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Mitch McConnell, Jr.'s Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
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Mitch McConnell, Jr. has failed to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2020 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

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Issue Positions

For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2020.

  • Rated 8% by Planned Parenthood. (votesmart.org)
  • "Today, countless Americans -- and many Kentuckians -- will gather in Washington to give witness to the idea that a just society begins with defending the most innocent life; and once again, we'll see that the driving force of this movement of compassion has a youthful face. Despite the powerful interests arrayed against them, those participating in today's March for Life are hopeful. They know their cause is just and they are encouraged in the knowledge that the new Republican Senate will no longer keep their voices from being heard, and that senators like myself will work to advance the principles of humanity and respect they march for today." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S Amdt 3967 - Senator Rand Paul's Amendment to H.R. 6157. (votesmart.org)
  • "After years of work, dozens of hearings, and an open process, we passed an historic overhaul of our nation's tax code. It will deliver #TaxReform to families and small businesses across the nation." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 84% by National Tax Limitation Committee. (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1 - Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. (votesmart.org)
  • "Apparently, Democrats think seniors want Medicare hollowed out until nothing's left but the name. That working families are eager to be kicked off the health plans they chose and forced into a one-size-fits-all government system. No choices. No options. Just "Medicare for none"." (votesmart.org)
  • "In divided government, we have to work on things we agree on. House Democrats' left-wing fantasies like the Green New Deal and Medicare-for-None are nonstarters." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 7% by Alliance for Retired Americans. (votesmart.org)
  • "The fiscal agreement meets several goals: rejects #tax hikes, secures entitlement reforms, protects our #troops, doesn’t add to our #debt."
  • "There was a good reason the President and his allies devoted so much time and energy to denouncing the Citizens United case. But it's not the reason they gave. I realize this may be shocking to some of the interns in the crowd. But the fact is, the Court's decision was actually fairly unremarkable. All it really said was that, under the First Amendment, every corporation in America should be free to participate in the political process, not just the ones that own newspapers and TV stations. In other words, there shouldn't be a carve-out when it comes to political speech for folks who own media companies. It was a good and fair decision aimed at leveling the playing field." (votesmart.org)
  • "The Supreme Court has once again reminded Congress that Americans have a Constitutional First Amendment right to speak and associate with political candidates and parties of their choice. In Shaun McCutcheon vs. Federal Election Commission, the court did not strike down individual contribution limits to candidates, political action committees or parties. But the court did recognize that it is the right of the individual, and not the prerogative of Congress, to determine how many candidates and parties to support. Let me be clear for all those who would criticize the decision: It does not permit one more dime to be given to an individual candidate or a party -- it just respects the Constitutional rights of individuals to decide how many to support." (votesmart.org)
  • "I can stand here for an hour and extol the virtues of Senator Tim Scott's JUSTICE Act. His legislation has already earned 48 cosponsors because it is a straightforward plan based on facts, based on data, and based on lived experience. It focuses on improving accountability and restoring trust. It addresses key issues like choke holds and no-knock warrants. It expands reporting, transparency in hiring, and training for deescalation. I am proud to stand with this legislation, but the reality is that nobody thought the first offer from the Republican side was going to be the final product that traveled out of the Senate. What is supposed to happen in this body is that we vote or agree to get onto a bill, and then we discuss, debate, and amend it until at least 60 Senators are satisfied, or it goes nowhere. It goes nowhere at the end until 60 Senators are satisfied." (votesmart.org)
  • "The #JUSTICEAct identifies a number of smart levers that Congress can pull to advance and encourage smart reforms of law enforcement without steamrolling states’ and localities’ constitutional powers. It would step up transparency in reporting and record-keeping. It would expand accountability and disciplinary measures needed to establish and restore community trust. It would directly address issues such as chokeholds and no-knock warrants which have been in the news lately for reasons that nobody believes are acceptable. The American people expect us to do our jobs, discuss, debate, and legislate on this subject that has captured the nation’s attention. Discussion. Debate. Votes on amendments. Tomorrow, we’ll find out whether even these modest steps are a bridge too far for our colleagues on the Democratic side" (www.facebook.com)
  • "Current events are a stark reminder of the Senate's responsibility in maintaining our military's readiness. This week we're considering critical defense legislation that would authorize vital investments in American strength. It deserves huge bipartisan support and swift passage." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 93% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
  • "Bipartisan results are achievable this year, starting with billions of added funding for infrastructure improvements in the budget agreement, and extending to the work of many committees in the months ahead." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 22 - Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. (votesmart.org)
  • "Whether it's helping Kentucky workers and their jobs, giving our schools the resources needed to prepare students, providing a boost to economic development, or supporting our men and women in uniform, I will continue to use my seniority in the United States Senate to secure resources on behalf of Kentucky," (votesmart.org)
  • "Well, Republicans knew better. We listened to the economists who explained in an open letter that ``the question isn't whether workers will be helped by a corporate tax rate reduction--it's how much'' they will be helped." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 84% by National Tax Limitation Committee. (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1 - Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 748 - Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. (votesmart.org)
  • "It is a bipartisan bill that would take decisionmaking power away from distant Federal bureaucrats and empower parents, teachers, States, and school boards instead. It is a bipartisan bill that would end the practice of States being coerced into adopting measures such as Common Core. It is a bipartisan bill that would substitute one-size-fits-all Washington mandates for greater State and local flexibility." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by National Education Association. (votesmart.org)
  • "In divided government, we have to work on things we agree on. House Democrats' left-wing fantasies like the Green New Deal and Medicare-for-None are nonstarters." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by American Energy Alliance. (votesmart.org)
  • "We need to find more American energy, and use less. This means developing more of America's own energy resources, including wind, solar, clean coal, biofuels, nuclear energy, as well as oil and natural gas -- which will reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern oil and create thousands of jobs here at home. A balanced energy policy which both finds more, and uses less will strengthen our economy, protect our environment, and enhance our national security." (votesmart.org)
  • "In divided government, we have to work on things we agree on. House Democrats' left-wing fantasies like the Green New Deal and Medicare-for-None are nonstarters." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 7% by League of Conservation Voters. (votesmart.org)
  • "The failed Obama-era Clean Power Plan would have killed tens of thousands of jobs, sent electricity prices soaring for low-income communities, and sold off our economic edge to overseas competitors like China. All for no meaningful change in global temperatures." (votesmart.org)
  • "Eric Holder wants law-abiding Americans to wear 'smart gun' bracelets. RT if you agree that's outrageous!" (votesmart.org)
  • "I am proud to have an A+ rating and endorsement from the @NRA . RETWEET if you support our 2nd Amendment rights!" (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by National Rifle Association. (votesmart.org)
  • "I have a message for our friends across the aisle: Remember what your leader likes to say about doing the same thing over and over. Stop denying reality, stop pretending this is somebody else's fault, own up to what you have done to the middle class, and then work with us to build a bridge away from it. ObamaCare is scary enough for America's middle class. The last thing Americans need now is some government-run sequel." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by American Public Health Association. (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S Amdt 667 - Health Care Freedom Act of 2017. (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6201 - Families First Coronavirus Response Act. (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by NumbersUSA. (votesmart.org)
  • "The bill expands funding for federal law enforcement," Senator McConnell said. "It allocates new resources to border security and immigration enforcement, including an important step forward for President Trump's proposed wall. The total miles of new and upgraded walls and barriers funded by this bill exceeds even the Administration's initial request for this fiscal year." (votesmart.org)
  • "As with most serious challenges, however, the only way we will make progress is by working on a solution that is acceptable to both parties. For Republicans, that means the President will have to present a plan that takes amnesty off the table and focuses instead on making a real commitment to border and internal security. If the President does these two things, he will find strong bipartisan support. If he doesn't, he won't." (votesmart.org)
  • "In my view, the President came a very long way--clearly, more than halfway--to meet the Democrats on this issue. In exchange for a pathway to citizenship--not just legal status, but a pathway to citizenship-- for nearly 2 million individuals, he sensibly wanted to reform pieces of our broken immigration system, secure our border, and make it harder for violent criminals and repeat offenders to prey on American citizens." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by NumbersUSA. (votesmart.org)
  • "I think President Trump will make a better deal. The Iran nuclear deal was a terrible deal." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 93% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
  • "Tight economic sanctions brought the Iranian regime to the table last time, but unfortunately, it led to a hopelessly flawed agreement. @POTUS Trump did the right thing on the Iran agreement. I think he'll make a better deal." (votesmart.org)
  • "Maintaining forces in Iraq and Afghanistan protects America's national security interests. Our overseas presence should not be guided by arbitrary withdrawal deadlines. The Taliban will never agree to a political settlement in Afghanistan if a date for our drawdown has been handed to them." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 93% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by Public Citizen. (votesmart.org)
  • "The USMCA would create 176,000 jobs for American workers and generate $68 billion in wealth for America. House Democrats must stop standing in its way. My op-ed with @GOPLeader in @WSJ today." (votesmart.org)

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