Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) complained on Monday that he’s a victim of “modern-day McCarthyism” because he’s being criticized for repeatedly killing election security bills.
Before formally kicking off the week’s Senate session, McConnell spent about a half hour on the Senate floor expressing his indignation over “unhinged smears” against him.
“Welcome to modern-day McCarthyism,” the majority leader lamented as he read aloud pundits’ criticism of him stonewalling election security measures.
McConnell then claimed the “partisan” bill he blocked on Friday was a result of “theatrical requests” by the Democrats.
“This kind of objection is a routine occurrence here in the Senate,” the Kentucky Republican said. “It doesn’t make Republicans traitors or un-American. It makes us policymakers with a different opinion.”
The bill McConnell blocked last week, which was pushed by Democrats, would allow more funding for election security measures and require candidates to report offers of aid from foreign governments.
However, even bipartisan election security bills haven’t been spared: McConnell’s refused to hold votes on those too.
During special counsel Robert Mueller’s hearing in front of the House Intelligence Committee last week, Mueller warned that Russia’s election hacking in 2016 “wasn’t a single attempt” and urged Congress to take action.
“They’re doing it as we sit here,” he said. “And they expect to do it during the next campaign.”
Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) slammed McConnell last month for his inaction on election security, saying the GOP lawmaker “twiddles his thumbs and almost says ‘Come on Putin, let it happen.’”
Watch McConnell below:
McConnell complains that he's a victim of "McCarthyism" because he's being criticized for blocking election security bills pic.twitter.com/mbTuypyKgr
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) July 29, 2019
