Mitch McConnell: US expects Congress to pursue bipartisan agreement
US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said that the American people expect both the GOP and the Democratic Party to pursue bipartisan agreement everywhere possible.
He was speaking Tuesday on the Senate floor regarding the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th US president.
“So our marching orders from the American people are clear,” said Leader McConnell. “We are to have robust discussions and seek common ground.”
He added, “We are to pursue bipartisan agreement everywhere we can… and check and balance one another respectfully where we must. And through all of this, we must always keep in mind that we are all Americans. We all love this country. And we are all in this together.”
The Senate majority leader began his remarks talking about the January 6th Capitol riot and went on to say that President Donald Trump also provoked the mob that tried to stop Congress from certifying the 46th president of the United States.
“The last time the Senate convened, we had just reclaimed the Capitol from violent criminals who tried to stop Congress from doing our duty,” said McConnell. “This mob was fed lies.”
He then said, “They were provoked by the President and other powerful people,” adding: “And they tried to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government which they did not like.”
Announcing the Senate Democratic majority’s first bill in the new Congress, incoming Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a press release, “From a violent insurrection at the Capitol to the countless attempts to silence the vote of millions of Americans, attacks on our democracy have come in many forms. Senate Democrats are committed to advancing real solutions and fighting to uphold the core tenets of our constitution, which is why we are announcing today that the first bill of the new Congress will be the For the People Act.”
The For The People Act aims to strengthen and reform the US democracy by ending the dominance of big, dark money in politics; ensuring that public officials work in the public interest; and making it easier for all eligible Americans to vote.
