Sen. McConnell Outlines His Definition Of Cooperation & Compromise

Nov 4: In a confrontational and very partisan speech before the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) laid down the gauntlet for cooperation and compromise as far as the U.S. Senate Republicans are concerned. In sharp contrast to President Obama's somewhat conciliatory statement and press briefing yesterday, Senator McConnell set a far different tone. Among other things he said the Democrats' strategy from the start, was to "govern hard-left and use their big majorities to push through the most left-wing agenda possible." He said they forced through their trillion dollar Stimulus; proposed a federal budget that would double the national debt in five years and triple it in 10; and "bailed out automakers that should have been allowed to reorganize or fail."

 

    Senator McConnell said that while some have been critical of his statement that his top priority over the next two years is to deny the  President a second term in office; "the fact is, if our primary legislative goals are to repeal and replace the health spending bill; to end the bailouts; cut spending; and shrink the size and scope of government, the only way to do all these things it is to put someone in the White House who won't veto any of these things. . . it would be foolish to expect that Republicans will be able to completely reverse the damage Democrats have done as long as a Democrat holds the veto pen. There's just no getting around it."

 

    He said Republicans would have to work in the House to deny funds for implementation of Democratic proposals like health care; use their oversight abilities in Committees to continue educating the public and "keep a spotlight on the various agencies the administration will now use to advance through regulation what it can't through legislation." He specifically cited "backdoor efforts" like "a new national energy tax through the EPA now that cap-and-trade is dead. . ." He said oversight "can also make more accountable all the policy czars the administration has installed without any accountability to Congress or the American people."

 

    He said, "We will stop the liberal onslaught"; "freeze and cut discretionary spending"; "ensure Democrats don't raise taxes on anybody"; "oppose future stimulus bills that only stimulate the deficit"; "fight any further job-killing regulations"; "oversee the Executive Branch through smart, aggressive oversight"; "make the case that the Democrats' big-government vision hinders freedom, prosperity, and opportunity."

 

    Senator McConnell defined his vision of cooperation and compromise as follows, ". . .as I see it, the White House has a choice: they can change course, or they can double down on a vision of government that the American people have roundly rejected. If they choose the former, they'll find a partner in Republicans. If they don't, we will have more disagreements ahead. "The formula is simple, really: when the administration agrees with the American people, we will agree with the administration. When it disagrees with the American people, we won't. This has been our posture from the beginning of this administration. And we intend to stick with it. If the administration wants cooperation, it will have to begin to move in our direction."

 

    Following a meeting with his Cabinet today, President Obama delivered some comments at a short press briefing. He said he wanted to make a few quick remarks to expand on some things he said yesterday [See WIMS 11/3/10, and the link below].  He said in part, "Obviously Tuesday was a big election. I congratulated the Republicans and consoled some of our Democratic friends about the results, and I think it's clear that the voters sent a message, which is they want us to focus on the economy and jobs and moving this country forward.

 

  "I just had a meeting with my Cabinet and key staff to let them know that we have to take that message to heart and make a sincere and consistent effort to try to change how Washington operates. And the folks around this table have done extraordinary work in their agencies. They have cooperated consistently with Congress. I think they are interested in bipartisan ideas.  And so they are going to be integral in helping me to root out waste in government, make our agencies more efficient, and generate more ideas so that we can put the American people back to work.

    "Now, at the same time, obviously what's going to be critically important over the coming months is creating a better working relationship between this White House and the congressional leadership that's coming in, as well as the congressional leadership that carries over from the previous Congress. And so I want everybody to know that I have already called Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi to invite them to a meeting here at the White House in the first week of the lame duck on November 18th.  This is going to be a meeting in which I'll want us to talk substantively about how we can move the American people's agenda forward.  It's not just going to be a photo op. Hopefully -- it may spill over into dinner.  And the immediate focus is going to be what we need to get done during the lame-duck session. . .

    "And so we can't afford two years of just squabbling. What we need to do is make sure that everybody is pulling together, Democrats and Republicans and independents, folks at the federal level and the state levels, private sector with the public sector, to make sure that America retains it competitiveness, retains its leadership in the world. And that's something that I'm very much looking forward to helping to be a part of." [See link to complete comments from the President below].

 

    The following are major excerpts from Senator McConnell's speech:

 

    "Over the past two years, the American people looked at what was going on in Washington and they became increasingly worried. Not only were Democratic leaders ignoring our nation's ongoing job crisis; their big-government policies and out-of-control spending was causing some to wonder about the future of the American dream itself. Americans worried about the consequences of a $14 trillion debt; about a health care bill that creates 159 new bureaucratic entities, including two massive new entitlement programs; they worried about all the bailouts, and they worried about every other piece of legislation that seemed like it was designed to kill jobs rather than create them.

    "Most of all, they worried that what some have called the Europeanization of America would continue unchecked, and that, as a result, our children and grandchildren could no longer expect to have the same opportunities that we've had. Two days ago, those worries gave way to a new optimism. For the past two years, Democrat lawmakers chose to ignore the American people, so on Tuesday the American people chose new lawmakers. They held their elected representatives to account. And they demonstrated to all of us that Constitutional conservatism is alive and well.

    "This isn't a reason for Republicans to gloat; rather, it's a time for both parties to realize who's really in charge -- the people -- and to be grateful for the opportunity we now have to begin to turn this ship around. Tuesday was a referendum, not a choice. It was a report card on the administration and anyone who supported its agenda, plain and simple. It doesn't take a roomful of political scientists to figure it out. Americans voted for change in the last two elections because of two long and difficult wars and because they hoped a changing of the guard would stabilize the economy and get America moving again. And then the people they elected set about dismantling the free market, handing out political favors at taxpayer expense, expanding government, and creating a more precarious future for our children. In other words, Democrat leaders used the crisis of the moment to advance an agenda Americans didn't ask for and couldn't afford. And then they ignored and dismissed anyone who dared to speak out against it. . .

    "Which raises a practical question: what can Americans expect from Republicans now? Let's start with the big picture. Over the past week, some have said it was indelicate of me to suggest that our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term in office. But the fact is, if our primary legislative goals are to repeal and replace the health spending bill; to end the bailouts; cut spending; and shrink the size and scope of government, the only way to do all these things it is to put someone in the White House who won't veto any of these things. We can hope the President will start listening to the electorate after Tuesday's election. But we can't plan on it. And it would be foolish to expect that Republicans will be able to completely reverse the damage Democrats have done as long as a Democrat holds the veto pen. There's just no getting around it.

    "By their own admission, leaders of the Republican Revolution of 1994 think their greatest mistake was overlooking the power of the veto. They gave the impression they were somehow in charge when they weren't. And after President Clinton vetoed their bills, making it impossible for them to accomplish all their goals, they ended up being viewed as failures, sellouts, or both. Today, Democrats not only have the White House. They have the Senate too. So we have to be realistic about what we can and cannot achieve, while at the same recognizing that realism should never be confused with capitulation. . .

    "Through oversight we'll also keep a spotlight on the various agencies the administration will now use to advance through regulation what it can't through legislation. Potential backdoor efforts in this area could include imposing a new national energy tax through the EPA now that cap-and-trade is dead, additional health care provisions through HHS, Card Check through the National Labor Relations Board, and some form of immigration change through the use of administrative amnesty and the selective enforcement of our laws. Good oversight can also make more accountable all the policy czars the administration has installed without any accountability to Congress or the American people. . .

    "We will stop the liberal onslaught. We will make the case for repeal of the health spending bill even as we vote to eliminate its worst parts. We will vote to freeze and cut discretionary spending. We will fight to make sure that any spending bill that reaches the Senate floor is amendable, so members can vote for the spending cuts Americans are asking for. We will push to bring up and vote for House passed spending rescission bills. On the economy, we will work hard to ensure Democrats don't raise taxes on anybody, especially in the middle of a recession. We will loudly oppose future stimulus bills that only stimulate the deficit and fight any further job-killing regulations. We will fight tooth and nail on behalf of Americans struggling to find and create jobs.

    "And when it comes to educating the public about the effects of Democrat legislation, we will fulfill our constitutional duty to oversee the Executive Branch through smart, aggressive oversight. We will scrutinize Democrat legislation and force them to defend it. And we will continue to make the case that the Democrats' big-government vision hinders freedom, prosperity, and opportunity — and that while it may benefit some in the short-term, it exposes everyone to calamity down the road.. .

    ". . .whether or not the administration has a mid-course correction, Republicans have a plan for following through on the wishes of the American people. It starts with gratitude and a certain humility for the task we've been handed. It means sticking ever more closely to the conservative principles that got us here. It means learning the lessons of history. And, above all, it means listening to the people who sent us here. If we do all this, we will finish the job."

    Access the full text of Senator McConnell speech (click here). Access a video of Sen. McConnell's speech (click here). Access the full text of the President's comments and press conference Q&A yesterday (click here). Access the full text of the President's comments following today's press briefing (click here).