Mitch McConnell, who holds the record as the longest-tenured Senate leader in U.S. history, is set to resign from his role in November.
Having turned 82 last week, McConnell planned to reveal his decision to step down on Wednesday from the Senate’s central area.
In prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press, he stated, “One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter.” He continued, “So I stand before you today … to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate.”
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The AP reported:
His decision punctuates a powerful ideological transition underway in the Republican Party, from Ronald Reagan’s brand of traditional conservatism and strong international alliances, to the fiery, often isolationist populism of former President Donald Trump.
McConnell said he plans to serve out his Senate term, which ends in January 2027, “albeit from a different seat in the chamber.” Aides said McConnell’s announcement about the leadership post was unrelated to his health. The Kentucky senator had a concussion from a fall last year and two public episodes where his face briefly froze while he was speaking.
“As I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work,” McConnell said in his prepared remarks. “A moment when I am certain I have helped preserve the ideals I so strongly believe. It arrived today.”
McConnell did not provide a detailed explanation for the timing of his decision, a topic he had been mulling over for several months. However, he mentioned the recent passing of his wife’s youngest sister as an event that led to deep reflection. He expressed, “The end of my contributions are closer than I’d prefer.”
McConnell’s speech occasionally took on a lighter tone as he reflected on the trajectory of his career in the Senate. He reminisced about his early days in the Senate, joking, “I was just happy if anybody remembered my name.” He recalled a humorous incident from his 1984 campaign when President Reagan, during a visit to Kentucky, mistakenly referred to him as “Mitch O’Donnell.”
McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, has been a significant figure in American politics, especially in his role as the Senate Majority Leader from 2015 to 2021 and then as the Senate Minority Leader.
One of the most significant areas of cooperation was the appointment of conservative judges, including three Supreme Court Justices: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. McConnell played a pivotal role in these confirmations, which have had a lasting impact on the judiciary.
In 2017, McConnell helped pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a hallmark of Trump’s legislative agenda, which lowered tax rates for individuals and corporations. Despite their collaboration on policy, McConnell and Trump have had their share of disagreements and tensions. A notable point of tension was the failure to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in 2017, despite Republican control of both houses of Congress. McConnell struggled to unify the Republican Senate caucus on this issue.
“Believe me, I know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time. I have many faults. Misunderstanding politics is not one of them,” McConnell said. “That said, I believe more strongly than ever that America’s global leadership is essential to preserving the shining city on a hill that Ronald Reagan discussed. For as long as I am drawing breath on this earth I will defend American exceptionalism.”
After the 2020 presidential election, McConnell acknowledged Joe Biden’s victory, diverging from Trump and certain Republicans who believe the election was stolen. McConnell’s stance on the certification of the electoral results and his speech condemning Trump’s alleged role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol breach underscored their differences.