WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding terrorists released from the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba:
“Earlier this year I noted that the next Commander in Chief will assume office confronting a complex and varied array of threats. I observed that, after seven years of the Obama Administration delaying action in the War on Terror, the next administration would need to return to the fight and restore our role in the world.
“Among many other things, that means we must return to capturing, interrogating, and targeting the enemy in a way that allows us to defeat terrorist networks. Because, let’s remember, in his first week in office, the President issued a series of Executive orders that collectively undermined the capability of our intelligence community and military to combat terrorism.
“Yesterday the Defense Department confirmed that two of Al Qaeda’s former explosives experts were transferred from the secure detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to Senegal. Both detainees had long records of supporting Al Qaeda.
“According to records that have been made public, one of those detainees — a former associate of Osama Bin Laden — is likely to reengage in hostilities. The other detainee was previously assessed as likely to return to the fight.
“This comes at a time when Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has exploited the war within Yemen to secure a safe haven, and the Nusra Front within Syria is exploiting the civil war there to carry on Al Qaeda’s mission.
“This is precisely the wrong time to send experienced, hardened fighters back in to the conflict.
“We must use the remaining months of the Obama Administration as a year of transition to better posture our military to meet the threats we will face — not make it more challenging for the next President, regardless of political party.
“And, actually, there have been some encouraging changes within the Administration recently: like programs presented in the budget request by the Secretary of Defense to address Chinese and Russian aggression, a public recognition by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of the threat posed by ISIL in Libya, more focus on the need to rebuild the nuclear triad, General Campbell's statement that a larger force must be left in Afghanistan, and the deployment of the expeditionary targeting force to Iraq.
“This is the wrong time for the Administration to release terrorists who are likely to return to the fight.”
Recent Press Releases
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.”
McConnell Files Supreme Court Brief in Challenge to President’s Overreach on Immigration
April 5, 2016
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.”
