WASHINGTON, D.C. — Kentucky's senior senator Mitch McConnell will continue to hold a key leadership position in Congress. His colleagues unanimously reelected him in Washington to head the Republican party for the next session, giving McConnell another term as GOP leader.
What You Need To Know
- Mitch McConnell reelected as head of Republican party
- Position as majority leader or minority leader hinges on Georgia runoff elections
- McConnell says "no reason for alarm" as most Republicans remain hesitant to acknowledge President-elect Biden
Whether he's the majority leader or the minority leader still hinges on the critical Georgia runoff elections in January. The Senate races will determine which party is in control of the Senate.
McConnell is the longest-serving Senate Republican leader in the history of the United States and is only the second Kentuckian to ever serve as majority leader in the U.S. Senate, according to his Senate office.
This all comes as Congressional Republicans remain coy about the future of the White House. Most have still neglected to acknowledge Joe Biden as the President-elect. They are waiting until President Donald Trump's legal disputes are resolved. It's a stark contrast with the international community that has steadily recognized the presidential election results.
At a Tuesday news conference, Spectrum News 1 asked McConnell what it says about America that heads of state from around the world have congratulated President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris while Republican leadership has still neglected to do so. Spectrum News 1 further asked if Republican leadership was afraid of Trump.
"What it says about America is that until the Electoral College votes, anyone who is running for office can exhaust concerns about counting in any court of appropriate jurisdiction. It's not unusual. It should not be alarming. At some point here, we will find out finally who was certified in each of these states and the Electoral College will determine the winner and that person will be sworn in on January 20th. No reason for alarm," said McConnell.
Earlier in the Republican briefing, Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri (R) suggested the President may not have been defeated. The group is also in support of the Trump administration continuing to hold off on allowing the formal transition process to evolve. McConnell says everything will happen at the appropriate time.