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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding Republican Senators’ efforts to challenge the Obama Administration’s immigration executive action:

“A few years ago, President Obama gave a speech in Miami where he said the following about immigration: ‘I know [that] some…wish that I could just bypass Congress and change the law myself. But that’s not how democracy works.’

“He’s right. It isn’t.

“Apparently that wasn’t enough to stop him from pursuing the kind of partisan overreach he once described as ‘ignoring the law’ and ‘unwise and unfair’ anyway.

“Maybe he didn’t anticipate that a federal district court would issue a preliminary injunction to prevent him from moving forward. Maybe he didn’t expect that a federal appeals court would uphold that ruling.

“But now, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in this case later this month on core constitutional principles like the separation of powers and the duty to take care that the laws are faithfully executed. That’s why I led a group of 43 Republican Senators yesterday in filing an amicus brief in support of the challenge to this overreach — a challenge brought by a majority of America’s governors and attorneys general from across the country.

“As we highlighted in the brief, the Administration’s executive action ‘stands in stark contravention to federal law and to the constitutional principle of the separation of powers.’ It’s also an ‘explicit effort to circumvent the legislative process.’

“Whether we’re Republicans or Democrats, this kind of partisan overreach should worry all of us — no matter who is in the White House.

“Because not only is the President’s blatant refusal to follow the law an extraordinary power grab, it’s a direct challenge to Congress’ constitutional authority — and a direct attack on our constitutional order.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act:

“We’ll soon begin consideration of bipartisan legislation that can support American jobs, improve airline safety, and help passengers — all without raising taxes or fees on travelers.

“The FAA Reauthorization Act before us is the result of a collaborative committee process. It shows what’s possible with a Senate that’s back to work and back to regular order. In this case, the Commerce Committee held a series of seven hearings to guide and inform its deliberations throughout this process.

“Republicans on the Commerce Committee had their say. Democrats on the Commerce Committee offered their input. And at the end of the day, members of both parties were able to agree on bipartisan legislation that passed committee on a voice vote.

“We know that the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act will promote American manufacturing, preserve rural access in states like Kentucky, and advance new consumer protections for the flying public.

“We also know that it will help improve safety and security, both in the skies and in our airports. Here are a few ways this bipartisan bill can help:

• By allowing us to better prepare for the outbreak of communicable diseases like Ebola.
• By improving the quality of FAA’s safety workforce.
• By encouraging the FAA to harmonize international safety standards.
• By bringing the government and stakeholders together in the development of safety standards for unmanned aerial vehicles.
• And by taking aim at human trafficking.

“This legislation is the product of a lot of hard work and reaching across the aisle.

“I’d like to recognize Senator Thune for leading this effort. He knows what’s possible in a Senate that’s back to work for the American people. He worked hard with the top Democrat on his committee, Senator Nelson, to get us to this point today.

“But these two Senators certainly didn’t do it alone. Senator Ayotte was one of the key players in this bipartisan effort. As Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation, Senator Ayotte held numerous briefings and hearings on the issue with her colleague, Senator Cantwell. While many in this Chamber are focusing on the issue now, the bill before us is the product of many months of work by the members of the Commerce Committee and their staff.

“Let’s continue working together in a similar spirit now. While the Commerce Committee has produced a product that merits this chamber’s consideration, I am sure they would acknowledge they don’t have a monopoly on good ideas. I hope we can have an efficient amendment process, where members bring their best ideas to the floor.

“Let’s pass another significant piece of legislation for the American people.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today that America must continue to work to defeat a global terrorist threat:

“In recent weeks we have again been reminded of the pervasive threat posed by Islamist terrorists to the world. We've seen ghastly images in places as diverse as Brussels, Yemen, and Lahore.

“Attacks seem to be coming nearly weekly now; it feels like we hear of a new one almost every time we flip on the news.

“Over the weekend, the Chairman of the Intelligence Committee delivered an address focused on the threat facing us — and what we can do to ultimately overcome it. Senator Burr noted that he could not remember a time when the United States and its allies faced a greater array of threats across the world; which is why, as he put it, ‘we cannot simply focus our efforts on how to best respond to attacks once they’ve happened.’

“Senator Burr spoke of the significance of working with our allies to target threats at every level. He talked about the importance of ensuring law enforcement has the tools and authorities needed to keep Americans safe.

“He also underlined the need for President Obama to do more in directly taking on ISIL — and made clear that doing so would require leadership that reached beyond the Administration’s current ‘containment’ strategy.

“It’s clear that defeating ISIL, al Qaeda, and its affiliates will require concerted action by our military, by the intelligence community, and by international partners around the globe. That’s why we’ve continued to press the Administration for a serious plan to defeat these terrorist groups and not simply attempt to contain them. In addition to the ongoing air campaign, the President has lauded deploying special operations forces to target and pursue ISIL. This is a positive step, but a credible ground force will be needed to defeat ISIL.

“As Senator Burr put it, ‘We’re beyond containment and must move decisively and with purpose to eliminate the Islamic State.’

“‘The President,’ he continued, has accurately stated ‘that “ISIL poses a threat to the entire civilized world.”’ Now it is time for our strategy to match that threat.”

Recent Press Releases

McConnell Files Supreme Court Brief in Challenge to President’s Overreach on Immigration

April 5, 2016

Senate to Act on Bipartisan, Consumer-Friendly Aviation Legislation

April 5, 2016

We Must Work With Our Allies to Fight Terrorism

April 4, 2016