Mitch McConnel
| Mitch McConnell | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Senate Majority Leader | |
|
Assumed office January 3, 2015 |
|
| Deputy | John Cornyn |
| Preceded by | Harry Reid |
|
United States Senator from Kentucky |
|
|
Assumed office January 3, 1985 Serving with Rand Paul |
|
| Preceded by | Walter Huddleston |
| Senate Minority Leader | |
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In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2015 |
|
| Deputy |
Trent Lott Jon Kyl John Cornyn |
| Preceded by | Harry Reid |
| Succeeded by | Harry Reid |
| Senate Majority Whip | |
|
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007 |
|
| Leader | Bill Frist |
| Preceded by | Harry Reid |
| Succeeded by | Dick Durbin |
| Chair of the Senate Rules Committee | |
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In office January 20, 2001 – June 6, 2001 |
|
| Preceded by | Chris Dodd |
| Succeeded by | Chris Dodd |
|
In office January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | John Warner |
| Succeeded by | Chris Dodd |
| Judge-Executive of Jefferson County | |
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In office 1977–1984 |
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| Preceded by | Todd Hollenbach III |
| Succeeded by | Bremer Ehrler |
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United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative Affairs Acting |
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In office 1975 |
|
| President | Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Vincent Rakestraw |
| Succeeded by | Michael Uhlmann |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Addison Mitchell McConnell Jr. February 20, 1942 Sheffield, Alabama, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
Sherrill Redmon (m. 1968; div. 1980) Elaine Chao (m. 1993) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education |
University of Louisville (BA) University of Kentucky (JD) |
| Net worth | $22.5 million (estimate) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Senate website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1967 |
| Unit | United States Army Reserve |
Addison Mitchell McConnell Jr. (born February 20, 1942) is an American politician serving as the senior United States Senator from Kentucky since 1985. A member of the Republican Party, he has been the Majority Leader of the Senate since January 3, 2015. He previously served as Minority Leader from 2007 to 2015. He is the second Kentuckian to lead his party in the Senate. McConnell is the longest-serving U.S. Senator in Kentucky history.
During the administration of President Barack Obama, McConnell was known to the left as being an obstructionist, while opinion on the right was sharply divided. Some on the right praised him for tenacity and courage, while others criticized him for being part of the political establishment and not keeping his promises to conservatives. McConnell has gained a reputation as a skilled political strategist and tactician. However, this reputation dimmed after Republicans failed to pass a replacement for the Affordable Care Act in 2017.
From early 2016, McConnell refused to schedule Senate hearings for Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland, to replace Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February 2016. Garland's nomination remained before the Senate for 294 days, from March 16, 2016, until it expired on January 3, 2017, more than double the time of any other Supreme Court nomination. Later, McConnell used the so-called "nuclear option" to lower the threshold for overriding filibusters for Supreme Court nominees to a simple majority, with the aim of confirming Neil Gorsuch to the Court.
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Wikipedia