WASHINGTON – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will step down from the leadership of the Republican Conference this year, ending his tenure as the longest-serving leader in Senate history.
The Kentucky Republican, who has served as GOP leader since 2007, made the announcement in remarks on the Senate floor on Wednesday. An election to replace him as leader will be held in November, and his successor will take office in January.
“When I’m thinking about when I’m going to deliver some news to the Senate, I’ve always envisioned a moment of complete clarity and peace of mind about the sunset of my work,” McConnell said. “That day has come today.”
McConnell, 82, is regarded as a brilliant political tactician and one of the most influential lawmakers in Washington. With President Donald Trump, McConnell helped pass a law A $1.5 trillion tax package In 2017, it lowered corporate rates, provided new breaks for private businesses and reorganized the personal tax code.
He shepherded three conservative Supreme Court nominees—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett—through the Senate confirmation process, reshaping the judiciary and American society.
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