Four months later, McConnell sidestepped valuable floor time and scheduled votes on the bill, though it wasn’t on most of Washington’s radar, paving the way for its passage – and cutting campaign ads in recognition of the achievement by Gardner and Dines.
McConnell told CNN this week, “Not only was that the right thing to do from the point of view of good government, but I’m sure – he should have helped Corey and Steve, they worked a lot on it.”
While looking for a way to take advantage of being a Republican in the White House, this episode illustrates the Cochrane’s intense focus on holding the majority in the hands of the GOP, holding on to its perch at the top of the Senate. – He is also the one who has jam time and again G.O.P. There is austerity to put senators.
When asked if he believes there is a net positive for Senate Republican candidates on the Trump ticket, McConnell will simply say: “We’ll find out. This is something we’ll know the day after the election.”
And as he faced one of the toughest Senate maps in years, the Democrats had 23 GOPs compared to 12. With the meetings, the Kentucky Republican has sought to reach into its deep-pocketed donor network and reach out to the super-PAC, which funds millions from its own. To narrow down the Democrats’ fund-to-fund advantage by directing millions of its unscrupulous GOP colleagues. He reviews every ad that hits the airwaves in the key race on a daily basis, providing advice and counsel to his teammates about the message for his party.
And with the power to set a schedule in the Senate, McConnell has taken steps to shield its vulnerable members from the onslaught of Democratic attacks, after the Republican leader privately told his members that the G.O.P. Carries out financial recovery recovery plan. The conference said the vote is important for the vote that Republican senators will hope for at their seats in November.
In an interview Wednesday, McConnell said “catching a majority is just a very challenging cycle” and said it’s a “0-50 situation”, arguing that Montana, Colorado, Arizona, Iowa, North Carolina, Maine And the race in Georgia is too close to call.
“That’s why I describe it like a knife fight in Alley,” McConnell said of the fight for the Senate. “Everybody is slugging it.”
And that’s why his allies say McConnell can’t disagree with Trump, given his popularity with the president’s base and his habit of firing back at anyone at all, creating politically damaging disruptions and G.O.P. Lowers the leader’s long-running vote. Is the best posture of the party to maintain unity.
But McConnell found a way to use Trump’s help to his advantage. A better chance of winning in November was to convince him to help his favorite candidates.
Kobach’s rival in the primary, Rep. Roger Marshall was the subject of an announcement of an attack by the Conservative group Club for Growth, which Republican leaders worry will pave the way for a Kobach primary victory. So McConnell gave Trump a suggestion: Ask the Club for Growth to end that advertising campaign.
Sitting in the Oval Office Fees, Trump placed group chairman David McIntosh on a speakerphone in the Wall Office Fees and delivered a candid message: “Stop carving,” Trump said, according to two sources familiar with the call. Trump told the group’s leader that McConnell was listening in the room.
Soon after, the Club for Growth halted its massive advertising campaign, and later became the winner in the Marshall Primary, giving Republican leaders more hope of retaining seats in November and holding Senate positions.
Recalling that episode on Wednesday, McConnell said the incident was “an example of cooperation for him,” referring to Trump.
“You lose if you don’t nominate people who can appeal to the general election audience,” McConnell said. “And so the president has worked with me and helped ensure we get the right people appointed.”
McConnell: Senators want stimulus bill ‘at risk’
Amid the coronavirus epidemic, McConnell and Washington have been trying to join the Trump administration during Washington’s response, yet Democrats have been condemned for “stopping” for further relief measures following emergency aid of about $ 3 trillion. Spring.
In mid-July, McConnell signaled it was ready to move on to a second relief package – but with the White House and allied G.O.P. After weeks of negotiations with senators, the 1 1 trillion plan, which he announced, was under increasing pressure from many of his colleagues and Trump. Refused to support him. McCall never brought the bill to a vote, and allowed top officials in the Trump administration to try to strike a deal with Democratic leaders, to no avail.
With millions still suffering from the economic crisis, and many of his sensitive colleagues still eager to vote on the package, McConnell sought to unite his council behind a new recovery bill. Along with top officials in the administration, McConnell called a daily conference call with his colleagues hoping to put his party behind a delicate-down proposal on the August waiver.
On private calls, some Republicans are unsure whether the G.O.P. There should be a vote on the bill as there is no possibility of it becoming law.
But McConnell is clear there should be a vote and he says he wants his 51 colleagues to back the plan, which would allow Republicans to argue that even if a Senate majority supports his approach, it will fall short. The plan needs 60 votes to break a filibuster because of democratic opposition.
In a call, McConnell told his colleagues that “100% of people who are at risk of any kind want a vote and a successful vote,” according to a person on the call.
Yet Republicans argue that McConnell is doing what he has to do – to protect the country and his party in November.
Asked about McConnell’s focus on keeping the sector, Texas Sen. John Cornin, G.O.P. A member of the leadership team that faces voters this fall said: “I would say it’s a 24-7 performance for them. But it probably underestimates it.”
McConnell plans to fund and focus on being a leader
And he is holding regular fundraising and zoom meetings with donors to help his fellow Senate Leadership Committee with the National Republican Senate Committee, surpassing his previous fundraising record. Over the past decade, McConnell has cultivated a large donor network to help the Senate Leadership Fund raise 11 7,117 million in cash by the end of July, more than double the amount raised on the same amount. Pointed in the last cycle.
Steven Lowe, who runs Super PAC, said: “There’s no way we’re going to be financially without the tireless promotion of leader McConnell’s discipline and our efforts to hold the Senate.
McConnell said the group has been a big help in competing against groups outside the Democrats, saying “it’s important to run the Senate.”
In addition, McConnell, along with Trump and House Minority Leader Capin Marty, have sought to close the gap and reduce the Democrats’ fund-raising benefits. And this cycle alone, McConnell’s fund nalin fund bhuye their G.O.P. Allies have directed 3 3 million, according to one adviser.
This is the kind of funding that G.O.P. Helped the leader stay at the top of his parchment or lose a majority at the Senate Republican Conference, the longest-serving GOP in history. Added to his tenure as leader, that position since 2007.
Asked if he would seek a full six years as GOP leader if he wins his seventh term in November, McConnell said: “Leadership elections are for two years. I am definitely fighting for a second term, and we’ll see what the future holds.” Has. “
CNN’s Ted Barrett contributed to this report.
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