withdrawal would create vacuums that Iran, Russia, and terrorists would be delighted to fill.\r\nThere is no American who does not wish the war in Afghanistan against terrorists and their enablers had already been conclusively won. But that does not change the actual choice before us now.\r\nA rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight the people who wish us harm. Violence affecting Afghans is still rampant. The Taliban is not abiding by the conditions of the so-called peace deal.\r\nThe consequences of a premature American exit would likely be even worse than President Obama's withdrawal from Iraq in 2011, which fueled the rise of ISIS and a new round of global terrorism. It would be reminiscent of the humiliating American departure from Saigon in 1975.\r\nWe'd be abandoning our partners in Afghanistan, the brave Afghans who are fighting the terrorists and destroying the government's leverage in their talks with the Taliban to end the fighting. Our retreat would embolden the Taliban, especially the deadly Haqqani wing, and risk plunging Afghan women and girls back into what they experienced in the 1990s. It would hand a weakened and scattered Al Qaeda a big propaganda victory and a renewed safe haven for plotting attacks against America. And it would be welcome news to Iran, which has long provided arms and support to the Taliban and explicitly seeks our retreat from the Middle East.\r\nA disorganized retreat would jeopardize the track record of major successes this Administration has worked hard to compile.\r\nAs a number of former officials and ambassadors recently stated, The spectacle of US troops abandoning facilities and equipment, leaving the field in Afghanistan to the Taliban and ISIS, would be broadcast around the world as a symbol of U.S. defeat and humiliation, and of victory for Islamist extremism.'\r\nPresident Trump deserves major credit for reducing U.S. forces in Afghanistan to a sustainable level, scoring major victories against terrorists across the region, and ensuring the Afghans themselves are at the front of the fight. That same successful approach should continue until the conditions for the long-term defeat of ISIS and al Qaeda have been achieved.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=FEEC4F7B-97A1-4238-B8F4-3D0878EE7C48", "Operation Warp Speed Provides More Good News For COVID-19 Vaccine", "2020-11-16", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding another COVID-19 vaccine announcement:\r\nOnce again, this morning brought two different sets of headlines on the pandemic we've been battling for the last nine months.\r\nOn one hand, rates of infection and hospitalization are rising rapidly nationwide. We all must continue taking smart precautions such as wearing masks and practicing social distancing. But, at the same time, we continue to receive hopeful signs that victory may be on the horizon.\r\nThis morning, the American biotech firm Moderna and our National Institutes of Health announced that early trials suggest the vaccine they are jointly developing may be both safe and more than 94% effective.\r\nThis follows Pfizer's similar announcement last week. As former Food Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb summed it up this morning, when the full data comes out, we may have two highly effective vaccines against COVID.'\r\nIf these results hold, we are told the first doses of a vaccine could be administered to certain vulnerable people as soon as next month, with wider distribution by next spring.\r\nThis is a remarkable testament to American ingenuity: to bright researchers and brave test participants; to bold commitments from the private sector; and historic support from smart public policy like Operation Warp Speed from the Trump administration and this Senate.\r\nAs Moderna's CEO said this morning, I want to thank our partners at BARDA and Operation Warp Speed who have been instrumental to accelerating our progress to this point.'\r\nOperation Warp Speed sent billions in funding to expedite research and development. It provided a streamlined regulatory environment and pre-purchase agreements to reduce risk. It has mobilized the compilation of the basic supplies  things like needles and swabs  that need to travel with a vaccine itself.\r\nWe have every indication that this historic public-private partnership is on track to deliver a scientific miracle and help us defeat this virus in the months ahead.\r\nCertainly there's no time to waste. Kentucky just announced our highest-ever weekly count of new positive cases. The numbers are troubling in places all across our country. So for now, our job is to continue doing all we can to stay safe and slow the spread.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=21C9D508-9693-4CB1-94A9-A3A0D930E29D", "McConnell Celebrates COVID-19 Vaccine News and Urges Continued Precautions", "2020-11-12", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the COVID-19 vaccine announcement:\r\nLast week, the country and the world received some great news that we have longed to hear.\r\nA major American drug company, together with their German partner, announced that their candidate for a COVID-19 vaccine appears to be at least 90 percent effective in trials. That is ninety percent  nine zero.\r\nDr. Fauci called these preliminary results 'extraordinary.' Another expert called the news, quote, as good as you could hope for.'\r\nOf course, tests and trials are ongoing. The FDA will perform its own thorough review, which will include analyzing months of safety data.\r\nThe American people should rest assured there are appropriate and necessary measures to ensure the safety and efficacy of any vaccine before it is rolled out to the American people.\r\nBut this will proceed with the life-saving urgency that is called for.\r\nRight now, COVID-19 is continuing to spread across our country at rates that are not sustainable, and which we must try to slow.\r\nYesterday, my home state of Kentucky just logged our highest-ever daily total  2,700 new cases. The positivity rate of our tests is the highest since early May.\r\nIt's urgent that all Americans continue the smart steps that have gotten us this far: wearing masks, social distancing, adapting our plans and routines.\r\nThis virus is not going to magically leave us alone if we decide we are fed up with taking precautions.\r\nBut  thank God, and thanks to brilliant scientists  we may look back on this hopeful announcement as the beginning of the end of this terrible ordeal.\r\nI said in March that our country was about to meet a whole lot of new heroes.\r\nMany were going to be doctors and nurses. Others were going to be the essential workers who kept society going.\r\nAnd some were going to be men and women who worked like crazy in labs and research centers until we had this virus beat.\r\nBut every American has a role. As cases continue to climb, the simple advice  wear a mask, practice social distancing, wash your hands  are now as important as ever.\r\nOf course, discovering the vaccine will only be part of the battle.\r\nOnce one or more candidates have been proven effective and safe, it will be a second herculean undertaking to scale up production and distribute doses of the vaccine throughout our country.\r\nThis is why this Senate and the Trump administration have been on the case for months.\r\nAs part of the historic CARES Act, we created Operation Warp Speed  an historic effort that combined interagency government work with public-private partnerships.\r\nThis was a 21st-century Manhattan Project for a COVID vaccine.\r\nWe helped fund research and development for several firms. We committed billions of dollars in advance purchase agreements. We flattened regulatory barriers to speed the process.\r\nWe provided backing so that companies could begin mass-producing vaccine doses before clinical trials had fully concluded, so we'd have a head start on whichever ones wound up working.\r\nIf things stay on track, we hope to have a safe and effective vaccine in a timeframe that will be absolutely historic.\r\nPresident Trump's administration and this Congress should take huge pride in the groundwork we laid.\r\n***\r\nNow, strangely enough, some are finding it challenging to simply applaud this unambiguous good news.\r\nThe Democratic Governor of New York State opined a few days ago that it was, quote, bad news' that a vaccine breakthrough may have been reached because President Trump is in office.\r\nNow, I understand Governor Cuomo has found the time during this pandemic to write and publish a self-congratulatory book on leadership.\r\nThis, notwithstanding that his own state was absolutely pummeled by the disease, and his own administration intentionally sent thousands of COVID-19-positive patients into vulnerable nursing homes.\r\nThis gentleman has the temerity to say this vaccine breakthrough is partially bad news' because it occurred under the Trump administration.\r\nHe gestured vaguely toward unspecified concerns about distribution.\r\nI guess he would have preferred the life-saving breakthroughs be delayed longer, with more American deaths in the meantime.\r\nThe irony, as our colleague the senior Senator from Tennessee has pointed out, is that the plans that are in place put states in the driver's seat for arranging distribution and making sure the most vulnerable citizens receive access.\r\nThe federal government is there to provide guidance and support.\r\nAs Senator Alexander said, the Governor of New York might want to devote more time and attention to developing this crucial plan, rather than undermining public confidence for the sake of politics.\r\nBut sadly, this isn't anything new.\r\nJust a few weeks ago, the Democratic Governors of both New York and California both began openly second-guessing the Food and Drug Administration and doubting its ability to assess the safety of a vaccine.\r\nThere were suggestions that blue states may set up their own state review boards and then withhold life-saving vaccines from their own people for who knows how long until this extra obstacle had been hurdled.\r\nThis is where they are. Vaccines aren't vaccines if a Republican is president until New York and California reinvent their own miniature FDAs.\r\nTo be clear, Americans purchase nearly 4 billion prescriptions every year, trusting the expertise and professionalism of the FDA.\r\nThat is the trusted authority.\r\nNobody is crying out for liberal governors to add their own Good Housekeeping seal of approval, let alone potentially delay the end of COVID-19 to do so.\r\nIf this vaccine proves to be the one, citizens in New York and California should not have it withheld from them because their Governors care more about performatively opposing President Trump than about hard science.\r\nThis reminds me of when the junior Senator for California declared in September, during her Vice-Presidential campaign, that she might hesitate to trust a vaccine.\r\nThe whole country understands that our Democratic friends are not charter members of the President Donald Trump fan club.\r\nThey do not need to dabble in the early stages of anti-vax conspiracy theories to prove it.\r\nIn fact, for the sake of public health, and public confidence, and saving lives, they have a moral obligation to stop.\r\nIf a vaccine has been found and distribution can begin soon, that's good news. Not bad news.\r\nIt would be a major victory for our country and the world, fueled by American innovation and aided by Project Warp Speed, thanks to this Senate and the Trump administration.\r\nIt would save thousands and thousands of American lives. And public confidence will be essential. Leaders on all sides have a duty to act accordingly.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=09D25D23-3039-4858-82F6-3DF1CC09E3B7", "McConnell on Sec. Mark Esper and World Affairs", "2020-11-10", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Secretary Mark Esper and world affairs:\r\nYesterday, the President informed us that Secretary Mark Esper's tenure leading the Department of Defense has concluded.\r\nWhen the Senate considered Secretary Esper's nomination, I said you could hardly invent better qualifications to run the Pentagon than his resume. From West Point and the 101st Airborne to his time as Secretary of the Army, this leader had stepped up when his country needed him.\r\nThe Secretary brought integrity, expertise, and steady leadership to the Pentagon's top job.\r\nI am grateful for his work to keep our country safe, modernize our military, and implement the Trump Administration's new National Defense Strategy to address the challenges of our time. A decorated combat veteran himself, he won the respect of the men and women of our Armed Forces.\r\nThe country is grateful for his career of service.\r\nDuring this time of transition, I'm confident in the professionalism of the men and women of the Department of Defense, not to mention our uniformed services. We are lucky to have such capable and duty-focused men and women on the watch, defending the Constitution, deterring our adversaries, and protecting the peace.\r\nI expect to speak with Acting Secretary Miller soon to discuss the serious threats facing our country, whether from foreign terrorists or great powers like China and Russia who may seek to exploit a period of uncertainty.\r\nAll this highlights the need for continued sober and steady leadership at the Department.\r\n***\r\nAs we continue to complete the process of our own election here at home, there is also news on the continued growth of democracy half a world away.\r\nMy colleagues know that I have had a special interest in the democratic aspirations of the people of Burma for decades, dating back to my days leading the Appropriations Subcommittee for State and Foreign Operations.\r\nBurma held elections on Sunday, which we hope will represent another step toward a more democratic and prosperous future. For too long, the people of Burma were denied democracy by a brutal military junta.\r\nTo this day, its influence remains a significant impediment to progress. And as with many new democracies, the elections faced many challenges, ranging from continued conflict to the coronavirus pandemic.\r\nBut when the votes are counted and Burma's next government is seated, more hard work will await.\r\nThe government will need to continue advancing Burma's democratic development.\r\nIts sovereignty must be defended against the corrupting foreign influence of the People's Republic of China. The nation needs true national reconciliation among Burma's various ethnic groups, and further economic reforms to benefit all its people.\r\nFurther progress will take real compromise and real sacrifice from parties and interests within Burma. And it will need continued support from the international community, particularly the United States.\r\nI have known Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for many years, and know she remains committed to democracy. So I hope and expect that if she and her party are the victors, her government will seek much-needed constitutional, economic, and security-sector reforms to further limit the corrosive influence of the military and the crony networks over so much of life in Burma.\r\nWe're talking about a nation that still reserves 25 percent of the seats in parliament for the military itself. It would be an understatement to call that an obstacle toward an ongoing democratic transition.\r\nFurther progress towards democracy and prosperity in Burma will require the inclusion of Burma's ethnic minorities, and compromise with them.\r\nIt will require national reconciliation to end the disparate civil conflicts that rage across that country. And it will require accountability for atrocities that have been committed by the military  and not just in Rakhine State.\r\nIf Burma's government meaningfully pursues these kinds of efforts, I expect the United States and like-minded countries will continue to stand by it.\r\nThe free nations of the world have much to gain from Burma's democratization. And we have much to lose if it slides back into authoritarianism, or further into the grasp and orbit of China.\r\n***\r\nAs Americans, our political contests here at home can feel intense.\r\nWe think our elections are charged and contentious.\r\nBut when you look at democracies that are just getting off the ground around the world, you remember how blessed we are to live in this republic that has for centuries inspired the forces of democracy and freedom all around the world.\r\nWe get to live in a country where our institutions of self-government have held up for more than 230 years; where the rule of law and our Constitution are paramount.\r\nMay we never take it for granted. And may we continue to support those around the world who seek to emulate our example.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=09592884-16A7-4A55-8823-EC894DC8A126", "McConnell on Elections: We Respect the Rule of Law and Trust Our Institutions", "2020-11-09", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the 2020 election:\r\nLast week, record numbers of Americans exercised the right which generations risked everything to hand on to us.\r\nI want to spend a few minutes this morning talking about what we saw last week, where we are now, and where our great country will go from here.\r\nThere is one aspect of last week that has gotten lost that I want to single out at the start.\r\nBy every indication, the 2020 election appears to have been free from meaningful foreign interference. There is no suggestion that our foreign adversaries were allowed to undermine the integrity of this process.\r\nAccording to the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Administration, we have no evidence any foreign adversary was capable of preventing Americans from voting or changing vote tallies.'\r\nAnd General Paul Nakasone, the head of the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command, reported Tuesday night, quote, the actions we've taken against adversaries have ensured they're not going to interfere in our elections.'\r\nThe Trump Administration and the Senate spent four years supporting the state and local election authorities on the front lines.\r\nNew tools and information-sharing partnerships. Unprecedented coordination. Hundreds of millions in new funding. New, painful consequences for bad actors like Russia that interfere.\r\nThe absence of any reports of foreign interference is a ringing endorsement of our bipartisan work. And it slams the door on the embarrassing, irresponsible rhetoric that some Washington Democrats spent four years broadcasting.\r\nToo many voices tried to talk down our progress, urged Americans not to have confidence, and smeared anyone as unpatriotic who opposed far-left proposals to rewrite election laws.\r\nWell, the people who pushed this hysteria could not have more egg on their face than they do now.\r\nNone of their demands became law. The Speaker of the House did not get to personally rewrite election law.\r\nAnd yet, because of the sensible bipartisan steps that some of us championed, our defenses and countermeasures proved to be in radically better shape than in 2016.\r\n***\r\nSo let's talk about where we are now.\r\nAccording to preliminary results, voters across the nation elected and re-elected Republican Senators to a degree that stunned prognosticators.\r\nLikewise, the American people seem to have reacted to House Democrats' radicalism and obstruction by shrinking the Speaker's majority and electing more Republicans there.\r\nAnd then there is the presidential race.\r\nObviously, no states have yet certified their election results. We have at least one or two states that are already on track for a recount. And I believe the President may have legal challenges underway in at least five states.\r\nThe core principle here is not complicated. In the United States of America, all legal ballots must be counted; any illegal ballots must not be; the process should be transparent or observable by all sides, and the courts are here to work through concerns.\r\nOur institutions are built for this. We have the system in place to consider concerns. And President Trump is 100% within his rights to look into allegations of irregularities and weigh his legal options.\r\nTwenty years ago, when Florida came down to a very thin margin, we saw Vice President Gore exhaust the legal system and wait to concede until December.\r\nMore recently, weeks after the media had called President Bush's re-election in 2004, Democrats baselessly disputed Ohio's electors and delayed the process in Congress.\r\nThe 2016 election saw recounts or legal challenges in several states.\r\nIf any major irregularities occurred this time, of a magnitude that would affect the outcome, then every single American should want them to be brought to light. And if Democrats feel confident they have not occurred, they should have no reason to fear any extra scrutiny.\r\nWe have the tools and institutions we need to address any concerns. The President has every right to look into allegations and request recounts under law.\r\nAnd notably the Constitution gives no role in this process to wealthy media corporations.\r\nThe projections and commentary of the press do not get veto power over the legal rights of any citizen, including the President.\r\nMore broadly, let's have no lectures about how the President should immediately, cheerfully accept preliminary election results from the same characters who just spent four years refusing to accept the validity of the last election.\r\nAnd who insinuated this one would be illegitimate, too, if they lost again.\r\nLet's have no lectures on this subject from that contingent.\r\nIn late August, Secretary Hillary Clinton said, quote, Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances I think this is going to drag out, and he will win if we don't give an inch.'\r\nThat same month, Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Leader both stated, quote, [President Trump] needs to cheat to win.'\r\nIn October, when Speaker Pelosi was shopping some conspiracy theory about the Postal Service, she recklessly said, quote, I have no doubt that the president will lie, cheat, and steal, to win this election.'\r\nDoes this sound like a chorus that has any credibility to say a few legal challenges from President Trump represent some kind of crisis?\r\nAt this time last week, small-business owners in cities across America were boarding up their windows in case President Trump appeared to win and far-left mobs decided to reprise their summertime rioting.\r\nSuffice to say a few legal inquiries from the President do not exactly spell the end of the Republic.\r\nHere's how two professors from Fordham Law School and New York Law School put it:\r\nQuote: For centuries, we have asked people who are unhappy with their fellow citizens or government agencies and institutions to bring their claims to court.'\r\nPresident Trump's is a traditional response that affirms rather than undermines American institutions.' End quote.\r\n***\r\nThis process will reach its resolution. Our system will resolve any recounts or litigation. In January, the winner of this election will place his hand on a Bible.\r\nJust like it's happened every four years since 1793.\r\nWhat we know for sure is that the outcome is guaranteed to delight tens of millions of Americans and disappoint tens of millions of Americans.\r\nBut we also know that we will wake up on January 21st, still blessed to live in the greatest nation the world has ever seen.\r\nAnd in no small part that is because we respect the rule of law, we trust our institutions, and neither of those things is outweighed by pronouncements from partisans or the press.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=E27D3474-1F15-4DF9-A119-321569747366", "McConnell Celebrates Vaccine Developments and Falling Unemployment Rate", "2020-11-09", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Senate business:\r\nThe last several days have brought huge good news in our fight to beat this terrible virus.\r\nThis morning, one drug manufacturer announced that ongoing trials suggest their candidate for a COVID-19 vaccine may be more than 90% effective.\r\nThis is a huge testament to the ingenuity of the American private sector and their global partners, and to the historic efforts of Congress and the Trump Administration.\r\nWe flattened regulatory roadblocks, sped up trials, and laid groundwork to buy and distribute a vaccine as fast as possible.\r\nLast week, we learned the unemployment rate has fallen to 6.9%, with more than 630,000 new jobs added just in October.\r\nRemember, in the springtime, many experts estimated we would still be saddled with double-digit joblessness through the end of this year. It turns out the news is much better.\r\nAnother testament to the strong economic foundations that Congress and the Trump Administration spent three years laying before this pandemic struck  and most of all, to the resilience of the American people.\r\nTo be clear, our work is not finished. Too many Americans are still suffering economically, and infections are climbing across the country.\r\nWe cannot give up on common-sense measures like wearing masks just because we've grown tired of them.\r\nThe Senate's going to have a busy few weeks. I hope our Democratic colleagues will finally put aside their all-or-nothing obstruction and let targeted pandemic relief move forward.\r\nIn any event, we will need to fund the government, reach agreement with the House on the National Defense Authorization Act, and confirm more thoroughly-qualified nominees.\r\nI welcome all my colleagues back to the chamber and I look forward to finishing this year strong. Our states and our country are counting on us.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-icymi-dr-rand-paul-defend-religious-freedom-defunding-religious-persecution/", "ICYMI: Dr. Rand Paul: \u2018Defend Religious Freedom by Defunding Religious Persecution\u2019", "2020-11-06", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nNovember 6, 2020\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Last week, in an op-ed for Kentucky Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) discussed his commitment to standing up for religious freedom at home and abroad through legislation and advocacy.\n\nMost recently, in September, Dr. Paul introduced S. 4685 to prevent the federal government from sending American taxpayer money to any nation that imposes a death sentence or penalty of life imprisonment on Christians or people of other faiths for expressing their faith.\n\nIn the piece, Dr. Paul says that \u201cin my years leading the fight for religious freedom, I have encountered far too many others in Congress who are unwilling to confront outrageous examples of religious oppression abroad if the nation receives financial support from the U.S. Instead of taking a stand, the response from Congress has often been, \u2018It\u2019s complicated.\u2019\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s not,\u201d he continued.\n\nYou can find S. 4685 HERE, and you can read Dr. Paul\u2019s op-ed HERE or below:\n\n****\n\nThe United States has long been, and remains today, a place where religious freedom is protected.\n\nOur Constitution guarantees freedom of religion to all Americans, and we must remain vigilant in defense of this cherished right. The fight to guard our religious freedom has many foot soldiers in the halls of Congress, and I consider myself one of them.\n\nBut in my years leading the fight for religious freedom, I have encountered far too many others in Congress who are unwilling to confront outrageous examples of religious oppression abroad if the nation receives financial support from the U.S. Instead of taking a stand, the response from Congress has often been, \u201cIt\u2019s complicated.\u201d\n\nIt\u2019s not.\n\nOnce Congress has deemed it acceptable to compromise away religious liberty so it can protect some supposed policy priority that involves sending your resources overseas \u2014 arms sales, for example \u2014 can we really trust it to stand for religious freedom at home when the moment requires it?\n\nIn Pakistan, blasphemy laws have long been used not only to restrict free religious practice, but to punish minority faiths, shut down political opponents, or to settle workplace or trivial arguments. Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian, was confronted by a hostile neighbor after she drank from a shared water source. The neighbor accused Asia Bibi of blasphemy as part of the resulting argument, and she was arrested and sentenced to death by hanging.\n\nWhen the regional governor proposed reforms to the blasphemy law, he was assassinated by a member of his security team. When another government minister \u2014 the only Christian in Pakistan\u2019s cabinet \u2014 called for reforming the blasphemy law, he was also murdered.\n\nPakistan\u2019s government continued to uphold Asia Bibi\u2019s death sentence despite international condemnation. At the same time, Pakistan was receiving significant aid from the United States, and we could have conditioned any future foreign assistance on the repeal of this oppressive blasphemy law.\n\nIn the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I proposed exactly that in response to the Asia Bibi case. Twice I offered an amendment that would prohibit foreign assistance to any country, including Pakistan, that imposed death penalties based on anti-blasphemy or anti-apostasy laws. The committee had two chances to stand for religious liberty, yet it rejected my amendment each time.\n\nAlong the way, I also introduced a bipartisan resolution calling on Pakistan to release Asia Bibi and reform its laws, and I advocated for the U.S. to grant her asylum, including speaking to President Trump about her directly.\n\nUltimately, the international effort to raise awareness about Asia Bibi, combined with the pressure applied on Pakistan, led to her eventual release and escape from Pakistan.\n\nLast month, I introduced a bill to protect religious freedom and deny U.S. foreign assistance to countries implementing these anti-blasphemy laws (S. 4685), in part as a response to news on the case of Sawan Masih, a Pakistani Catholic who was sentenced to death by hanging for blasphemy.\n\nAccording to published reports, the blasphemy allegations were brought by a single witness. Thankfully, the case against Mr. Masih has now been dropped due to lack of evidence, though the many years he spent fighting for his life cannot be regained.\n\nThe repeated blasphemy charges brought against Pakistani Christians show that reliance on these laws is a gift to extremists. They are a tool to wage terror against Christians, to run them from society, to steal their property, and to ultimately extinguish them.\n\nI will continue to fight to make sure your tax dollars do not go to countries that enable these acts of oppression, and it is time for the rest of Congress to stop making compromises and join me.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:39:51Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=1B1CE999-0B62-4765-A9F5-52EB400F8A40", "McConnell Helps Deliver $500,000 to Protect Kentucky Kids from Drugs", "2020-11-05", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOUISVILLE, KY  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today four Kentucky communities received a total of $500,000 for substance abuse prevention efforts. Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) James Carroll, also known as the Drug Czar, contacted Senator McConnell to share the recipients of the funding from the Drug-Free Communities Program.\r\nThe following programs will each receive $125,000 for their addiction prevention efforts:\r\n \r\nCasey County School District (Liberty)\r\nSeven Counties Services (Louisville)\r\nOldham County Health Department (La Grange)\r\nMental Health America of Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio (Edgewood)\r\n \r\nThe best time to stop addiction is before it begins. I'm grateful to my friend, Director Carroll, for investing additional federal resources into Kentucky's comprehensive efforts to fight substance abuse, said Senator McConnell. Each of us has a responsibility to protect Kentucky's young people from the dangers of drugs, and I'm proud to support these organizations leading the effort. The pandemic hasn't shaken our focus on combating the scourge of abuse that tears Kentucky families apart, and we will continue working together to save lives from addiction.\r\nEarlier this year, Senator McConnell applauded ONDCP's investment of $1.75 million into Kentucky's substance abuse prevention efforts. He also announced Seven Counties Services received $4 million from his Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to continue helping those in need toward long-term recovery during the pandemic.\r\nSeven Counties Services is excited to continue working in the Graymoor-Devondalecommunity of Louisville through the Drug-Free Communities Program, said Abby Drane, President & CEO, Seven Counties Services / Bellewood & Brooklawn. Last year, through collaboration with this community and youth groups, we provided critical drug prevention activities to more than 7,000 Graymoor-Devondale residents. The COVID-19 pandemic is creating an unprecedented need for services to youth in many of the communities we serve. We look forward to helping more young people reduce their risk of substance abuse in the upcoming year.Seven Counties Services greatly appreciates Senator McConnell's commitment and advocacy to the youth in our community.His assistance securing these funds will provide much needed prevention services in the Graymoor-Devondale community.\r\nThe Coalition for a Healthy Oldham County is excited to have received funding from the Drug-Free Communities(DFC) Support Program, said Liz Burrows, Project Director of the Coalition for a Healthy Oldham County.With this funding, we can continue to build on the success we've seen over the past six years in significantly reducing youth use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in our community. Senator McConnell has been a consistent voice of support for our community since our first application in 2014. We are grateful to Senator McConnell for his continued support of the DFC program, our grant application and our efforts to prevent youth substance use in Oldham County.\r\nSince becoming Majority Leader in 2015, Senator McConnell has prioritized the fight against the opioid and substance abuse epidemic by increasing federal funding for the response. Under Senator McConnell's leadership, Kentucky has received more than $275 million. He worked with the University of Kentucky to help secure an $87 million competitive federal grantthe largest in school historyto address the opioid crisis in high-risk communities. He has also helped secure the inclusion of some of Kentucky's hardest-hit counties in the ONDCP's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program to promote coordination and support for law enforcement in Kentucky.\r\nSenator McConnell consistently draws attention to Kentucky's prevention, treatment and enforcement efforts with the President's Cabinet and federal agencies. Multiple Drug Czars have visited Kentucky at his request to see the innovative work being done in the Commonwealth. This year, Senator McConnell visited Volunteers of America Mid-States Freedom House in Clay County to discuss its treatment efforts. Director Carroll also attended at Senator McConnell's invitation.\r\nIn 2018, President Trump signed into law the landmark opioid and substance abuse bill Senator McConnell helped shepherd to enactment. The bill included his CAREER Act  which Congressmen Andy Barr (KY-06) introduced in the House  recognizing the connection among employment, housing, and long-term recovery. The legislation also contained the Senator's Protecting Moms and Infants Act, which authorized an increase in federal funding to help babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=226C5D50-AE60-400C-BFCF-382B6C6D1219", "Two Addiction Treatment Centers in Kentucky Receive Federal Awards", "2020-11-02", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOUISVILLE, KY  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Affairs awarded federal funding to two Kentucky substance abuse treatment facilities. The federal resources were authorized by the First Step Act, the bipartisan criminal justice reform championed by President Trump and supported by Senator McConnell.\r\nMountain Comprehensive Care Center in Prestonsburg will be awarded $900,000 to support Kentuckians working toward long-term recovery as they leave incarceration and reenter the community. Shepherds House, in Lexington, will receive $433,903 to support its reentry programs.\r\nLike many Kentuckians, I've heard inspirational stories of those who recover from addiction and rebuild their lives. I'm proud to support these organizations as they address the substance abuse crisis and help those in need contribute to their communities, said Senator McConnell. As Senate Majority Leader, I'll keep working to stop this scourge from wrecking more lives and threatening our communities.\r\nWe are pleased to receive this grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to assist substance abuse impacted persons in Letcher County transition from jail into the community, Promod Bishnoi, CEO of Mountain Comprehensive Care Center.We thank Leader McConnell for his assistance and continued response to the impact of addiction on our community.\r\nSenator McConnell has been a consistent partner in our work to help Kentuckians on their path to long-term recovery, said Jerod Thomas, President and CEO of Shepherds House. We're grateful for the federal investment into our reentry programs and our clients' future.\r\nSince becoming Majority Leader in 2015, Senator McConnell has prioritized the fight against the opioid and substance abuse epidemic by increasing federal funding for the response. Under Senator McConnell's leadership, Kentucky has received more than $275 million. He worked with the University of Kentucky to help secure an $87 million competitive federal grantthe largest in school historyto address the opioid crisis in high-risk communities. He has also helped secure the inclusion of some of Kentucky's hardest-hit counties in the Office of National Drug Control Policy's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program to promote coordination and support for law enforcement in Kentucky.\r\nIn 2018, President Trump signed into law the landmark opioid and substance abuse bill Senator McConnell helped shepherd to enactment. The bill included his CAREER Act  which Congressmen Andy Barr (KY-06) introduced in the House  recognizing the connection among employment, housing, and long-term recovery. The legislation also contained the Senator's Protecting Moms and Infants Act, which authorized an increase in federal funding to help babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=B2F3F5C1-70A4-4C8E-A453-3DFEE7A47904", "Federal Law Enforcement Agencies Sign Lease on New Home in Paducah", "2020-11-02", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOUISVILLE, KY  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today the federal government has secured a 15-year lease for the Paducah offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The three federal agencies will occupy a newly-constructed almost 10,000 square foot building off McCracken Boulevard.\r\nIn 2018, Senator McConnell announced the FBI and the DEA agreed to his requests to open new offices in Paducah and dedicate additional federal resources to support state and local law enforcement across the region. Both agencies have since stationed officials in Paducah and will continue to expand their footprint.\r\nWest Kentucky families can sleep better at night with the arrival of new federal law enforcement resources to help keep them safe. I'm grateful the FBI and DEA both agreed to my request to reinforce the courageous local and state officers who protect this region, said Senator McConnell. A permanent force of additional law enforcement officers will provide vital support against the epidemic of drug abuse and dangerous crimes. As Senate Majority Leader, I'm proud to once again direct national attention and resources to Paducah, making this area a better place to live and work. We owe all law enforcement officers a debt of gratitude for their selfless sacrifice, and I look forward to their service and partnership in Kentucky.\r\nHousing the FBI, DEA, and ATF in a single building can facilitate coordination with state and local law enforcement partners. In addition, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky Russell Coleman and his team of locally-based federal prosecutors will work closely with the three federal agencies to protect families and communities in West Kentucky.\r\nKentucky, and specifically McCracken County, continues to reap the benefits of Senator McConnell's influence as Senate Majority Leader, said McCracken County Judge-Executive Craig Clymer. Establishing bases for federal FBI, ATF, and DEA in our community greatly enhances law and order and further secures a safe, secure community for all of us to enjoy.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=D6D43938-10F9-4F59-B6DF-CDE240B1BC5E", "McConnell, Rogers Announce More than $5.5 Million in POWER Grants for Eastern Kentucky", "2020-11-02", "2020", "2020-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and U.S. Rep. Harold \"Hal\" Rogers (KY-05) applaud the Appalachian Regional Commission's (ARC) recent competitive grant awards totaling more than $5.5 million in Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER)funding for six projects in southern and eastern Kentucky. The grants will be used to expand access to opioid recovery programs, spur workforce development, improve STEM education resources, and build a new neonatal intensive care unit in the region.\r\nThe scourge of substance abuse remains one of the biggest challenges facing Kentucky's Appalachian communities, even in the midst of the pandemic. With my friend Congressman Hal Rogers, I was proud to keep national focus on this crisis and help invest nearly $5.5 million to continue combating addiction in this region, said Senator McConnell. The POWER grants focus on two areas of the crisis where I've sponsored legislation: protecting babies born into addiction and recognizing the connection among employment, housing, and long-term recovery. As Senate Majority Leader, I'm constantly drawing outsized attention to Kentucky and helping families access the federal resources to succeed.\r\n\"Our best days are ahead of us in southern and eastern Kentucky, thanks to the comprehensive work represented by these grant awards. It is clear that individuals in every corner of Kentucky's Appalachian region are taking steps to make our communities healthier, our workforce stronger, and our future brighter,\" said Congressman Rogers. \"Senator McConnell and I have rescued the Appalachian Regional Commission year after year to ensure that our communities in Rural America have access to the resources and opportunities that we desperately need. We applaud the ARC's focus on these important investments in Kentucky's Appalachian region.\"\r\nAs a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, preliminary studiesshow Kentucky's opioid overdose death rate may have increased at least 30% during the first eight months of 2020, compared to the same time period last year.Congressman Rogers and Senator McConnell have been long-time champions in the battle to save lives and curb the drug abuse epidemic in Kentucky, and three of the POWER grant awards will create important opportunities for recovery programs during this critical time.\r\nThe following POWER grants were awarded for programs in Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District:\r\n \r\n$1,500,000 to Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation to rehabilitate the former Whitesburg High School for 22 units of transitional housing for men who are in recovery from substance use disorders. Residents will receive workforce training through the Letcher County Extension, Letcher County Area Technology Center, Southeaset Kentucky Community and Technical College, CANE Kitchen, Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP), and the East Kentucky Heritage Foundation. The new housing project will create seven new jobs and will have the capacity to serve 44 residents each year who are working to maintain sobriety, further their education and find a job.\r\n$1,500,000 to Kentucky Dataseam Initiative, Inc. for a high school student IT apprenticeship program to expand in 20 Eastern Kentucky counties, impacting more than 45,000 students in Kentucky's Appalachian region.At least 60 student apprentices will continue their education and/or obtain employment. Student apprentices will earn two industry-standard IT certifications per apprentice as part of earning a U.S. Department of Labor IT Support Specialist Certificate. The program also includes paid IT jobs for students in participating school districts, hands-on coursework, on-the-job training, and vital technology infrastructure to communities for K-12 education. Dataseam will also assist Morehead State University and the University of Louisville with identifying and recruiting students into STEM and STEM education programs.\r\n$1,500,000 to Foothills Academy to construct the Foothills Independent Transitional Living Center (FIT) to deliver transitional housing, training, and reemployment services for young adults who age out of the child welfare system and have limited support networks. The facility will be located next to Somerset Community College with access to vocational and professional training.\r\n$990,510 to Saint Joseph London Foundation, Inc. to create a neonatal intensive care unit at Saint Joseph London Hospital in Laurel County to provide medical care for 100 newborn babies each year.The Saint Joseph London NICU project will create 19 new jobs and an estimated 24 jobs will be retained in order to meet the needs of the NICU and serve the infants and families of southeastern Kentucky. This is the largest ARC grant ever received by the Saint Joseph London Foundation.\r\n$50,000 to Gateway Area Development District to complete a strategic plan to improve workforce development across six counties in Eastern Kentucky. They will guide key partners and community stakeholders in implementing workforce training and transitional programs to fill skillset gaps in the region. Key partners include the Rowan County Fiscal Court, City of Morehead, TENCO Workforce Development Board, Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP), Maysville Community and Technical College and Morehead State University.\r\n$6,320 to EKY Heritage Foundation in Whitesburg for a feasibility study to examine the viability of Tiny House manufacturing in Letcher County. In collaboration with HOMES, Inc., FAHE and Addiction Recovery, the foundation will also examine second chance employment opportunities for individuals in addiction recovery, providing them with vocational training and jobs to build tiny houses.\r\n \r\nFor more information about the ARC POWER grant program, visit www.arc.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=B3D359B2-29FB-4F74-883B-1844F23CD67C", "Kentucky Nursing Homes to Receive $5.3 Million from McConnells CARES Act", "2020-10-30", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOUISVILLE, KY  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today 182 Kentucky nursing homes will receive a total of $5,332,001 to protect seniors from the coronavirus. The federal funding, distributed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), was made available by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act through the Provider Relief Fund. Senator McConnell introduced the CARES Act, which became the largest economic rescue package in American history, and led it to enactment in about a week.\r\nWe've learned a great deal about the coronavirus since the beginning of the year, including its danger to Kentucky's seniors. I'm proud my CARES Act is delivering the federal funding to help keep nursing home residents and employees healthy, said Senator McConnell. Our healthcare heroes have been sent over $1.3 billion to continue their courageous work protecting our loved ones from this virus. As Senate Majority Leader, I'll keep working to deliver the support Kentucky families need to beat COVID-19 for good and continue our economic comeback.\r\nAccording to HHS, the federal funding is delivered to nursing homes through performance-based incentives to slow the spread of this terrible virus. To date, nursing homes in Kentucky have received approximately $175 million from the CARES Act.\r\nWe are grateful to Leader McConnell and HHS for the $5 million being sent to Kentucky nursing home operators, said Joe Steier, President and CEO of Signature HealthCARE. The timely funding based upon quality resident outcomes for nursing homes' who are stepping up in a big way during the COVID pandemic will help us fund the PPE needed to keep our residents and frontline stakeholders safe.With 88% COVID recovery rates, the nursing home sector has really stepped in to serve and this $5 million being sent to Kentucky is a big win that is really needed now and we are grateful to Leader McConnell and HHS for this continued support.\r\nWe are excited for our long term care providers to receive these much-needed performance payments, said Betsy Johnson, President of the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities. Nursing homes are doing everything they can to prevent COVID-19 and the resources and training provided are invaluable to their success. Thank you to Leader McConnell and HHS for their priority support for our elders and health care workers.\r\nTo date, Senator McConnell's CARES Act has had a more than $13 billion impact in Kentucky. Senator McConnell's legislation has delivered $4 billion in relief to address urgent housing, transportation, healthcare, education and economic development priorities. Kentucky small businesses, farmers, and nonprofits accessed more than $5.2 billion in assistance through 50,000 PPP loans. Kentucky families have also received $4 billion in Economic Impact Payments from the U.S. Treasury.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-defends-ky-hemp-industry-against-regulatory-overreach/", "Dr. Rand Paul Defends KY Hemp Industry Against Regulatory Overreach", "2020-10-30", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nOctober 30, 2020\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Last week, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) continued his efforts to help remove unnecessary regulatory hurdles standing in the way of Kentucky\u2019s industrial hemp farmers by urging the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to clarify and change certain provisions in its Interim Final Rule implementing the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 [AIA] to adhere to the legislation as passed.\n\nIn submitting a comment to the agency during the open comment period, Dr. Paul laid out his concern that the rule, issued in August, would \u201chave negative consequences for hemp farmers and processors in Kentucky and across the country.\u201d He then made clear that \u201c[t]he concerning provisions regarding the testing of hemp derivatives\u2019 THC [tetrahydrocannabinol] content and synthetically derived THC run contrary to both the plain language and intent of the law.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, Dr. Paul noted that \u201c[t]he interim rule states the definition of hemp does not automatically exempt hemp derivatives from a schedule I classification\u201d in a move that runs opposite to the AIA.\n\n\u201cFurthermore,\u201d he later stated, \u201cthe interim rule does not clarify when the hemp derivatives\u2019 THC content may be tested. THC levels fluctuate during the extraction process and could potentially exceed 0.3% THC, even if derived from a plant testing below 0.3%. The interim rule\u2019s lack of clarity could be interpreted to mean that a hemp derivative or extract exceeding the 0.3% THC limit while still being processed and not yet in its final form is illegal. Should the DEA enforce against processors whose products test above 0.3% while still in the extraction process, extraction would effectively become impossible. This runs contrary to the intent of law as it clearly includes extracts in the definition of hemp.\u201d\n\nIn contrast to the DEA\u2019s claims that the AIA does not change the control status of synthetically derived THC, Dr. Paul observed that the AIA, the law itself, \u201cdoes not draw a distinction between THC that is naturally occurring or synthetically derived using extracts from a hemp plant with a THC content of 0.3%.\u201d\n\nHe then highlighted the problem the DEA could cause, saying that \u201cthe interim rule does not define \u2018synthetically derived,\u2019 leaving wide room for misinterpretation and abuse of regulatory authority should the rule be enforced against hemp businesses processing hemp into extracts.\u201d\n\nIn concluding his comments, Dr. Paul urged the DEA \u201cto reexamine its interim rule to provide much needed clarity and to ensure it comports with both the plain language and intent of the law.\u201d\n\nDr. Paul has been a leading voice for removing government restrictions on hemp, and his past efforts, including championing legislation, testifying before the Kentucky legislature, and advocating for Kentucky farmers in Washington, have helped ensure Kentucky can rebuild this historically vital industry and push forward to a prosperous future.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:34:36Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-introduces-further-legislation-recover-wrongly-sent-stimulus-checks/", "Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Further Legislation to Recover Wrongly Sent Stimulus Checks", "2020-10-30", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nOctober 30, 2020\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Earlier this week, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) continued his work to hold the federal government accountable for its emergency spending by introducing S. 4878, the Stopping Improper Payments to Foreigners Act.\n\nMultiple media outlets have reported on the federal government sending thousands of Economic Impact Payments to foreign nationals that were ineligible to receive the money. Dr. Paul\u2019s legislation would restore Congress\u2019 intent to send the stimulus checks only to U.S. citizens or those having resident status when the CARES Act was passed, help recover potentially millions of dollars, and help prevent the checks from being sent to foreign nationals who made inadvertent mistakes in filing their tax forms.\n\n\u201cBefore the federal government even considers putting trillions more in debt on the American people\u2019s backs during a pandemic, it owes it to them to at the very least do everything in its power to make sure it correctly spends what it has already authorized,\u201d said Dr. Paul.\n\nIn June, the U.S. Senate passed Dr. Paul\u2019s Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act (S. 4104), which would require the U.S. Treasury to use Social Security data to reclaim COVID stimulus money that was sent to dead people. The legislation, introduced in response to a GAO report and currently awaiting action in the U.S. House of Representatives, also provides a process to stop such payments in the future.\n\nYou can read S. 4878 HERE.\n\nThe legislation:\n\n\u2022 Brings tax law and immigration law into concert by excluding those holding nonimmigrant visas when the CARES Act was passed from stimulus check eligibility, with the exception of spouses of members of the Armed Services. This affirms congressional intent on the matter.\n\n\u2022 Ensures the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reviews all 1040 forms used to determine eligibility for stimulus checks under the CARES Act to certify those who improperly received stimulus checks.\n\n\u2022 Allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to share its list of nonimmigrant visa holders, and whether or not they were subsequently issued and had a green card at the time CARES was passed, with the IRS to help it scrub 1040s, information the IRS can only use for this purpose.\n\n\u2022 Facilitates the sharing of the IRS\u2019s findings with DHS so that DHS can condition the issuance or renewal of any visa to any individual identified by the IRS on their paying back the money they received from American taxpayers.\n\n\u2013 Under the bill, IRS certification does not make somebody ineligible for a visa, even if the visa applicant finds out about the certification after they have begun the visa process. The only way it would prevent anyone from receiving a visa is if they have actively refused to repay the stimulus check they received from the American taxpayer after being made aware of the issue and presented with an opportunity to do so.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:34:36Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=A630CC8C-9D9D-4F98-947B-AFCC3C7C4F23", "McConnell Speaks Before Senate Confirms Judge Barrett", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Judge Amy Coney Barrett:\r\nThe Senate will render one of the most consequential judgements it can ever deliver.\r\nWe will approve a lifetime appointment to our nation's highest court.\r\nSince the ink dried on the Constitution, only 114 men and women have been entrusted to uphold the separation of powers, protect people's rights, and dispense impartial justice on the Supreme Court.\r\nIn a few minutes, Judge Amy Coney Barrett of Indiana will join their ranks.\r\nThis body has spent weeks studying the nominee's record. We've examined fifteen years of scholarly writings. About one hundred opinions from the Seventh Circuit. And testimonials from legal experts running the gambit from close colleagues, to total strangers.\r\nThere have been one on one meetings for every Senator who wanted one. And a week of intensive hearings.\r\nAll of it has pointed to one conclusion: this is one of the most brilliant, admired, and well-qualified nominees in our lifetime. Intellectually, Judge Barrett is an absolute all-star.\r\nShe graduated number one in her class at Notre Dame Law School. She clerked on the second highest federal court and the Supreme Court. Then she returned to her alma mater and became an award-winning academic.\r\nJudge Barrett's mastery of the Constitution gives her a firm grasp on the judicial role.\r\nShe has pledged to apply the law as written, not as she wishes it were.' Her testimony, her writings, and her reputation confirm a total commitment to impartiality.\r\nAnd the nominee's personal integrity and strength of character are literally beyond reproach.\r\nShe earned the highest rating from the left leaning American Bar Association.\r\nThey marveled at the, quote, breadth, diversity, and strength of the positive feedback [they] received from judges and lawyers of all political persuasions.'\r\nIf confirmed, this daughter of Louisiana and Indiana will become the only current justice with a law degree from any school not named Harvard or Yale.\r\nShe'd be the first mother of school-aged children to ever sit on the Court. By every account, the Supreme Court is getting not just a talented lawyer, but a fantastic person.\r\nWe've heard moving testimony from former students whom Judge Barrett went out of her way to help and to mentor. Her past clerks describe an exemplary boss. Her fellow scholars describe a winsome, respectful colleague who is tailor made for the collaborative atmosphere of the Court.\r\nBy any objective standard, Judge Barrett deserves to be confirmed to the Supreme Court.\r\nThe American people agree. In just a few minutes, she'll be on the Supreme Court.\r\nTwo weeks ago, a CNN journalist made this observation. Let's be honest  in another [political] age... Judge Amy Coney Barrett would be getting 70 votes or more in the U.S. Senate because of her qualifications.'\r\nNow, we know that's not going to happen.\r\nThese are not the days when Justice Scalia was confirmed 98-0 and Justice Ginsburg was confirmed 96-3. And by the way, I voted for both Ginsburg and Breyer. It seems like a long time ago now.\r\nWe spent a lot of energy in recent weeks debating this matter. I think we can all acknowledge that both sides in the Senate have parallel oral histories about the last thirty or so years.\r\nEach side feels the other side struck first -- and struck worst  and has done more to electrify the atmosphere around here about confirmations.\r\nNow, predictably enough, I think our account is based off what actually happened. I was there, I know what happened.\r\nI've laid it out earlier, and I'll talk about it again so the American people understand how we got to where we are.\r\nIt was the Senate Democrats who spent the early 2000s boasting about their brand new strategy of filibustering qualified nominees from a Republican president.\r\nThey were proud of it. They found a new way to halt the process. Stop those crazy right wing judges that Bush 43 was going to send up.\r\nThey pioneered it because they knew what the precedent was at that point. At that point as we discussed before, it just wasn't done. Or you could do it, but you didn't.\r\nAnd the best evidence that you shouldn't do it was the Clarence Thomas nomination, confirmed 52-48. And all of us know that any one of us in this body has a lot of power to object. So, if any one of the 100 senators at that time  including people who were opposed to Justice Thomas, like Joe Biden and Ted Kennedy  could have made us get 60 votes and Clarence Thomas would not have been on the Supreme Court.\r\nThat's how strong the tradition was, until the Democratic Leader led the effort in the early 2000s to establish the new standard.\r\nWell, after establishing the new standard, they got weary of it. And in 2013 the so-called nuclear option was implemented because Republicans were holding President Obama's nominee's to the same standard that they themselves had created.\r\nSo, when the shoe got on the other foot they didn't like it too much. It was too tight.\r\nSenate Democrats, both in 1992 and 2007, helpfully volunteered how they would have dealt with a nominee like we did in 2016.\r\nThe then-Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Joe Biden, helpfully volunteered in 1992 when Bush 41 was running for re-election, that had a vacancy occurred, they wouldn't have filled it.\r\nThere wasn't a vacancy, but he just helpfully volunteered how they would deal if it if they had one.\r\nWell, to one-up him, Leader Harry Reid and his friend the Democratic Leader said 18 months before the end of the Bush 43 period, if a vacancy on the Supreme Court occurred they wouldn't fill it. That's a fact.\r\nWhat we're talking about here are the facts of how we got to where we are,\r\nI understand my Democratic friends seem to be terribly persuaded by their version of all of this. All I can tell you is: I was there, I know what happened. And my version is totally accurate.\r\nThe truth is, on all of this, we owe the country a broader discussion.\r\nCompeting claims about Senate customs cannot fully explain where we are.\r\nProcedural finger pointing does not explain the torrent of outrage and threats which this nomination and many previous ones have provoked from the political left.\r\nThere are deeper reasons why these loud voices insist it is a national crisis.\r\nIt's a national crisis when a Republican president makes a nominee for the Supreme Court.\r\nCatastrophe looms right around the corner. The country will be fundamentally changed forever. When a Republican president makes a Supreme Court nominee.\r\nThey have hauled out the very same tactics for fifty years. Some of the opposition's more intense, but the doomsday predictions about the outcome of nominating these extremists like John Paul Stevens, David Souter?\r\nWhy, somehow, everyone knows in advance that nominations like Bork, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett are certain to whip up national frenzies... while nominations like Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan are calm events by comparison.\r\nThis blaring asymmetry predates our recent disputes. And it comes, my colleagues, from a fundamental disagreement on the role of a judge in our republic.\r\nWe just have a fundamental difference of opinion. We just heard the Democratic Leader name all of these things that are threatened by this nominee. It sounds very similar to the tunes we've heard before.\r\nWe, like many Americans, want judges to fulfill a limited role the Constitution assigns to them: Stick to text, resolve cases impartially, and leave policymaking to the people and their representatives, which is what we do here.\r\nWe just spent four years confirming brilliant, qualified constitutionalists to the Supreme Court and lower courts who understand their roles.\r\n53 circuit judges, over 200 judges in total, and we're about to confirm the third Supreme Court Justice. What they all have in common -- brilliant, smart, and know what a judge is supposed to be.\r\nBut the left thinks the framers of our country got this all wrong. They botched the job.\r\nThe people who wrote the Constitution didn't understand what a judge ought to be. As several Senate Democrats have reaffirmed in recent days, they find it quaint and naive to think a judge would simply follow the law.\r\nScalia used to say if you want to make policy, why don't you run for office? That's not what we do here.\r\nGorsuch said we don't wear red robes or blue robes. We wear black robes. What they want is activist judges. They've made it quite clear. The Democratic Leader just a few minutes ago made it quite clear.\r\nSo what they are looking for is a small panel of lawyers with elite educations to reason backward from outcomes and enlighten all the rest of us with their morals and political judgment. Whether the Constitution speaks to the issue or not. They know best what's for us. No matter what the Constitution or the law may say.\r\nAnd for the last several decades, in many cases, that's what they have gotten. One activist decision after another, giving us subjective preferences of one side of the force of law.\r\nAcross a wide variety of social, moral, and policy matters that a healthy society would leave to democratic debate, the personal opinions of judges have superseded the will of the people.\r\nNow, they call that a success, and they want more of it.\r\nPresident Obama actually was refreshingly honest about this. He said he wanted to appoint judges who had empathy. Think about that for a minute. What if you are the litigant before the judge -- for whom the judge does not have empathy? You're in tough shape. So, you give them credit for being pretty honest about this. That's what they're looking for. The smartest, leftist people they can put to make all the decisions for the rest of us, rather than leaving it to the messy democratic process to sort these things out the way the framers intended.\r\nAnd that is clearly why we have taken on such an outsized, combative atmosphere with regard to these confirmations. That's why they have become so contentious, because they want to control not only the legislative body but the judicial decisions as well.\r\nLet me just say this -- there is nothing innate about legal training that equips people to be moral philosophers.\r\nAnd incidentally, as I just said, that's why these confirmations have taken on such an outsized, unhealthy significance. The remarks we just heard from across the aisle show exactly why the framers wanted to stop the courts from becoming clumsy, indirect battlefields for subjective debates that belong in this chamber and over in the House and in state legislatures around the country.\r\nThe left does not rage and panic at every constitutionalist judge because they will simply enact our party's policy preferences. Any number of recent rulings make that very clear.\r\nTheir problem is that every judicial seat occupied by a constitutionalist is one fewer opportunity for the far left to go on offense.\r\nAt the end of the day, this is a valid debate.\r\nThe difference of opinion on the judicial role is something the Senate and our system are built to handle. But there is something else our system cannot bear. As you have heard tonight, we now have one political faction essentially claiming they now see legitimate defeat as an oxymoron.\r\nOur colleagues cannot point to a single Senate rule that's been broken. They made one false claim about committee procedure which the parliamentarian dismissed.\r\nThe process comports entirely with the constitution.\r\nWe don't have any doubt, do we, that if the shoe was on the other foot, they would be confirming this nominee. And have no doubt if the shoe was on the other foot in 2016, they would have done the same thing. Why? Because they had the elections that made those decisions possible. The reason we were able to make the decision we did in 2016 is because we had become the majority in 2014.\r\nThe reason we were able to do what we did in 2016, 2018, and 2020 is because we had the majority. No rules were broken whatsoever. So all of these outlandish claims are utterly absurd, and the louder they scream, the more inaccurate they are.\r\nYou can always tell, just check the decibel level on the other side. The higher it goes up, the less accurate they are.\r\nOur democratic colleagues keep repeating the word illegitimate as if repetition would make it true.\r\nWe're a constitutional republic. Legitimacy does not flow from their feelings. Legitimacy is not the result of how they feel about it. You can't win them all, and elections have consequences.\r\nAnd what this Administration and this Republican Senate has done is exercise the power that was given to us by the American people in a manner that is entirely within the rules of the Senate and the Constitution of the United States.\r\nThe irony indeed. Think about how many times our Democratic friends have berated President Trump for allegedly refusing to accept legitimate outcomes he does not like. How many times have we heard that? President Trump won't accept outcomes he does not like.'\r\nWell, they're flunking that very test right before our eyes. That's their problem. They don't like the outcome. Well, the reason this outcome came about is because we had a series of successful elections. One of our two major political parties increasingly claims that any political system that deals them a setback is somehow illegitimate.\r\nAnd this started actually long before this vacancy, as we all know. Over a year ago, Senate Democrats sent the Court an amicus brief that read like a note from a gangster film. They wrote: The Supreme Court is not well Perhaps the Court can heal itself before the public demands it be restructured''\r\nIn March, the Democratic Leader stood outside the Court and threatened multiple Justices by name. You won't know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions!' You will pay the price!'\r\nThat's the Democratic Leader of the Senate in front of the Supreme Court mentioning justices by name and in effect saying, if you rule the wrong way, bad things are going to happen.\r\nFor multiple years now, Democrats in this body and on the presidential campaign stump have sought to revive the discredited concept of court-packing.\r\nEvery high school student in America learns about Franklin Roosevelt's unprincipled assault on judicial independence. Now the left wants to repeat it.\r\nAnd former Vice President Biden, who spent decades condemning the idea here in the Senate, obediently says he'll look into it.\r\nMost importantly, the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg said last year: nine is the right number.'\r\nThat's the vacancy we're filling right now. I don't think any of them have quoted her on this issue lately, have you? Ruth Bader Ginsburg said nine is the right number.'\r\nThese latest threats follow decades of subtler attempts to take independent judges and essentially put them on political probation.\r\nHow many consecutive nominees have Democrats and the media insisted would, quote, tip the balance' of the Court?\r\nHas anyone tallied up how many hard right turns the courts have supposedly taken in our lifetimes?\r\nAll this ominous talk is a transparent attempt to apply improper pressure to impartial judges.\r\nRule how we want, or we're coming after the Court. Vote how we want, or we'll destroy the Senate.\r\nThese have been the Democratic demands. This is not about separation of powers.\r\nIt's a hostage situation.\r\nElections come and go. Political power is never permanent.\r\nBut the consequences could be cataclysmic if our colleagues across the aisle let partisan passions boil over and scorch the ground rules of our government.\r\nThe framers built the Senate to be the nation's firewall.\r\nOver and over, this institution has stood up to stop recklessness that could have damaged our country forever.\r\nTonight, we are called to do that again.\r\nTonight, we can place a woman of unparalleled ability and temperament on the Supreme Court.\r\nWe can take another historic step toward a judiciary that fulfills its role with excellence, but does not grasp after power that our constitutional system intentionally assigns somewhere else.\r\nAnd we can stand loud and clear that the United States Senate does not bow to intemperate threats.\r\nVoting to confirm this nominee should make every single Senator proud.\r\nSo I urge my colleagues to do just that.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-congratulates-judge-barrett/", "Dr. Rand Paul Congratulates Judge Barrett", "2020-10-26", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nOctober 26, 2020\n\nContact: Press@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Tonight, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) released the following statement after the U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Amy Coney Barrett to serve as an Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court:\n\n\u201cI have long believed Judge Barrett would make a great Supreme Court justice, and I am even more excited after meeting with her and watching her navigate the nomination process. Judge Barrett\u2019s integrity, dedication to the Constitution, and deep knowledge of the law have been widely praised, and I congratulate her on this achievement.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:34:36Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=FA9FD614-3ED2-4305-B339-51EECF335BA5", "Senate Advances One of the Most Qualified Nominees for Judicial Service that We Have Seen in our Lifetimes", "2020-10-25", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Judge Amy Coney Barrett:\r\nQuote: Few men [in] society will have sufficient skill in the laws to qualify them for the stations of judges [And] the number must be still smaller of those who unite the requisite integrity with the requisite knowledge.'\r\nThat was Alexander Hamilton, in Federalist 78.\r\nThe framers knew the independent judiciary would be a crucial part of this new experiment in self-government. If the separation of powers was to endure and the people's rights were to be safe, we would need individuals of the highest quality on the courts.\r\nHow fortunate for our country that the Senate just advanced one of the most qualified nominees for judicial service that we have seen in our lifetimes.\r\nJudge Amy Coney Barrett of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is a stellar nominee in every respect. Her intellectual brilliance is unquestioned. Her command of the law is remarkable. Her integrity is above reproach.\r\nFirst as an award-winning academic and then as a circuit judge, she has worked her way up to the pinnacle of the law.\r\nBut just as importantly, Judge Barrett has displayed zero willingness to impose personal views or clumsily craft new policy with her gavel. She has demonstrated the judicial humility, the neutrality, and the commitment to our written Constitution that are essential for this office.\r\n***\r\nBy now, as tends to happen by the ends of these processes, the Senate knows Judge Barrett very well.\r\nSenators saw the Judiciary Committee put the nominee through her paces with days of exhaustive questioning.\r\nWe've been able to study nearly 100 opinions she has issued in three years on the federal bench.\r\nWe've had another opportunity to examine the 15 years of scholarly writings that most of us reviewed three years ago, when Judge Barrett won bipartisan confirmation to her current job.\r\nAnd we've been deluged by personal testimonials from every corner of Judge Barrett's career and life to confirm just what a remarkable person this nominee is.\r\nOne of Judge Barrett's former colleagues at Notre Dame is a leading expert in comparative constitutional law. That means he studies the courts and constitutions of countries all around the world. He meets judges from across the planet.\r\nHere's what this expert says about his colleague: I have had very many occasions to meet, observe, and work with high court judges from all over the world, from Argentina to Austria from South Africa to South Korea [and] I can say with great certainty that Judge Barrett stands out, on a par in her abilities with the most distinguished of them all.'\r\nHe says her legal work is as erudite as it [is] clear and accessible,' and as honest and fair-minded as anyone could aspire to, with not a hint of personal bias.'\r\nMost of us would be thrilled to receive such praise once or twice in our whole career. But Judge Barrett seems to provoke this reaction ineveryone. The highest professional compliments seem to be the default reaction from anybody who crosses her path.\r\nEighty-one of her law school classmates from diverse backgrounds, political affiliations, and philosophies say the nominee embodies the highest caliber of intellect fairmindedness, empathy, integrity, humility, good humor, and commitment to justice.'\r\nThey also said as fellow students, we often learned more from Amy than the professor.'\r\nThree years ago, more than 70 fellow scholars wrote the Senate calling her scholarship careful,' rigorous [and] fair-minded.' They said her personal integrity' earns wide respect.\r\nAnd every one of the Supreme Court alumni who clerked alongside Judge Barrett wrote us to share their unanimous' view that she is a woman of remarkable intellect and character.'\r\nThat clerkship came about, by the way, after one of her professors who is now a university president wrote Justice Scalia with one sentence: Amy Coney is the best student I ever had.'\r\nA few weeks ago, Harvard Law Professor Noah Feldman  who leans left  wrote that Judge Barrett is a brilliant and conscientious lawyer who will analyze and decide cases in good faith. He said she meets and exceeds' the basic criteria for being a good Justice.'\r\nNo wonder that for all the acrimony that has swirled around this process, nobody has even attempted to dispute Judge Barrett's qualifications.\r\nTo the contrary  it seems no one can help being impressed. At one point during Judge Barrett's hearing, she was asked about an arcane legal doctrine. Her answer was so clear and so accessible that one of our Democratic colleagues had to remark: that's quite a definition. I'm really impressed.'\r\nSo are the American people.\r\n***\r\nSome opponents of this nomination come right out and say, quote, it's not about qualifications.' They say they aren't interested in whether Judge Barrett will smartly and faithfully apply our laws and Constitution. Instead, they want to make apocalyptic predictions about policy.\r\nThere are a few problems here.\r\nOne is that their political side has been shopping the same horror stories for fifty years. They've been saying the same thing for half a century about every Supreme Court nominee by a Republican president. Without exception.\r\nAnd many of those judges, not to the delight of some people on this side of the aisle, went on to not disappoint the other side. Which shows you how hazardous it is to predict what someone will be for a lifetime. Many have been surprised, some unpleasantly.\r\nIt's almost if jurists are not politicians with policy platforms. It's almost as though that's the wrong way to look at this.\r\nThis is the deeper misunderstanding at play here.\r\nLet me quote an expert: A judge must apply the law as written, not as she wishes it were.'\r\nScalia used to put it this way. He said, if you want to make policy, why don't you run for office? That's not what we do here. That's not our job.'\r\nIt takes a great deal of discipline to squeeze your personal opinions out of your decision making. That's the kind of judges we've been confirming here for the last four years. People who are sworn to uphold the law  and take it seriously.\r\nPresident Obama once said he wanted to appoint judges who had empathy.\r\nThink about it for a minute. If you are the litigant for whom the judge has empathy, you are probably in pretty good shape. But what if you aren't?\r\nThat's not what we've been doing here for the last four years on the judiciary. And the reason that frightens these guys on the other side so much is because that's exactly what they want: Another branch of legislators seeking outcomes that may or may not be reflected in the law or Constitution that's before them. That's exactly what they want.\r\nQuote: Courts have a vital responsibility to enforce the rule of law, which is critical to a free society. But the policy decisions and value judgments of government must be made by the political branches elected by and accountable to the People. The public should not expect courts to do so, and courts should not try.'\r\nThat, of course, was Judge Barrett. She understands the separation of powers far more keenly than her critics. She understands the job of a judge.\r\nOur Democratic colleagues should not have tried to filibuster this exceptional nominee; they should have listened and learned.\r\nI loved during the hearing when Senator Cornyn said what do you have on your notepad?'\r\nShe held it up. Nothing. No notes at all.\r\nWe've got three former Supreme Court clerks on that committee  Senator Cruz, Senator Hawley, and Senator Lee. So they've been around the best, at the highest level. Nobody has seen anything better than this.\r\nThis is something to really be proud of and feel good about. We've made an important contribution to the future of this country.\r\nA lot of what we've done over the last four years will be done, sooner or later, by the next election.\r\nBut the other side won't be able to do much about this for a long time to come. And fortunately for Judge Barrett and for our nation, history will remember what is already clear: The deficiency is with their judgment, not hers.\r\nThe Senate is doing the right thing. We're moving this nomination forward.\r\nBy tomorrow night, we'll have a new member of the United States Supreme Court.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=B8FC4805-B5E5-4CE3-A0D5-C8C69CD92593", "McConnell Deconstructs Democrats Misstatements", "2020-10-24", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Judge Amy Coney Barrett:\r\nYesterday, the Senate took the first step toward concluding our consideration of Judge Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court.\r\nThe judge is one of the most brilliant, admired, and impressive nominees for any public office in a generation.\r\nTomorrow, we will vote on advancing her nomination toward a final confirmation vote Monday.\r\nOur recent debates have been heated. But curiously, talk of Judge Barrett's actual credentials or qualifications has hardly featured in it.\r\nThe Democratic Leader summarized his view yesterday. Quote: It's not about qualifications. His words.\r\nInstead, our Democratic colleagues have tried to claim the Senate's process itself is not legitimate.\r\nThese claims are supposed to lay groundwork for radical, institution-wrecking changes down the road.\r\nBut they aren't true.\r\nWe live in a constitutional republic. The legitimacy of an outcome does not depend on the feelings it provokes in politicians. Legitimacy comes from precedents, rules, and ultimately the Constitution.\r\nSo let's restate a few facts for posterity.\r\n***\r\nNumber one  there is no inconsistency between the Republican Senate's decision in 2016 and our decision to confirm Judge Barrett this year.\r\nHere's what I said in my very first floor speech following the death of Justice Scalia: The Senate has not filled a vacancy arising in an election year when there was divided government since 1888, almost 130 years ago.'\r\nNot setting some new precedent; just stating a fact.\r\nFifteen times in American history, during a presidential election year, new Supreme Court vacancies have arisen and presidents have made nominations.\r\nSeven of those 15 times, voters had elected an opposite-party Senate to check and balance the sitting president.\r\nNot surprisingly, only 2 of those 7 were confirmed, and none since 1888.\r\nThe other 8 times, the same party controlled the Senate and the White House.\r\nSeven of those eight were confirmed. All but one. The one exception unraveled in a scandal.\r\nWe followed precedent in 2016 and we are following precedent this week.\r\n***\r\nNumber two  it's been claimed that Chairman Graham broke the rules by reporting out Judge Barrett's nomination.\r\nNot so.\r\nAs the Parliamentarian confirmed on Thursday, Standing Rule 26 and Senate precedent are crystal-clear. If a majority of a committee is physically present and votes in favor of a nomination, reporting it to the floor is a valid action irrespective of what committee rules say.\r\nAnd Chairman Graham didn't even violate the rules of his committee. Past chairmen of both parties have done precisely what Chairman Graham did Thursday morning. In 2014, for one example, then-Chairman Leahy and the committee's Democratic majority voted multiple federal judges to the floor without two members of the minority present.\r\nNothing remotely unprecedented took place. Not in committee; not on the floor.\r\n***\r\nNumber three  timing. Some colleagues keep repeating the absurd claim that this is the most rushed confirmation process in history. This is flat-out false.\r\nFrom the announcement of the nomination to the start of the hearings, eight Supreme Court confirmations in the last 60 years moved more quickly than this one.\r\nThen, from the end of the hearing to the committee vote, half of all the confirmations since 1916 moved faster than this one.\r\nJustice John Paul Stevens was confirmed in 19 days from start to finish. Justice O'Connor in about four weeks. In the past, Justices have been confirmed in one week in one day!\r\nThere is no argument that Judge Barrett's nomination has moved at some break-neck pace.\r\nFacts are facts.\r\n***\r\nNumber four  contrary to what's been claimed, the Senate has absolutely confirmed Supreme Court nominees later in presidential election years than this. Multiple Justices were confirmed after elections had already happened!\r\nWe have had multiple Supreme Court Justices confirmed in Decembers of election years. Senates have even confirmed nominees for lame-duck presidents who had just lost.\r\nThis is another non-issue.\r\n***\r\nSo, look, all these false claims embarrass those who repeat them. But the most important point is this:\r\nIn this country, legitimacy does not flow from the whims of politicians.\r\nLegitimacy does not depend on which political party makes a decision.\r\nLegitimacy comes from traditions, rules, and the Constitution.\r\nOur Democratic colleagues have spent months obsessively demanding that our President repeatedly acknowledge that the election will be legitimate even if he loses.\r\nBut here in the Senate, with this confirmation process, Democrats are flunking that test.\r\nLet me say that again:\r\nDemocrats want President Trump to keep repeating that the election will be legitimate regardless of whether he wins.\r\nBut here in the Senate, the very same people are saying that our vote on Monday will only be valid if they like the outcome.\r\nOur Republic cannot abide any political faction making illegitimate' a sloppy synonym for we're not happy.'\r\nThat kind of recklessness leads down a road none of us should want to travel.\r\nSo that's why I keep correcting the record, even though it might seem silly. After all, if Republicans have the votes, why not just ignore my colleagues' misstatements and move on?\r\nBut it remains our duty to separate right from wrong, fact from fiction, for the good of the Senate and our nation.\r\nJudge Barrett's confirmation process has followed every rule. It's followed the Constitution in every respect. We have abided by the norms and traditions dictated by our history.\r\nAnd we're going to vote tomorrow.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/audiostatements?ContentRecord_id=78B2A48C-E3F6-4D72-8A84-4E4FF5F8A090", "10.23.20 WCBL-Benton Radio with KY State Representative Chris Freeland", "2020-10-23", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Click HERE for Senator McConnell's Coronavirus Response Portal", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=0EF11824-6A21-4849-AE09-50F5E5640A3B", "Senator McConnell Announces Kentucky Schools to Receive Over Two Million Face Masks from Trump Administration", "2020-10-23", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Education are sending 2,035,195face masks to Kentucky to be used by students and teachers at schools. HHS is distributing 125 million masks nationwide as part of President Donald Trump's plan to safely reopen America's schools for communities that choose to do so.\r\nThe reusable cloth face masks will be distributed to Kentucky's Department for Public Health, which will be responsible for the distribution of the mask to students, teachers and staff at public and private schools across the Commonwealth.\r\nWearing a mask is one of the most important ways each of us can protect ourselves and our loved ones from the coronavirus. I'm grateful to President Trump and his team for directing over two million masks to Kentucky to help our young people learn safely, said Senator McConnell. Until we get one or more vaccines, all of us must do our part to beat this virus. Through the CARES Act, which was written in my office, we delivered more than $13 billion for Kentucky families, workers, job creators and healthcare heroes. As Senate Majority Leader, I'll continue working to make sure our Commonwealth has the resources we need to keep families safe and continue our responsible economic comeback.\r\nTo date, Senator McConnell's CARES Act has had a more than $13 billion impact in Kentucky. Senator McConnell's legislation has delivered $4 billion in relief to address urgent housing, transportation, healthcare, education and economic development priorities. Kentucky small businesses, farmers, and nonprofits accessed more than $5.2 billion in assistance through 50,000 PPP loans. Kentucky families have also received $4 billion in Economic Impact Payments from the U.S. Treasury.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=8DE86700-E826-43B8-8212-45C418A42694", "Democrats Have Driven the Politicization of Judicial Confirmations at Every Turn", "2020-10-23", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the Supreme Court:\r\nColleagues, my first experience with Supreme Court confirmations here in the Senate, I was a young staffer for a junior member of the Judiciary Committee.\r\nThat was also the same time I met a young guy named Lamar Alexander who had just left the Senate to go down to the White House to work in congressional affairs.\r\nSo I've had an opportunity for quite a long time to observe the confirmation process through various ups and downs, periods when nominees were confirmed almost overwhelmingly and periods during which there were heated, to put it mildly, contests over the nomination.\r\nWhat I think I can safely say about the Senate over the last 40 or 50 years is that it's in an assertive period. In other words,viewing the whole process as a joint thing. That the President has a role to play and the Senate has a role to play and at various times in the history of our country the Senate's been pretty passive about it and at other times they've been pretty aggressive about it.\r\nThe Constitution is clear, the Senate has a role if it chooses to exercise it. Rarely have we ever had a nominee as extraordinary as the one we have before us right now.\r\nWe've had a chance to witness this outstanding nominee. We've watched her in committee. She's demonstrated she has the deep legal expertise, dispassionate judicial temperament and sheer intellectual horsepower that the American people deserve to have on their Supreme Court.\r\nLast week we saw why fellow legal scholars called Judge Barrett, quote, a brilliant and conscientious lawyer who will analyze and decide cases in good faith' and they say she is, quote, tailor made for this job.'\r\nWe saw why her former law clerks and students, call her, quote, a woman of unassailable integrity' and a role model for generations to come.'\r\nWe saw why the American Bar Association, an institution the Democratic Leader has called the gold standard deemed Judge Barrett well qualified to serve on the Supreme Court and they heard why the legal professionals behind that rating called her, quote, a staggering academic mind.'\r\nThe chair of the A.B.A.'s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary told the committee directly that, quote, in interviews with individuals in the legal profession and community who know Judge Barrett, whether for a few years or decades, not one person, not one, uttered a negative word about her character.'\r\nThis outstanding nominee is exceptionally suited to this job, period. And I know we all know that.\r\nShe is an exceptional nominee to the Supreme Court who will make the Senate and the country exceedingly proud.\r\nNow there are a few of us around here who have experienced the last 30 years up close and personal, and I'm one of them.\r\nSome of you followed parts of this history from the outside and now you're making history.\r\nIt's a matter of fact -- a matter of history -- that it was Senate Democrats who first began our contemporary difficulties with judicial nominations back in 1987, and who have initiated every meaningful escalation -- every single one of them -- from then up to the present day.\r\nIn 1987, Ted Kennedy and his friends introduced the country to Robert Bork's America, the first effort to smear a fully qualified judicial nominee based on insulting apocalyptic scare tactics.\r\nEven some of the people who were directly involved in borking Bork  Democrats, by the way  say they regret that low moment and what it has unleashed in the years since.\r\nIn the early 2000's,it was Democrats who very willfully invented a brand-new strategy to make judicial ideology, and not qualifications, the acceptable criteria for tanking presidential nominees.\r\nI remember reading in the early part of Bush 43's first term that a seminar was convened by my friend the Democratic Leader, and he invited a couple of scholars -- Laurence Tribe and Cass Sunstein -- to come talk to him about the appropriateness of beginning to use every single tool in the toolbox to stop judicial nominations.\r\nIt was always possible to filibuster judges; it just wasn't done. I mean there are plenty of things that you could do that you don't do. It just simply wasn't done.\r\nThe best example of that was the Clarence Thomas nomination. It couldn't have been a more controversial nomination than that one.\r\nThe Chairman of the Judiciary Committee was Joe Biden and Ted Kennedy was sitting next to him. It was about as aggressive as it gets. It made, in some ways, the Bork treatment look like child's play.\r\nThe committee reported out Justice Thomas with an even vote. And as we all know around here, it only takes one of 100 senators to make you get 60. Just one.\r\nThe tradition of dealing with the judicial nominees with a simple majority was so strong that not one Democrat, not one, required 60 votes on Clarence Thomas.\r\nIn case you don't remember the vote on his confirmation, it was 52-48. One Senator out of 100 could have denied Clarence Thomas his career on the Supreme Court.\r\nThat's how strong the tradition was of dealing with the judiciary in a simple majority way.\r\nWell, in Bush 43, my colleague the Democratic Leader, at this meeting apparently with Cass Sunstein and Laurence Tribe -- I'm paraphrasing I'm sure  was predicting all of these crazy right-wing judges would be set up by Bush 43 and we ought to use every tool in the toolbox, whether it's been used before or not, to stop judicial nominees.\r\nSo Democrats used the brand-new tool, the partisan filibuster, to block one Bush nominee after another whose qualifications nobody even disputed.\r\nIn her own confirmation hearing years later, for example, now-Justice Elena Kagan went out of her way to say Miguel Estrada, a name some of you may not be familiar with if you got here recently, would have been qualified to sit on the D.C. Circuit. She said he would even be qualified to sit on the Supreme Court.\r\nHe became the poster child for this new process invented by the Democratic Leader and his colleagues to routinely filibuster judges.\r\nIt was written, the suspicion was, that it might provide for Bush 43 the opportunity to name the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice, and of course they didn't want that to happen.\r\nSo Senate Democrats filibustered him seven separate times in 2003. He was one of the many victims of this norm-shattering, precedent-breaking behavior. A few years later, colleagues such as Senator Biden, Durbin, Leahy, Obama, and Schumer tried to filibuster Justice Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court.\r\nFortunately, that was not successful. But then something really funny happened.\r\nAll of a sudden there was a new president, President Obama. Suddenly, a Democratic president was making judicial nominations.\r\nWell, imagine what happened then. Suddenly Senate Democrats became very allergic to experiencing the effects of what they had started -- the effects of their own playbook.\r\nThey had no patience to taste their own medicine. Colleagues did not appreciate being held to the standards they just created a few years before. The shoe was on the other foot.\r\nWell, we all know what happened next. Another massive Senate-shaking escalation by Senate Democrats in 2013: the nuclear option.\r\nThey broke the Senate rules to change the Senate rules so that a Democratic president would not have to play by the same rules they had invented shortly before.\r\nAnd with a 51-vote threshold in place, Democrats began confirming nominees without meaningful minority support.\r\nI said at the time, quoting myself, they'd regret it a lot sooner than they would think.\r\nWell, that regret began in 2016.\r\nIn 2016, when Justice Scalia passed away, Senate Republicans had won our majority a year earlier. As I said then when I recommended to all of you that we not fill that vacancy created in the middle of a presidential election year, that you'd have to go back to 1888 to find the last time a Senate of a different party from the president confirmed a Supreme Court nominee to a vacancy created during the presidential election year.\r\nIn other words, not surprisingly, one party in control of the Senate was less inclined, and had been less inclined for a very long time, to confirm a Supreme Court nominee in the middle of a presidential election year.\r\nIt was entirely within the rights of the Senate to do that because what had clearly developed over these years was the Senate viewed itself as a partner -- a partner in the process. The President gets to nominate, but we get to decide whether to act on the nomination.\r\nNeedless to say, after the unprecedented Senate-shaking steps that Senate Democrats had taken, the Republican Senate majority was not much inclined to depart from precedent and do President Obama that favor.\r\nOur decision in 2016 was fully in line with precedent, fully within the Constitution and completely within the Senate rules. Now, I understand why they didn't like it. I wouldn't have either. Of course they didn't like it. But elections have consequences and America had chosen a Republican Senate in 2014. But there's no parallel between actually breaking the rules, as Democrats did in 2013, and merely applying the rules in ways that Democrats do not like.\r\nIf the Senate's going to function, we must maintain a distinction between when people break the rules and when they apply the rules in ways we may not like.\r\nWhen President Trump won in 2016, Senate Democrats took yet another reckless and unprecedented step. They mounted the first-ever successful partisan filibuster of a Supreme Court nominee. That had not been done before. Tried it on Alito. It didn't succeed. Tried it on Gorsuch, and it did.\r\nSo the message was, in effect, nobody who President Trump nominates is going to get 60 votes for the Supreme Court. No matter how qualified.\r\nOf course, speaking of qualifications, Justice Gorsuch's qualifications were simply beyond question. Someone who frankly has gone on to issue some rulings, by the way, that these guys over here like, which shows you that predicting what a Supreme Court Justice is going to rule on has been a hazardous guess most of the time.\r\nTheir apocalyptic threats and predictions about what's going to happen with nominees of Republican presidents have been consistent going back to John Paul Stevens. Every single one of them is going to be a disaster for women and minorities and all the rest, none of which, of course, ever materializes.\r\nSo Republicans applied and extended what Senate Democrats had begun in 2013. They had left out the Supreme Court from being dealt with as a simple majority.\r\nSo we decided we're going to return to where, by the way, the judicial calendar was by practice anyway just a few years ago. It was always dealt with by simple majority. The Thomas nomination proved it. That was the custom here until our friends on the other side decided to start a new custom. It was within the rules, but a new custom.\r\nSo all my friends, this happened as a result of the threshold being lowered for the Supreme Court, is we're back to where we were as recently as Clarence Thomas. The executive calendar is dealt with, with a simple majority.\r\nI think that's better for the country, and they will benefit from that, too, at some point. When you have a President and a Senate of the same party, obviously, this is going to happen quicker.\r\nThat's the way it's always been. Whether the rule allowed a filibuster or not.\r\nSo ironically, we are back to where we were, and the entire executive calendar will now be dealt with as it was a few years ago, before all of this back and forth, with a simple majority.\r\nWell, obviously, Justice Gorsuch was confirmed on a bipartisan basis once the executive calendar was returned, finally, to a simple majority.\r\nAnd then Justice Kavanaugh: most of us were here for that. Despite the horrific and embarrassing display that some of our Senate colleagues aided and abetted, we made it through that.\r\nSo the good news is this: in about 72 hours, I anticipate we will have a third new Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.\r\nI do not blame some of my Democratic colleagues who have not been present for all of this, and who wish the Senate would behave differently. But just know this: this is not spin. This is fact. Every new escalation, every new step, every new shattered precedent, every one of them, was initiated over there. No exceptions. And it all happened over the strenuous objection of Republicans who tried in each instance to stop Democrats from trading away long-term Senate norms for short-term political wins.\r\n17 years ago, colleagues, Democrats were boasting to newspapers about this brand-new campaign to politicize judicial confirmations.\r\nThey thought it was a great idea. They bragged about it. One of my colleagues called himself the king of the filibuster. He proudly wanted to own it.\r\nWell, sooner or later, the shoe is always on the other foot.\r\nSo I hope our colleague from New York is happy with what he has built. I hope he is happy with where his ingenuity has gotten the Senate.\r\nColleagues, we have had this argument over and over for months, if not years.\r\nThis is not really what we are here to debate today. We are here to actually consider an outstanding nominee whose qualifications nobody doubts: Judge Amy Coney Barrett.\r\nSo, colleagues, let's get on with it. Let's do our job. Let's rediscover the rational treatment of nominations that the Democratic Leader embarked on a deliberate project, starting 20 years ago, to erase.\r\nWe will give this nominee the vote she deserves no later than Monday.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=BA956B8A-820C-4B4F-B66B-3E0C73BDBFFB", "Democrats Repeating Basic Falsehoods to Justify Court-Packing Threats", "2020-10-22", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Judge Amy Coney Barrett:\r\nThis morning, the Judiciary Committee reported the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the floor. Their recommendation was that she be confirmed. It was unanimous.\r\nAs one CNN journalist stated last week, quote, let's be honest, in another [political] age... Judge Amy Coney Barrett would be getting 70 votes or more in the U.S. Senate because of her qualifications.' End quote. It is supremely ironic that our Democratic colleagues delivered through a temper tantrum what they should have delivered through a fair appraisal: a unanimous endorsement.\r\nAll last week, the legal brilliance and judicial temperament that our nation deserves in a Supreme Court justice were on display. We saw why legal peers, fellow scholars, nonpartisan evaluators, students, and clerks from across the political spectrum have praised this nominee in the very highest terms.\r\nIn just a few days, she'll receive a vote on this floor. And I anticipate we will have a new Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.\r\nThat is exactly what the American people want to happen. Clear majorities of Americans want Judge Barrett confirmed. Of our fellow citizens who have formed an opinion, roughly two out of three want confirmation.\r\nThe Democratic Leader's histrionics are proving just as unpersuasive outside this chamber as they have proven inside of it. His anger and false statements have failed to persuade the Senate and they have failed to persuade the American people.\r\nDay after day, our colleague from New York performs the same angry speech, with the same falsehoods, and force a vote on some pointless impermissible motion.\r\nThe Democratic Leader is just lashing out in random ways. A few weeks ago, he torpedoed a bipartisan counterintelligence briefing for no reason.\r\nThis week, he's blocked a pandemic rescue package and tried repeatedly to adjourn the Senate for multiple weeks.\r\nToday, I understand that he stood outside the Senate to shout that Democrats would be boycotting the committee vote, and the committee vote had actually already ended.\r\nLook, I understand that some outside pressure groups have been badgering the Democratic Leader to act more angry. I'm just sorry for the Senate that he obeys them.\r\nI'm sorry our colleague felt the need to publicly brag that he had scolded the senior Senator for California for being too civil.\r\nI'm sorry that he feels the need to constantly say things that are false.\r\nThe American people know we disagree. They do not expect kum-ba-yah. But they deserve an adult discussion.\r\nLet's review some facts.\r\nFirst, the timeline. The Democratic Leader's claims that this process has been rushed are simply false.\r\nSixteen days passed between President Trump's announcement and the start of the hearings. In the last 60 years alone, eight Supreme Court confirmations moved faster.\r\nThen one week elapsed between the end of Judge Barrett's hearings and today's committee vote. Half of all the confirmations since 1916 have moved faster than that.\r\nJustice John Paul Stevens was confirmed in 19 days from start to finish.\r\nFor Justice O'Connor, it took just over one month. Chief Justice John Marshall was confirmed in one week after John Adams had already lost re-election. President Lincoln got someone confirmed in one day.\r\nObviously it's completely false to say this has been anywhere close to the fastest process ever. It is just disinformation.\r\nHere's another nonsense claim: That Judge Barrett is somehow the most partisan or politicized nominee ever. Really?\r\nAndrew Jackson nominated a political operative to the Court at the end of his presidency. Lincoln put his own campaign manager on the Court. Eisenhower nominated Earl Warren after Warren had stopped competing with him in the 1952 election and campaigned for him.\r\nBut this professor from Indiana, who got multiple Democrat votes for confirmation to her current job just three years ago, is going to be the most political confirmation ever?\r\nIn the previous century they put their campaign chairman on the Supreme Court. That's pretty political. Eisenhower put the governor of California who ran against him for the nomination on the Court. That's pretty political.\r\nI'll give you an example. The great John Marshall Harlan from Kentucky had a partner who was a cabinet member in the Grant administration. A guy named Benjamin Bristow. And Bristow was sort of thought of as Mr. Clean in the Grant administration, which had a lot of scandal problems.\r\nSo the GOP convention in 1876 was going to be in Cincinnati. And so in those days, of course, if you wanted to be president you couldn't admit it. You sort of had to act like you were being drafted.\r\nSo John Marshall Harlan, the largely unknown partner of the better known Benjamin Bristow, went to Cincinnati to the GOP convention to get his law partner Mr. Clean the nomination.\r\nThe perfect choice after eight years of scandal in the Grant administration.\r\nWell, it became clear after a few rounds of voting that he wasn't going to be able to pull it off for his partner, Benjamin Bristow. So Harlan threw Bristow's votes to the Governor of Ohio, Rutherford B. Hayes.\r\nAnd amazingly enough, right after President Hayes was sworn in of March 1877, it was John Marshall Harlan, not Benjamin Bristow, who ended up on the Supreme Court.\r\nHe served for thirty years with great distinction, and was the sole dissenter in Plessy v. Ferguson, the one member of the Supreme Court in 1896 that got it right with regard to desegregation and public accommodations.\r\nNow that actually became the majority opinion fifty eight years later in Brown v. Board of Education.\r\nTalk about a political appointment. That was a political appointment. Amy Coney Barrett is not the most political appointment ever to the Supreme Court by any objective standard.\r\nSo, these are not really arguments. They're just angry noises.\r\nThe Democratic Leader said yesterday, quote, Abraham Lincoln, when [he] had the opportunity to fill a Supreme Court seat, said it would be unfair to do it so close to an election.' That is false. It never happened. President Lincoln never said that or did that. The Washington Post already debunked this disinformation when another Democrat Senator tried to spread it.\r\nNow the Democratic Leader is claiming Chairman Graham did something unprecedented in committee this morning.\r\nThat would be news to Senator Leahy, who had a Democratic majority vote multiple judges to the floor in 2014 when there were not two Republicans present. Chairmen of both parties have done the same thing multiple times.\r\nAnd the Democratic Leader continues to misstate what Republicans said in 2016. Let me quoteverbatim from my very first floor speech after Justice Scalia passed away Quote: The Senate has not filled a vacancy arising in an election year when there was divided government since 1888.'\r\nThe Democratic Leader may be emotionally invested in the idea that I said something else. But that's what I said. Historical precedent supported no confirmation in 2016 and it supports confirming Judge Barrett now.\r\nEveryone knows what's going on here.\r\nWe know why the Democratic Leader feels this need to keep saying things that aren't true.\r\nOur colleague is trying to invent a justification to declare war on judicial independence and pack the Supreme Court if Democrats should win power.\r\nBack in March, he walked across the street and threatened Justices by name if they ruled against his wishes. And now, even though this Court ended up delighting the political left with several decisions this year, he still wants an excuse to pack the Court.\r\nThe American people know what a terrible idea this is. Polls show majority support for confirming Judge Barrett and overwhelming opposition to court-packing. The American people are glad that Franklin Roosevelt didn't get to blow up our independent judiciary in 1937 and they strongly oppose Democrats' threats now.\r\nThe Democratic Leader may support court-packing, former Vice President Biden may call it a live ball,' but the American people know these threats are anathema to the rule of law.\r\nThis Senate majority will not let falsehoods drown out facts.\r\nWe will not reward hostage-taking.\r\nAnd we will not be bullied out of doing what is right.\r\nWe're going to follow history and precedent and do our job.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=F61E9F0A-0633-40E2-A3F5-13DA266F270F", "McConnell on Election Security: We Have Spent the Last Four Years Gearing Up For This", "2020-10-22", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding election security:\r\nYesterday evening, the Directors of National Intelligence and the FBI updated the public on foreign efforts to influence our election and our government's work to prevent them. They announced that Iran and Russia exploited voter information to send misleading e-mails.\r\nThis is just another reminder that multiple different adversaries with multiple different objectives want to fuel divisions among Americans and create chaos.\r\nIran, China, Russia, and other adversaries may have different goals. But they all share the same primary objective of undermining Americans' confidence in our democracy. And they are thrilled when their disinformation causes us to point fingers at each other, rather than at them.\r\nThe good news is that we have spent the last four years gearing up for this. Unlike the Obama-Biden Administration, on whose watch even Democrats admit we were caught flat-footed, the Trump Administration has worked overtime with Congress and other actors to get us ready.\r\nThe White House has imposed harsh new sanctions on Russians who interfered in 2016. The Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Intelligence Community have led efforts to strengthen and coordinate our defenses.\r\nHere in the Senate, the Intelligence Committee spent years studying what went wrong in 2016 and published a 1,300-plus-page report with recommendations. In the last two years alone, we've passed more than $800 million dollars to fund and support secure elections.\r\nThe Iranian and Russian operations described last night are being combatted by the federal government, in close coordination with state and local officials and the private sector. Details are being shared with Congress and the public as appropriate. This is precisely how this process should work.\r\nWe are miles ahead of where we were. Even the Washington Democrats who have spent years talking up the threats to our election infrastructure are now admitting that we've made huge strides.\r\nJust a few days ago, the junior Senator for Connecticut admitted, quote, we are going to have a free and fair election because we have spent significant money from the federal government, and through states, to beef up protections of our voter lists and of our voting systems.' End quote.\r\nNow, it's a separate question whether Democrats' ability to express basic patriotic confidence in our institutions should be so contingent on whether their preferred candidate seems to be up in the polls. But regardless, it is the truth.\r\nI will close with one point that I keep making. The work of protecting our democracy is not just the job of experts in government buildings. This is also a duty that falls upon every one of us. Every citizen.\r\nAt this point it is a patriotic duty for Americans to be educated consumers of information. Citizens who need information about voting should look to their local official sources. And all of us, on all sides, should take a deep breath and realize that division, disinformation, and chaos are exactly what our adversaries want.\r\nWe're all in this together. All of us Americans are in this together.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/audiostatements?ContentRecord_id=D567925F-6CF5-45BE-8961-D64BE6B9F31B", "10.21.20 WVLK-Lexington Radio with Larry", "2020-10-21", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Click HERE for Senator McConnell's Coronavirus Response Portal", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=88D4FC0D-E042-4B17-B0D8-E1454F716FCA", "McConnell Before Senate Vote on More COVID-19 Relief: The Country Needs an Outcome", "2020-10-21", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 relief:\r\nToday, the Senate will have the opportunity to advance another COVID-19 relief package for American families.\r\nFor more than seven months now, the American people have been facing what one writer described as a health crisis with an economic crisis strapped to its back.\r\nThe Senate has stepped up repeatedly, on a bipartisan basis, to help our nation through this challenge. Today we can do it again.\r\nThe legislation before us is neither Republicans' nor Democrats' idea of a perfect bill. I think we're all clear on that. But it would move us past Speaker Pelosi's all-or-nothing obstruction and deliver huge support, right now, for the most pressing needs of our nation.\r\nRepublicans want to conquer this disease through testing, treatments, and vaccines. And Democrats say they agree with us.\r\nRepublicans want to pour money into safe schools and make sure an entire generation of kids don't fall any further behind. And Democrats say they agree with us.\r\nRepublicans want to re-open the Paycheck Protection Program so that Main Streets across America don't turn into COVID ghost towns; so that millions of workers can keep their jobs and keep getting paid. And Democrats say they agree with us.\r\nFor workers who've been laid off, Republicans want to renew the federal supplement to unemployment insurance. Democrats say they agree with that.\r\nRepublicans want to cement health protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions, including COVID-19 itself. Democrats claim they're all over this issue.\r\nAnd Republicans want to take our nation's college presidents, nonprofit leaders, and employers at their word when they say they need common-sense protections so that legal uncertainty does not block our re-opening.\r\nThe bill on the floor would do every one of these things and much more.\r\nThe overwhelming bulk of it are programs that Democrats claim they support.\r\nWell, it turns out there is a special perk to being a United States Senator. When you actually support something, you get to vote for it!\r\nWhen you actually want an outcome, you vote for it.\r\nStrangely enough, that's not what's happened. Our Democratic colleagues have been happy to talk about further relief  as long as it's remained a hypothetical concept.\r\nBut every time the Senate's had a chance to actually do something, they've said no.\r\nIn July, Republicans tried to continue the federal plus-up to unemployment insurance before it expired. Leader Schumer blocked it.\r\nIn August, Senator McSally fought again to restart those benefits for laid-off Americans. Once again, Democrats stopped it cold.\r\nIn September, Republicans wrote a sweeping proposal to deliver hundreds of billions of dollars for safe schools, unemployment benefits, paycheck protection, and the healthcare fight.\r\nEvery single Senate Democrat voted to kill it all  except the junior Senator for California, who didn't even vote.\r\nThis has been the dynamic for months now: Republicans trying to pass common-sense policies that Democrats say they support... and Democrats replying that working people can't get a dime unless Speaker Pelosi gets everything she wants.\r\nWe're talking about silly stuff:\r\nMassive tax cuts for rich people in blue states. Stimulus checks for people in our country illegally.\r\nWheelbarrows of cash  out of any proportion to COVID needs  for state and city governments that Democrats have mismanaged for decades.\r\nRemoving long-standing bipartisan Hyde protections that protect taxpayers from funding abortions.\r\nNow I hear they don't want to renew the PPP unless it sends money to Planned Parenthood and criminals who are literally currently in prison.\r\nThese are the kinds of far-left fringe demands over which Democrats have blocked kitchen-table assistance for American families and healthcare support to crush the virus.\r\nDuring this historic crisis, the Democratic leaders have elected to deny struggling people the help they need unless President Trump signs the entire Democratic Party platform into law.\r\nToday, we are providing another chance to right the ship.\r\nIn a few minutes, Senators will vote to either advance or filibuster a broad package that would deliver on all kinds of urgent needs.\r\nTesting. Treatments. Vaccines. Safe schools for our kids.\r\nA second round of the job-saving PPP. More federal unemployment benefits.\r\nThe legal protections that university presidents and charities say they need. Protections for pre-existing conditions.\r\nThere is almost nothing in this proposal that Democrats even claim to oppose.\r\nAnd last week, the entire country watched our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee complain over and over about having to fulfill those responsibilities when they supposedly wanted to be working on coronavirus relief instead.\r\nWe'll see who walks the walk.\r\nI'm confident the Democratic Leader will repeat the same tired attacks he's been recycling since the summertime. He'll say that we shouldn't do anything unless we do everything. He'll argue this multi-hundred-billion-dollar bill is paltry, or meager, or emaciated.\r\nI'm not kidding; this is seriously their claim: That a half a trillion dollars for working people is chump change. It's not worth their time. Hundreds of billions of dollars targeted directly to struggling people doesn't even get Democrats out of bed in the morning.\r\nWell, perhaps to the blue-state billionaires who seem to be the Democrats' top priority, these historic sums of money do look like chump change.\r\nMaybe coastal elites who can practically find a million dollars in their couch cushions are indifferent about whether we get an outcome here.\r\nBut, believe me, working families like the Kentuckians I represent don't see it that way.\r\nMillions of workers have been able to keep their jobs and support their families because of the Paycheck Protection Program. Republicans want to fund a whole second round. Today, Democrats will either vote to advance it  or vote to kill it.\r\nStudents, teachers, and parents need to know their K-12 schools are as safe as possible. Republicans want to send an historic sum of money to schools.\r\nToday, Democrats will either vote to advance it  or vote to kill it.\r\nFor the historic numbers of Americans who've been laid-off, additional federal unemployment benefits have been a lifeline. Republicans want to restore them.\r\nToday, Democrats will either vote to advance it  or vote to kill it.\r\nColleges, universities, charities, and small businesses need commonsense legal protections. And with cases spiking, our whole country needs further investment in testing, tracing, and vaccines.\r\nToday, Democrats will either vote to advance all that  or vote to kill it.\r\nStruggling people don't need more endless arguments. They don't need to keep waking up and listening to reporters speculate on whether the Speaker of the House is in a good mood that day because their very livelihood may depend on it.\r\nThe country needs an outcome.\r\nLet's put aside our differences, agree where we can, and move forward. Why not get the country in a better place while Washington continues to argue over the rest?\r\nIf the sun sets today with no progress  if the Senate turns to Judge Barrett's nomination without having advanced another historic rescue package  it will only be because Senate Democrats used the filibuster to kill this aid.\r\nIf this relief does not pass, it will be because Senate Democrats chose to do Speaker Pelosi's political dirty work rather than stand up for struggling people.\r\nLet's not go there.\r\nLet's find our common sense, agree where we can, and advance this legislation while we debate the rest.\r\nThe American people deserve action.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=8FB6CECB-36C0-4FF5-8498-2982EC0071BB", "McConnell: Second Round of the Job-Saving Paycheck Protection Program Should Be a Bipartisan Slam Dunk", "2020-10-20", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 and the Paycheck Protection Program:\r\nQuote: It would have been really hard for us to get through without it.' That was the co-owner of Apollo Pizza, which has a handful of locations throughout Kentucky.\r\nQuote: It touches my heart just knowing that I can bring folks back and gainfully employ people who need to work.' That was a restaurateur in Fayetteville, North Carolina.\r\nQuote: It's pennies from heaven as far as our business is concerned.' That was one small business owner in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.\r\nQuote: It just made sense to us that if we're going to be able to get money from the government spend it on our employees.' That's from the fourth-generation owner of a bagel shop in Ferndale, Michigan.\r\nThose are just four of the millions and millions of hardworking Americans who've had an economic lifeline to help them endure this crisis year.\r\nThat lifeline is the Paycheck Protection Program. The PPP.\r\nAbout seven months ago, our nation's top medical experts recommended we do something without precedent: Shutter whole sectors of the economy to protect Americans from the pandemic.\r\nCongress needed an historic plan to help workers. Our colleagues Senator Rubio and Senator Collins stepped forward.\r\nThey realized we could not simply let Main Street go under. We could not simply tell millions and millions more workers to forget about their jobs and join the unemployment rolls.\r\nWe couldn't just let every storefront except the biggest corporate retailers turn into permanent pandemic ghost towns. We had to give small businesses and their workers a fighting chance.\r\nThe senior Senators for Maine and Florida found the solution. They invented the PPP.\r\nIt would fund emergency loans to employers. And those loans would be forgivable so long as the money was used to keep paying their people.\r\nAs far as emergency government rescues go, their idea was actually a bold free-enterprise policy. Don't just sign everyone up for welfare; fight to save jobs. Keep workers connected to their jobs and paychecks.\r\nAs we wrote the CARES Act, Senators Rubio and Collins got together with Senator Cardin and put the finishing touches on this program. Soon the PPP had become law without a single dissenting vote in either chamber.\r\nThe program proved so popular that it quickly committed all its funding.\r\nSo in April, we refilled it with more money. That was unanimous in the Senate, as well.\r\nThen in June, we tweaked the program on the fly to help small businesses even more. Once again it was unanimous  no objection from any Republican or any Democrat in the Senate.\r\nThis program has the most bipartisan pedigree possible.\r\nAnd those bipartisan beginnings have led to a major policy success story.\r\nFor millions of American workers from coast to coast, the PPP has made all the difference in the world. It has kept paychecks coming into their mailboxes and back accounts where there otherwise would have been pink slips.\r\nEvery state, every town, every city knows the difference it has made.\r\n***\r\nSo where are we today?\r\nThat historic first draw of the PPP has wound down. The program has closed to new applications. Many firms have run through their funds.\r\nBut clearly our economic recovery remains a work in progress. For many workers, business has not come roaring back to normal, and it won't until the health situation allows it.\r\nFortunately, Senator Rubio and Senator Collins have stepped up again. Our colleagues have legislation that will re-fund and re-open the PPP.\r\nIt will establish a whole second round for the hardest-hit small businesses that need help most. And thanks to the efforts of several colleagues, the legislation will also streamline the program and strengthen oversight.\r\nI would submit, that even for a Congress this divided, even in the year 2020, re-opening the PPP ought to be a no-brainer.\r\nThere is bipartisan agreement that American workers still need help. There is already bipartisan infrastructure in place to provide that help.\r\nBut there's a problem. The PPP has been taken hostage. Just like funding for safe schools, more funding for testing, more funding for vaccines, more funding for federal unemployment benefits, and commonsense legal protections that charities and university presidents have been pleading for, the PPP has been taken hostage by Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer.\r\nThe Democratic leaders have spent months holding out for a long far-left wish list of non-COVID-related priorities and obstructing any additional aid until they get it.\r\nAll-or-nothing. That's been their position. Either Democrats get every unrelated policy they want or American families get nothing. So for months, they've blocked bipartisan aid at every turn.\r\nThe Democratic Leader even tried last night to adjourn the Senate so we could do nothing at all for three weeks.\r\nThat's how urgent he thinks it is to help working people. He wanted to go home for three weeks.\r\nBecause President Trump will not just cave to the entire Democratic Party platform  because, for example, the President won't simply hand out endless sums of cash to chronically-mismanaged state and city governments, out of proportion to COVID needs  Speaker Pelosi has seen to it that working families have gotten nothing' rather than something.'\r\nLook  every Senator in this body knows this is not how people act if they actually want an outcome.\r\nAmerican families, working families, have waited months and months for Speaker Pelosi to end her Marie Antoinette act and let Congress find common ground.\r\nThere is no reason the second round of the Paycheck Protection Program should wait another day.\r\nSo we're going to vote on this legislation today. One clear vote on one clear program that everyone in this chamber says they want to pass.\r\nWell, I'll let you in on a secret. There's something Senators do when we want something to pass: We vote for it.\r\nIt's no counterargument to complain that the PPP legislation does not also contain 100 other things. The entire point is to agree where we can and make law while we keep arguing over the rest.\r\nIf my Democratic colleagues oppose the job-saving PPP, they should come to the floor and say why. Otherwise, this afternoon should bring another unanimous vote.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=6CD7CD4B-08D6-44FF-BCE1-043B0598879C", "Volunteers of America Mid-States Receives $700,000 to Help Families Coping with Substance Abuse", "2020-10-19", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and U.S. Congressman Harold Hal Rogers (KY-05) announced today Volunteers of America Mid-States (VOA) was awarded a $700,000 competitive federal grant from a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office for Victims of Crime's (OVC) grant program. Senator McConnell and Congressman Rogers contacted DOJ on behalf of their constituents' grant application and their mission to help save lives from addiction.\r\nAccording to VOA, they plan to use the federal funding to establish a Family Recovery Court in Clay County, Kentucky, which would help reunite families involved with child protective services all while keeping children safe.\r\nThe federal funding will enable VOA to deliver comprehensive trauma treatment and family-focused services to children impacted by substance abuse within their family. It can improve the stability, health, and well-being of the community, said Senator McConnell. VOA is doing impressive work in Eastern Kentucky to help families and children impacted by the substance abuse epidemic. I was proud to work with Jennifer Hancock and my good friends Congressman Hal Rogers and Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers to help VOA secure these resources for their life-saving work. As Senate Majority Leader, I'll continue mobilizing the federal government to deliver for Kentucky's fight against the addiction crisis.\r\nWe learned early in our life-saving efforts to combat drug abuse, that this epidemic requires a multi-faceted, holistic approach with a multitude of leaders at the table. This important grant focuses on providing a compassionate road to recovery in partnership with our justice system, which is a vital part of advancing accountability and a family support system when individuals need it the most, said Congressman Rogers, co-founder of the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse. I consider my friends, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers, long-time teammates in this journey to curb the tide of opioid abuse in Kentucky, and it was an honor to work with them again to help folks in Clay County who continue to be leaders in this fight.\r\nThis is another wonderful example of the partnership that has been created between Volunteers of America and Southeast Kentucky and moved forward with the assistance of Senator McConnell and Congressman Rogers, said Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers, who represents Clay County.\r\nVolunteers of America is thrilled to receive essential federal support to do life-changing work in Clay County and Southeastern Kentucky. We are very grateful that VOA's proposal to establish a Family Recovery Court in Clay County was funded by the U.S. Department of Justice and are so appreciative of all of the community partners and leaders who have made this grant possible, said Jennifer Hancock, President and CEO, Volunteers of America Mid-States. As always, I cannot say enough about Leader McConnell and Congressman Rogers and their drive to assure that we can assist more families in this wonderful part of our Commonwealth. Working together, we will keep more families together and make sure they are safe and healthy.\r\nIn July, Senator McConnell and Congressman Rogers announced VOA received a $2.6 million grant to help mothers and families maintain long-term recovery.\r\nSince becoming Majority Leader in 2015, Senator McConnell has prioritized the fight against the opioid and substance abuse epidemic by increasing federal funding for the response. Under McConnell's leadership, Kentucky has received more than $275 million. Senator McConnell worked with the University of Kentucky to help secure an $87 million competitive federal grantthe largest in school historyto address the opioid crisis in high-risk communities. He has also helped secure the inclusion of some of Kentucky's hardest-hit counties in the Office of National Drug Control Policy's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program to promote coordination and support for law enforcement in Kentucky.\r\nSenator McConnell consistently draws attention to Kentucky's prevention, treatment and enforcement efforts with the President's Cabinet and federal agencies. Multiple Drug Czars, the federal official responsible for coordinating the national response, have visited Kentucky at his request to see the innovative work being done in the Commonwealth. Last year, Senator McConnell attended the ribbon cutting of VOA's Recovery Community Center in Manchester. The Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, James Carroll, also attended at Senator McConnell's invitation.\r\nIn 2018, President Trump signed into law the landmark opioid and substance abuse bill Senator McConnell helped shepherd to enactment. In addition to the CAREER Act  which Congressmen Rogers and Andy Barr (KY-06) supported in the House -- the legislation contained the Senator's Protecting Moms and Infants Act, which authorized an increase in federal funding to help babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).\r\nCongressman Hal Rogers has been a champion in the fight against opioids and illegal drugs since day one. At the national level, he has fought for numerous initiatives, including Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs, Drug Courts, expanded treatment opportunities, and founded the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse. At the local level, Congressman Rogers launched Operation UNITE (Unlawful Narcotics Investigation Treatment & Education) to bring together regional leaders, law enforcement officials, health care professionals and concerned citizens to fight the drug epidemic in the region with a holistic approach. He has secured billions to combat drug trafficking nationally and to take back our Kentucky communities. Congressman Rogers also worked with Operation UNITE to found the annual National Rx Abuse and Heroin Summit, the largest gathering in the U.S. dedicated to opioid abuse.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=D35FE411-4ADA-4912-97A3-377E28222D05", "McConnell Applauds Judge Amy Coney Barretts Qualifications", "2020-10-19", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Judge Amy Coney Barrett:\r\nLast week, the Senate Judiciary Committee and the entire country heard from one of the most impressive nominees for any public office in a long time.\r\nJudge Amy Coney Barrett demonstrated that she has the deep legal expertise, dispassionate judicial temperament, and sheer intellectual horsepower that the American people deserve to have on their Supreme Court.\r\nHer nomination prompted an outpouring of praise from across academia, the legal profession, and, importantly, the political spectrum.\r\nLast week, our Committee colleagues saw why fellow legal scholars call Judge Barrett, quote, a brilliant and conscientious lawyer who will analyze and decide cases in good faith,' and say she is, quote, tailor-made for this job.'\r\nThey heard firsthand why her former law clerks and students call her, quote, a woman of unassailable integrity' and, quote, a role model for generations to come.'\r\nThey heard thoughtful answers that explained why the American Bar Association -- an institution the Democratic Leader has called the gold standard' -- deems Judge Barrett well-qualified' to sit on the Supreme Court. And they heard why the legal professionals behind that rating call her, quote, a staggering academic mind.'\r\nThe Chair of the ABA's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary told the Committee directly that, quote, in interviews with individuals in the legal profession and community who know Judge Barrett, whether for a few years or decades, not one person uttered a negative word about her character.'\r\nOf course, there's another way you can tell that Judge Barrett is so impressive and so qualified. It's the fact that the people who pre-committed to oppose her nomination have completely retreated from the merits.\r\nVirtually none of the politicians, pundits, or special interests who opposed Judge Barrett from the beginning have even tried to lay a finger on her qualifications or credentials.\r\nWe have seen inaccurate claims that it would be abnormal for the Senate to fill this seat...\r\nWe've seen bizarre, barely-disguised insinuations about the nominee's religious faith  and now, this morning, improper press scrutiny of her children.\r\nWe've heard Democrats try to take hostage our very institutions of government to stop this precedent-backed process from moving forward.\r\nBut none of the distortions can even begin to cloud the incredible qualifications of this nominee.\r\nI look forward to the Judiciary Committee's vote on Thursday. The full Senate will turn to Judge Barrett's nomination as soon as it comes out of committee. I'll be proud to vote to confirm this exceptional jurist.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=D831506A-CE22-45C1-AAE5-CB9793C168AF", "McConnell on Medias Interest in Judge Barretts Children", "2020-10-19", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today regarding the New York Times story on Judge Amy Coney Barrett's children:\r\nThe political left and the press should leave Judge Barrett's children alone. The nominee introducing her family in a few sentences of prepared remarks does not give the New York Times license to start treating minor children like objects of public curiosity.\r\nThis is a strange pattern for the New York Times. In 2005, another Supreme Court nominee from another Republican president also had adopted children. The Times tried to make an issue of them too. Nonpartisan adoption advocates had to publicly shame the newspaper before they publicly walked away from the story. One such group restated two weeks ago that this entire thread of conversation' should be off the table.' Too bad the Times ignored them.\r\nThe article editorializes that Just as everything with her nomination, the adoptions have been hard to totally separate from the politics of the moment.' What does that mean? Hard for whom? Only a few far-left commentators and now the Times have opted to scrutinize Judge Barrett's children rather than her qualifications.\r\nThe Times deliberately chose to paraphrase and amplify what some critics' and detractors' may be saying about this family. The media chooses which unhinged claims and tweets to ignore, which ones to indignantly push back against, and which ones to legitimize and elevate. If Judge Barrett happened to be a liberal icon, the press would be running interference against personal attacks and hounding Republicans to denounce them, not pretending they represent some chin-stroking national conversation.\r\nI look forward to voting to confirm this exceptionally well qualified nominee in just a few days.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=FA086DF7-36E3-42CF-8805-36B60A0D1C5D", "McConnell: Senate Will Vote to Move Past All-or-Nothing Obstruction on COVID-19 Relief", "2020-10-19", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding COVID-19 relief:\r\nThis week, the Senate will vote on more coronavirus relief that Congress could deliver to American families right now.\r\nMonth after month, Speaker Pelosi has held up urgent assistance for workers, families, schools, and our healthcare system. Month after month, she has refused to set aside non-COVID-related demands and far-left policy riders that she knows are sabotaging any shot at a deal.\r\nWhy? Because  and these are her own words  she thinks agreeing to a bipartisan compromise might make Democrats seem like, quote, a cheap date.' Her words.\r\nThe Speaker has said over and over again that she does not believe it's better for workers to get something' rather than nothing.'\r\nAnd thus far, Senate Democrats have gone along with it.\r\nWe could have passed hundreds of billions of dollars in relief more than a month ago. But our Democratic colleagues voted in lock step to filibuster the relief and kill the bill. Unless Democrats got every single non-COVID-related wish list item they were after, American families would get nothing.\r\nEvery single Senate Democrat voted to filibuster hundreds of billions of dollars in noncontroversial assistance  except our colleague who is running for Vice President. She did not manage to vote at all.\r\nThis has been their position for months. All-or-nothing obstruction.\r\nIt's got to stop. The Speaker's Marie Antoinette act needs to end. Zero dollars for working families but a whole lot of television time for the Speaker of the House is not a good trade for the American people.\r\nSpeaker Pelosi's supposed leverage is not putting food on the table in households where one or both parents have lost their jobs\r\nSpeaker Pelosi's so-called leverage is not helping schools reopen safely or struggling small businesses avoid layoffs.\r\nThe Democrats' talking points are not doing a single thing to fund more testing, more tracing, or double down on Project Warp Speed so we can produce and distribute a vaccine.\r\nSo tomorrow and Wednesday, the Senate is going to vote.\r\nWe will see whether our Democratic colleagues in this chamber agree that families deserve nothing rather than something or whether they are ready to let the Senate make law across the huge areas where we do not even disagree.\r\nTomorrow, we'll have a standalone vote on creating a whole second round of the historic Paycheck Protection Program for the hardest-hit small businesses. The PPP has saved tens of millions of American jobs and kept Main Streets across America from turning into permanent COVID-19 ghost towns.\r\nThe program is as bipartisan as it gets. Not only did it pass unanimously in the first place; we also added funding and made tweaks several times without a single objection in either chamber.\r\nSo tomorrow, Tuesday, every Senator will cast an up-or-down vote on establishing a whole second draw of these emergency loans for the small businesses that need it the most.\r\nNo more all-or-nothing. No more endless posturing.\r\nJust one, clear vote on one, clear good thing that nobody even says they oppose. It would make a huge difference for workers who may otherwise be laid off.\r\nAnd then, on Wednesday, the Senate will vote again on a larger bill. It would pour hundreds of billions of dollars into that PPP expansion plus more federal unemployment insurance, more money for safe schools, more money for testing, more money for vaccines, and many other important priorities.\r\nNobody thinks this proposal would resolve every problem forever. What it does contain is half a trillion dollars of good that Congress can do right now, through programs that Democrats do not even say they oppose.\r\nAmerican families deserve for us to agree where we can, make law, and push huge amounts of money out the door while Washington continues arguing over the rest.\r\nIt's common sense. It's what the country needs. I hope our Democratic colleagues will finally let it happen.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=1F59F4F8-D5C4-4E67-A385-6DCE6C68E31E", "McConnell on COVID-19 Relief & Senate Schedule", "2020-10-17", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOUISVILLE, KY- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement regarding COVID-19 relief:\r\nSpeaker Pelosi has wasted months playing political games with the health and financial security of American families.\r\nRepublicans have tried numerous times to secure bipartisan agreement where possible and get aid out the door while these endless talks continue. But Speaker Pelosi keeps saying she feels nothing is better than somethingand clinging to far-left demands that are designed to kill any hope of a deal.\r\nIf Speaker Pelosi ever lets the House reach a bipartisan agreement with the Administration, the Senate would of course consider it. But Americans need helpnow.\r\nWorking families have spent months waiting for Speaker Pelosi's Marie Antoinette act to stop. They should not have to wait any longer.\r\nNext week, Senate Republicans will move to break this logjam. The Senate will vote on hundreds of billions of dollars for targeted relief programs that Democrats do not even claim to oppose.\r\nNobody thinks this $500B+ proposal would resolve every problem forever. It would deliver huge amounts of additional help to workers and familiesright nowwhile Washington keeps arguing over the rest.\r\nThis bill would fund things including:\r\n \r\nMore federally-expanded unemployment benefits for laid-off Americans\r\nAn entire second round of the Paycheck Protection Program to save workers' jobs at the hardest-hit small businesses\r\n$100B+ to make schools safe for kids\r\nMore testing\r\nMore tracing\r\nMore funding for Operation Warp Speed to produce a vaccine\r\nMore funding to distribute that vaccine across the country\r\n \r\n\r\nThese are just some of the urgent needs that Washington should meet immediately while debates continue over the rest. This is half a trillion dollars of good that Congress can doright now.\r\n\r\nIt is heartless for Democrats to continue their total blockade of any aid whatsoever unless Speaker Pelosi gets her way on countless non-COVID-related demands.\r\nThe Senate will vote on this bill Wednesday, following a standalone vote onadditionalPPP funds on Tuesday.If Democrats do not obstruct this legislation, we will have time to pass it before we turn to Judge Barrett's nomination immediately after it comes out of committee.It is long past time for the two parties to agree where we can and get more money out the door.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=11636D28-7DB5-4660-B1C9-BA2F3DD79030", "McConnell: Proud to Support Judge Barretts Confirmation and Proud of this Precedent-Backed Process", "2020-10-16", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOUISVILLE, KY  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today regarding the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States:\r\nThe Judiciary Committee and the American people just heard from one of the most impressive nominees for public office that I have ever seen.\r\nJudge Amy Coney Barrett exhibited every bit of the intellectual brilliance, legal expertise, and open-minded judicial temperament that our nation needs on the Supreme Court.\r\nEven the Democratic Senators who had pre-committed to oppose the nominee could not question her qualifications. Democrats just recited the same hysterical policy predictions they have recycled for every nominee from every Republican president for half a century.\r\nThe insinuations around the nominee's religious faith have been embarrassing. But thus far, the left has declined to repeat the shameful circus of 2018 and try the politics of personal destruction. Let us hope such tactics remain off the table.\r\nI will proudly vote to confirm Judge Barrett, and will lead the full Senate to take up her nomination as soon as the Committee reports it out next week.\r\n***\r\nThis confirmation process falls squarely within history and precedent. Neither falsehoods nor strong feelings change the facts.\r\nHistory shows that when Supreme Court vacancies arise in presidential election years, the outcome hinges on whether the same party or different parties control the presidency and the Senate. The circumstances we faced in 2016 have only led to confirmation two times in American history and zero times since 1888. The circumstances before us today have led to confirmation every single time except one nominee with financial scandals.\r\nOur timeframe is likewise normal. Sixteen days elapsed between Judge Barrett's announcement and the start of her hearings. Just since 1960, eight Supreme Court confirmations have moved more quickly than that. Now, one week will elapse between the end of hearings and the Committee vote. Half of all Supreme Court confirmations since 1916 have moved more quickly than that.\r\nThis process has been precedent-backed at every step. Yesterday, the lead Democrat on the Judiciary Committee praised Chairman Graham's fairnessand said this has been one of the best sets of hearings that I've participated in.\r\nDemocrats cannot articulate any substantive reason why the Senate should not proceed. Sadly, they are resorting to disinformation. Senate Democrats are misstating history in ways that even the Washington Post says are not true. Former Vice President Biden has made claims about this process that even PolitiFact has rated False.\r\nEverybody knows the far left is just trying to invent justifications for a court-packing tantrum that would wreck the judiciary. These threats will not stop the Senate from following precedent or confirming this brilliant nominee.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=CDF3D86F-2B7C-496A-AD3C-063BE0BD4AA9", "McConnell on Court-Packing Threats: Democrats Abuse Language to Set Up Abuse of Power", "2020-10-14", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOUISVILLE, KY  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today regarding Democrats' continuing threats to pack the Supreme Court:\r\nIt is bizarre to watch Vice President Biden and other Democrats refuse to give a straight answer on their own party's threats to pack the Supreme Court. But it is even more absurd for them to try to redefine court-packing to mean any judicial confirmation that disappoints Democrats.\r\nA prominent philosopher wrote that when leaders abuse language, it is because they seek to abuse power. Anyone who studied U.S. history in high school knows that court-packing has a clear definition: A partisan attempt to expand the Supreme Court beyond nine seats, so new Justices can be added despite the Court having no vacancies.\r\nIt is not court-packing when the Senate confirms nominees to fill actual vacancies. It is not court-packing when Senators choose not to confirm everyone a president nominates. This is the Senate doing its job, as Senates have done since 1789. Democrats are trying to use talking points to gaslight the American people.\r\nIt was Democrats who pioneered routine filibusters of judicial nominees in the 2000s under President Bush. Senator Schumer bragged I am the leader of [the filibuster movement], and you know, I'm proud of it. Then, when Republicans used the same tools under President Obama, it was Democrats who escalated again and changed Senate rules to avoid tasting their own medicine.\r\nFor nearly 20 years, any time the confirmation process has temporarily disappointed Democrats, they have insisted the system is illegitimate and the rules need tearing up. Now they want to redefine filling open vacancies as court-packing so it seems less appalling when they try to do the real thing. Vice President Biden also falsely claims that confirming Judge Barrett would be not constitutional. Even Politifact has rated his claim False.\r\nAbuse of language; abuse of power.\r\nThere is a reason why the late Justice Ginsburg opposed court-packing, saying nine seems to be a good number. Court-packing by either party would guarantee retribution when the Senate and the White House next changed hands. The escalation would not end. Our independent judiciary would spiral into one more partisan battleground. And the judgments of Supreme Court would be delegitimized.\r\nHuge majorities of Americans oppose court-packing. But last year, while campaigning, Senator Harris said she was absolutely open to it. And now Vice President Biden says you'll know my opinion on court-packing the minute the election is over. Even as Senate Democrats badger Judge Barrett to improperly pre-judge hypothetical cases, their own presidential nominee says voters must elect him before they get to find out what he believes.\r\nThroughout Vice President Biden's Senate career, he condemned the idea of packing the Supreme Court. He called President Roosevelt's failed attempt a terrible mistake. He praised the courage of Senators who stopped it.\r\nIf Vice President Biden still believed that, it would be easy to say so.\r\nThe only reason to duck, dodge, and obfuscate if the far left is now calling the shots. The only reason for this abuse of language is to set up an abuse of power.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=2F285D9C-A8A2-4D7C-9D75-E8B83501D01A", "McConnell Issues Update on COVID-19 Relief and Senate Schedule", "2020-10-13", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today regarding the upcoming Senate schedule:\r\nSecretary Mnuchin and Chief of Staff Meadows are right: There is no excuse for Democrats to keep blocking job-saving funding for the Paycheck Protection Program while other conversations continue.\r\nThe PPP is a popular program that has saved tens of millions of American jobs. It is so bipartisan that its first round was replenished and extended several times by unanimous consent in both the Senate and the House. But it has become yet another casualty of Democrats' all-or-nothing obstruction.\r\nLast month, 52 Senate Republicans voted to pass hundreds of billions more dollars for priorities like testing, healthcare, safe schools, unemployment benefits, and economic support. That included legislation from Chairman Rubio and Senator Collins that would provide a second round of the PPP for the hardest-hit small businesses while streamlining the program and strengthening oversight.\r\nRepublicans had the votes to pass all this relief. But Senate Democrats chose to filibuster it dead.\r\nDemocrats have spent months blocking policies they do not even oppose. They say anything short of their multi-trillion-dollar wish list, jammed with non-COVID-related demands, is piecemealand not worth doing. Speaker Pelosi frequently says she feels nothing is better than something.And she has worked hard to ensure thatnothingis what American families get.\r\nWhen the full Senate returns on October 19th, our first order of business will be voting again on targeted relief for American workers, including new funding for the PPP. Unless Democrats block this aid for workers, we will have time to pass it before we proceed as planned to the pending Supreme Court nomination as soon as it is reported by the Judiciary Committee.\r\nRepublicans do not agree thatnothingis better thansomethingfor working families. The American people need Democrats to stop blocking bipartisan funding and let us replenish the PPP before more Americans lose their jobs needlessly.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=08D25D64-84B8-439B-936C-DF3031621D92", "Senator McConnell Comments on Terry McBrayer", "2020-10-11", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOUISVILLE, KY  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the passing of Greenup County native, W. Terry McBrayer:\r\nFor over 50 years, Terry McBrayer was a force of nature in Kentucky politics. When Terry set his mind on a goal, he refused to be outworked. That's how a lawyer from Greenup built a national reputation and a lasting legacy.\r\nTerry was not only a great campaigner, but also a skilled policymaker. His time in Frankfort saw major initiatives for our Commonwealth's future. Terry's contributions can be seen across Kentucky, especially at his cherished alma mater, Morehead State University.\r\nWe may have come from different sides of politics, but we shared a deep love of our Commonwealth and a determination to help it succeed. Terry was always ready to extend kindness, even to political rivals.\r\nElaine and I will miss Terry's friendship and leadership in Kentucky. We send our sincere condolences to his children, family, colleagues, and friends.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 186, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"chamber\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Senate", "p1": "KY", "p2": "2020"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=KY&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 186, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=KY&year=2020&party=Republican", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=KY&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 186, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=KY&year=2020", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=KY&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "KY", "label": "KY", "count": 186, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&year=2020", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=KY&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "2020", "label": "2020", "count": 186, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=KY", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2020-10-11,http~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Emcconnell~2Esenate~2Egov~2F~2Fpublic~2Findex~2Ecfm~2Fpressreleases~3FContentRecord_id~3D08D25D64-84B8-439B-936C-DF3031621D92", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=KY&year=2020&_next=2020-10-11%2Chttp~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Emcconnell~2Esenate~2Egov~2F~2Fpublic~2Findex~2Ecfm~2Fpressreleases~3FContentRecord_id~3D08D25D64-84B8-439B-936C-DF3031621D92&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 144.98466602526605, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}