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McConnell Statement on Religious Liberty Cases Before Supreme Court

‘The robust religious freedom we enjoy in this country has always been a central part of our identity as Americans. It means more than just being able to attend the church of one’s choice. It means being able to live out our beliefs in our lives and in our work, free from government interference.’

March 25, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell issued the following statement regarding two religious liberty cases argued today before the Supreme Court: 

“One of the greatest gifts we have as Americans is the freedom to live according to our beliefs, and that’s why the two cases before the Supreme Court today are so important. At issue in both cases is the question of whether the federal government can either fine or coerce the owners of two family-owned businesses into violating their religious convictions. Two decades ago, President Clinton and overwhelming bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress answered that question with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. They agreed that our nation’s proud tradition of respect for religious pluralism and religious liberty meant that government must continue to find ways to respect the religious liberty of its citizens. It’s my hope that the Court reaffirms that principle.

“The robust religious freedom we enjoy in this country has always been a central part of our identity as Americans. It means more than just being able to attend the church of one’s choice. It means being able to live out our beliefs in our lives and in our work, free from government interference. In recent weeks, we have heard heartbreaking stories of families losing their doctors and their plans and even access to hospitals and cancer centers as a result of Obamacare. We’ve seen how this law is depressing job creation at a time when millions are desperate for work, and how premiums are skyrocketing for millions even as an increasing number of middle-class Americans struggle to make ends meet. Add to this the growing number of Americans, including the plaintiffs in today’s cases, who are suing the federal government on religious liberty grounds, and the unintended consequences of this law become startlingly clear. It’s time we realize that this experiment in big government has failed. It’s time we repeal this law and replace it with the kind of common-sense, patient-centered reforms that will lower costs and that the American people would actually support.”

 

McConnell, Paul, Alexander, Rogers and Whitfield Praise Decision to Restore Lake Cumberland Water Levels to 723 Feet

March 25, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Congressmen Hal Rogers (KY-05) and Ed Whitfield (KY-01) announced today that Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell personally informed them that Lake Cumberland’s water level will be restored to 723 feet by mid-May.

The members said, “Recently we met with Administration officials to request that the water levels of Lake Cumberland be restored to pre-2007 water levels in a timely manner, and we appreciate the Secretary of the Interior making an expedited, 45-day decision for their Biological Opinion, which prompted the Corps to sign the order today allowing water levels to be restored to 723 feet – levels adequate to support robust tourism in 2014. This announcement is great news for the thousands of people who rely on the lake for recreation and tourism, and to the local communities, businesses, and individuals whose livelihoods are being impacted because of the lower water levels.”

Background: On February 11, 2014, at the request of Senate Republican Leader McConnell and Senator Paul, Daniel M. Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, met with Senators McConnell, Paul and Alexander and Congressmen Rogers and Whitfield to discuss the water levels at Lake Cumberland. During the meeting in Senator McConnell’s leadership office, the members urged the agency to complete its study on the Duskytail Darter, a 2.5 inch fish on the endangered species list, in a timely manner that would allow for restoring the pre-2007 water levels on which the local community relies. In addition to that meeting, Senators McConnell and Paul and Congressmen Rogers and Whitfield contacted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the issue.

Ukraine Issue Requires More Than a ‘Take or Leave It’ Approach

March 25, 2014

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the Ukraine aid bill and the importance of allowing members to offer amendments to the legislation:

“I’d like to start with a few words about the legislation the Senate is considering this week on Ukraine. It touches on the jurisdiction of many committees, and is of high interest to Senators on both sides of the aisle.

“How the United States meets the Russian invasion of Crimea matters – it’s related to the future vitality of NATO, the negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, and our own energy policy regarding the export of natural gas.

“So we’ve got members on both sides of the aisle working closely. And there’s a decent amount of common ground here, which is good: nearly everyone agrees that the Ukrainian people deserve our support.

“Most of us also agree that we should back that support up with meaningful legislation — not just to show our support for an independent, democratic, and free Ukraine, but also to show President Putin that there will be costs for his actions.

“So you’d think it wouldn’t be that difficult to get to a solution here. But roadblocks keep popping up.

“First, there was a House-passed bill prior to the recess that would have provided loan guarantees to Ukraine. It was blocked by the Democrat Leader. We should have passed it.

“Now, the Majority Leader seems determined to blow up the process too. Yesterday, he actually came to the floor to effectively blame Republicans for the invasion of Crimea. I mean, who writes this stuff? It’s not just completely unhelpful, it also injects hyper-partisanship into the process at a time when we should be working together.

“And at this point, it appears the Majority Leader might even make things even worse by, yet again, shutting down the amendment process. I hope that’s not the case. This issue is too important.

“Look: this bill cannot pass the House or become law in its current form—it must be amended.

“Not only have many members not yet had the chance to offer amendments in committee, but so many developments have unfolded in this crisis in the weeks since the bill was drafted that the legislation will have to be modified – at least to take those realities into account.  And in order for it to become law, the controversial IMF provision must be removed.

“This simply cannot be a take or leave it situation. That’s just nonsensical.

“The people we were sent here to represent deserve better. And we should give them that.

“That means allowing a sensible amendment process. And it means dropping the kind of wild partisan accusations we’ve seen – attacks that will only make it that much harder to get to an effective, bipartisan solution.”

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