In a blistering letter to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Wednesday, several prominent conservative groups called on the Senate majority leader to step down from his role, calling him and his leadership team “abject failures.”
“2017 has been a disappointing year for millions of Americans who fully expected, and had every right to expect real change in Washington, Republicans were given full control of the federal government. They — you — have done nothing,” the groups began in their letter.
After listing grievances with McConnell and his leadership team, the six conservative group leaders called on the majority leader to step down.
“It is time for you and your leadership team to step aside, for new leadership that is committed to the promises made to the American people. America is too good for you lead it,” they wrote.
The letter was signed by Ken Cuccinelli, president of the Senate Conservatives Fund, which backed McConnell’s primary challenger a few years ago; Brent Bozell, a tea party activist and conservative columnist; Jenny Beth Martin, a co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots; David Bozell, president of the conservative group For America; Adam Brandon, president of the Tea Party group FreedomWorks; and Richard Viguerie, an established GOP political consultant who has backed President Donald Trump and his allies.
Missing from the letter were representatives from other prominent conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation and Club for Growth.
In the letter, the group leaders outlined issues that Republicans in the Senate have yet to move forward with, such as curbing illegal immigration, reducing the size of government and spending, and enacting tax reform. They also placed a lot of emphasis on the Senate’s failure to pass a bill repealing Obamacare.
“Perhaps the the greatest betrayal —and that is what it is — is your failure to repeal Obamacare, the single most devastating piece of legislation against freedom ever crafted,” they wrote, adding that the House and Trump did their part.
They said that the legislative failures “come on top of your vicious, continuous, merciless attacks on grassroots Republicans, but most especially conservatives.” The conservative leaders also accused McConnell of blackballing certain GOP candidates.
“You and your leadership team — Senators John Cornyn, Roy Blunt, John Thune and John Barrasso — have made war with your own grassroots while cynically refusing to honor one solemn pledge to the American people,” they wrote.
Read the letter below:
