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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell issued the following statement regarding Tom Coburn’s decision to retire:

“Tom Coburn is without question one of the most intelligent, principled, and decent men in modern Senate history and a lasting credit to his beloved Oklahoma. Every day that Tom has served in this body he has reminded his colleagues of why it is that we came here in the first place and helped restore us to our purpose. With his nearly 20 years of service in the House and later in the Senate, Tom has set a moral example for lawmakers at every level of government through his integrity, grit, and fearlessness in taking on problems others find either too difficult or too unglamorous. He has made his mark on every debate he has ever waded into, from his years on the Senate Judiciary Committee to the ongoing national debate over Obamacare. And when it comes to the transcendent debate over the size and cost of government, Tom Coburn is simply without peer. No one has done more to awaken Americans to the threat posed by a government that chronically spends more than it takes in, and no one has worked harder at finding a solution.

“Today’s announcement is one that we all knew might come but that we all hoped wouldn’t. Fortunately, Tom has decided to stay with us throughout the year, so we will have the benefit of his wisdom and his counsel in the months ahead. But I know I speak for all my Senate colleagues when I say that we’ll need that long to get used to the idea of losing Tom Coburn’s singular voice in our conference. Tom is a legend in his own time, an extraordinary man and a deeply serious lawmaker who has made an immense difference to his country and to this body. We will miss him terribly when he leaves the Senate, and we will stand with him every step of the way as he wages this latest of many tough battles that he has fought, and won.”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell announced today a bipartisan bill he cosponsored to make it easier for American families to adopt children was signed into law. The Accuracy for Adoptees Act requires federal agencies to defer to and recognize state court orders amending a child’s name or date of birth on government issued documents. This law ensures that when a child applies for a driver’s license, a job, Social Security card, and passport, one date of birth is recognized and used.

“As a proud co-sponsor of this bipartisan legislation, I am pleased that the Accuracy for Adoptees Act is now law. I hear from many Kentuckians who are struggling to adopt children internationally and have requested assistance from my office. This measure will help many of those families by reducing the burdensome red tape and making it easier for them to receive the clarity they need when adopting children internationally,” Senator McConnell said.

One family that contacted Senator McConnell was Chip and Karen Hutcheson of Princeton, Kentucky. Last year, they, along with their two adopted grandchildren, met with Senator McConnell in his office in the United States Capitol. During the meeting, Hutcheson advocated for further assistance pertaining to reconciling federal and state documents with conflicting birth dates for children adopted abroad.

Upon hearing the news the measure was signed into law, Mr. Hutcheson, publisher of The Times Leader and president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, said, “I will be forever grateful for Senator McConnell’s efforts in helping pass this bill. This is common sense pro-family legislation that relieves a tremendous burden on families who adopt internationally. Senator McConnell’s efforts will help make it easier to adopt a child from another country, benefitting not only American families but many orphans around the world. We have two grandchildren who were adopted from Ethiopia, and one of them has an error on his birth certificate from that country. Now all the red tape will be eliminated in rectifying that situation so that he will have an accurate record throughout his life.”

The bipartisan bill was introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Roy Blunt (R-MO). Other co-sponsors include: Sens. Landrieu (D-LA), Durbin (D-IL), Leahy (D-VT), Barrasso (R-WY), Enzi (R-WY), Vitter (R-LA), Rubio (R-FL), Flake (R-AZ), Boozman (R-AR), Inhofe (R-OK), and Kirk (R-IL). The legislation passed the House and Senate in December, 2013.

Last year, Senator McConnell met with Mr. and Mrs. Hutcheson and their grandchildren in his office in the U.S. Capitol. Several years ago, Senator McConnell’s office assisted the Hutcheson family with the adoption of Lemlem and Kashiku from Ethiopia.
(Front, L-R: Lemlem and Kashiku Hutcheson. Back, L-R: Karen Hutcheson, Sen. McConnell, Chip Hutcheson)

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the administration’s need to convince his own party to focus on free trade:

“Yesterday, I said there were a number of things the President could announce in his North Carolina speech that would draw bipartisan support and boost the economy. One of the things I’m particularly disappointed he didn’t push harder is trade.

“As I said, this is one of the brightest areas of his economic agenda. But if we as a nation don’t act quickly and decisively, then the world is going to pass us by. We’re going to miss opportunities to benefit economically – to open foreign markets to American-made goods, and to America’s political and cultural influence.

“And when you look at the rest of the developed world – from Europe to Canada to Australia – they’re practically falling over themselves to negotiate more and better opportunities while we’ve basically sat on our hands…a consequence of the President’s inability to persuade his own party to expand trade-related jobs.

“So we need to catch up, but we can’t do that without leadership from the President. The kind of leadership like we’ve seen here in the Senate from the Chairman of the Finance Committee, who is himself a Democrat. He’s been a tireless advocate for trade and American agriculture. And yet, with his retirement looming on the horizon, I’m afraid there might not be many Democrats left in the Senate willing to help lead on this issue. That’s why we need the President to get involved. We need him to step up for American workers and increased exports by bringing his party on board with the trade promotion bill that was introduced just last week.

“The authority in that legislation is key to enabling the administration to conclude critical trade negotiations that hold incredible promise for American jobs and economic growth.

“With our economy in such dire straits these days, opening new opportunities for American goods through trade should be just a no brainer. It’s an issue that used to be fairly bipartisan around here, and it can be again – if the President is willing to lead. Millions of middle-class families and small businesses are counting on him to do just that

“So I look forward to him promoting the benefits of trade and the legislation I mentioned in his State of the Union address. And when he does so, Republicans will be right there with him to move the trade promotion bill through Congress in a bipartisan fashion.”

Recent Press Releases

McConnell: Senator Coburn Will Be Missed

‘Tom is a legend in his own time, an extraordinary man and a deeply serious lawmaker who has made an immense difference to his country and to this body.’

January 16, 2014

McConnell-Sponsored Bill to Aid Families Adopting Children Internationally Signed Into Law

January 16, 2014

A Year of Action Is Possible on Trade Jobs—If the President Will Lead

January 16, 2014