Former Senate Majority Leaders Bob Dole and Trent Lott commended Senator Mitch McConnell for his strong work in the position and his ability to get things done.
Dole and Lott write in the Wall Street Journal:
It is a relief to see an institution that we both devoted so much of our lives to working again. And it is an encouraging development for the country to see the Senate addressing big problems after years of inaction when it was controlled by Democrats.
In only six months, the progress has been dramatic. Committees are up and running. Senators in both parties are debating and amending bills. Since January, the Senate has passed 30 bipartisan bills, a feat that required skillful leadership and real consensus-building. Not only is legislation now passing, bills are actually making their way to the president’s desk.
Specifically, they pointed to Sen. McConnell’s leadership on supporting our troops:
This month the Senate turned to the annual appropriations bills six months earlier than in recent congresses. And the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) made it to the Senate floor after intense scrutiny from both parties in committee and an overwhelming bipartisan committee vote of approval that foreshadowed a robust debate on the floor.
Indeed, the Senate considered more amendments on this year’s NDAA, passed with a significant bipartisan vote last week, than it had during debates over the same bill in the past two years.
Looking forward, Sen. McConnell will be continuing this effective leadership.
At Mr. McConnell’s urging, the Senate is also poised to act on a cybersecurity bill that both parties recognize is needed at a moment when large security breaches are becoming increasingly common. A major rewrite of No Child Left Behind is also on the docket, as well as a number of other bipartisan measures now working through committee.
Sen. McConnell’s bipartisan work has created an active, more efficient Senate.
In a time of Democratic control of the White House and increased polarization between the parties, Mr. McConnell has shown real skill in securing bipartisan support to get bills over the 60-vote hurdle necessary for passage.
There was never a lot that a Republican-led Senate would be able to agree on with President Obama, but Mr. McConnell has been wise to identify the handful of matters where agreement is possible, and he has been tenacious in ensuring that the legislation earned bipartisan support. He said his Senate would focus on results, and it has. That’s a sign of real progress – not only for the public but for our politics as well.
With the Republican majority, the Senate is on track and working hard for Americans.