{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/newsletters?ContentRecord_id=70D62939-0B02-4823-83E7-517844BE2B1E", "U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells eNewsletter - - Week of December 11, 2017", "2017-12-15", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells eNewsletter - - Week ofDecember11,2017\r\n  \r\nThank you to the many Kentuckians calling Senator McConnell's office to share your comments. By writing a letter, emailing throughthe Senator'swebsite, or callingthe office, you can always voice your thoughts and concerns about the federal government and his work in the United States Senate.\r\nAlso be sure to keep up with things happening in our nation's capital and Kentucky by becoming a fan of Senator McConnellsFacebookpage and following on Instagram at@McConnellPress.\r\nReceive news updates and alerts from Senator McConnells Press Office by following on Twitter at@McConnellPress.\r\nFor abehind-the-scenes view of the Senate Majority Leader's office, be sure to follow@SenateMajLdron Twitter and@SenateMajLdron Instagram.\r\n\r\n Senate Continues Historic Judicial Confirmation Process \r\nThis week, the Senate confirmed more of President Donald Trumps impressive judicial nominees to the federal bench. Senator McConnell has prioritized the confirmation of these judges, and the Senate has confirmed an historic 12 Circuit Court Judges this year. That's the most in a Presidents 1st year in office since the creation of circuit courts in 1891.\r\n\r\nDuring a speech on the Senate floor, Senator McConnell spoke about judicial nominees, saying,\"For eight years, we had a president who selected judicial nominees based on a so-called empathy standard. It was an ideological litmus test designed to find nominees who would favor certain groups or individuals over others. While that may sound like a good standard to the party in the case for whom the judge has empathy, it doesnt sound so great if youre the other person. On the other hand, President Trump has nominated talented individuals who will ensure that the federal judiciary maintains its particular role in our constitutional system.\"\r\n Click the image below to view the Senator's floor speech \n \r\n Congress Moving Closer To Delivering Much-Needed Tax Relief  \r\nThroughout the week, Congress continued its progresstoward delivering tax reform for families and small businesses across the nation. Senator McConnell talks about tax reform with Capitol Hill reporters during his weekly press conference in the Senate corridors.\r\n\r\nSenator McConnell said, \"For too long, the hardworking men and women of Kentucky and our nation have endured a struggling economy and a broken tax code. Rates are too high. The structure is too complicated to understand, and its too easy for the wealthy and the well-connected to exploit. Incentives are so nonsensical that some actually encourage corporations to ship American jobs overseas. Its time for a change.\r\n\"Passing pro-family and pro-growth tax reform is the single most important action we can take right now to grow our economy and help the middle class get ahead. Families deserve a tax system that works for them. And along with President Trump and his team, this Republican-led Congress is working to deliver. This is our chance to set a new course  to undo the damage that our outdated tax code has inflicted on the economy over the last decade.\"\r\n President Signs into Law Critical Measure to Support Troops and National Security  \r\nOn Tuesday, President Trump signed into lawthe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which will strengthen our militarys readiness and give our troops a much-deserved pay raise. Senator McConnell recently penned a column in the TheRichmond Registerabout NDAA and the impact it will have on Kentuckys military installations and Kentucky's Air and Army National Guard, writing, \"The NDAA will equip our servicemembers with the weapons and training they need to sufficiently defeat these threats. It will also authorize a well-deserved pay raise for our servicemembers...to help the men and women stationed at Kentuckys military installations (Blue Grass Army Depot, Fort Campbell, Fort Knox) and the citizen soldiers of the Kentucky National Guard receive the equipment, training, and resources they need to address the threats facing our nation.\"\r\n Click the image below to view a video about NDAA \n \r\n Senator McConnell Supports Proposal to Restore Internet Freedom \r\nOn Thursday, the Federal Communications Commissions(FCC) voted on a proposal to repeala harmful, Obama-era Internet regulation. Senator McConnell released the following statement:\r\nOne of the great advances of our time has been the development and expansion of the Internet and wireless technologies. The Internet connects people across the globe in an unprecedented way. It brings together producers and consumers, students and educators, and even members of the Senate with constituents. Its difficult to exaggerate the impact the Internet has on our society and our economy each and every day. Even a few decades ago, the technologies many of us take for granted today would have been totally unfathomable.\r\nBut the success of the Internet wasnt an accident. Todays Internet  and all the incredible innovations that utilize it  arent the product of unnecessary and burdensome government regulations that hindered growth. Instead, they were the direct result of a bipartisan desire to create an environment of advancement  one that utilized a light-regulatory touch.\r\nInnovators were free to create and develop what they wanted to, without having to think about complying with overbearing Washington regulation. And as the Internet grows, so does the United States. Our nation has led the world in Internet technology, and citizens throughout the country and the world have enjoyed the benefits.\r\nHowever, the previous administration seemed bent on subjecting the Internet to a whole host of new regulations  rules designed in the age of the rotary phone and rooted in the railroad era of the 1800s. Through unprecedented government overreach, the Obama Administration argued that this change would fix a problem. But there wasnt a problem that needed fixing. Therefore at the behest of President Obama in 2015, the partisan majority at the Federal Communications Commission rejected our decades-old approach and reclassified broadband Internet access.\r\nThis overreach subjected it to new burdens and regulations and threatened the marketplace freedom and innovation that brought us the Internet we have come to know today. It shouldnt shock any of my colleagues to hear that an increase in burdensome regulations created uncertainty for businesses of all sizes and negatively impacted investment. In the last two years, broadband investment has suffered a serious decline, even though many Americans, including large numbers in rural states like Kentucky, lack access to crucial Internet services at home.\r\nEarlier this year, President Trump changed direction from the previous administration. He elevated Ajit Pai to serve as the Chairman of the FCC, and tomorrow, the Commission will vote to repeal the misguided 2015 rule. Chairman Pai submitted a proposal to restore freedom to the Internet and to classify broadband Internet access once again as an information service, just like it was until 2015. When the FCC votes tomorrow, they will be voting to return the Internet to a consumer-driven marketplace free of innovation-stifling regulations.\r\nOpponents of Chairman Pais plan have expressed their concerns about unfair or disruptive business practices that may hurt consumers access to the Internet. However, his proposal will actually restore the Federal Trade Commissions authority to protect consumers and police companies that engage in unfair practices.\r\nChairman Pais proposal will also require Internet Service Providers to clearly disclose how they treat their customers data so that consumers can choose the services that are right for them. I look forward to their vote in support of the open Internet and to Congress actions in the future to keep the Internet open for consumers in a lasting way.\r\nBefore I continue onto another matter, I feel that it is necessary to take a moment to discuss the vitriolic and divisive debate over this topic. As my colleagues know, I am a strong defender of political speech, and I have fought for decades to protect the rights of all Americans to question government policies. However, the discussion on this issue took on a new tone. While the First Amendment protects political speech, it is no excuse for bad conduct.\r\nInstead of debating the effects of a proposal, some of the Far Left engaged in personal attacks, even going as low as to promulgate attacks citing Chairman Pais children. This type of behavior does nothing to elevate our nations discourse or forward a particular policy. I hope that we can all agree that this type of harassment deserves universal condemnation.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/newsletters?ContentRecord_id=70D62939-0B02-4823-83E7-517844BE2B1E"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5703460667282343, "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"}