Mitch McConnell staged an epic gamble over U.S. spying powers — and lost.
The Republican leader pledged to keep senators in Washington through the weekend to finish work on expiring provisions of the Patriot Act, but Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) called his bluff.
Instead, when the smoke cleared in the early hours of Saturday morning, the 2016 presidential contender was the one with bragging rights.
The battle between the two Kentucky Republicans spilled over on the Senate floor, with Paul using procedural tactics to force the chamber into an early Saturday vote. He then used his leverage to kill off McConnell’s repeated attempts to reauthorize the expiring National Security Agency (NSA) programs — first for two months, then for eight days, then for five, then three, then two.
McConnell and the Republican leadership team had appeared confident even into Friday evening that they could kill the House-passed USA Freedom Act. They had planned to force the Senate into accepting a “clean” reauthorization of the provisions — set to expire at the end of the month — at least for a short while.
But Paul and other opponents of the “clean” renewal held firm, forcing McConnell to kick the can and adjourn the Senate without a clear path forward on how to prevent a shutdown of the NSA programs.
Leaving the Capitol, Republicans seemed confused on what their leader’s next steps would be.
“That’s a really good question,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said, when asked what would change between Saturday and when senators return to Washington for a rare Sunday session on May 31.
these republican leaders are evil and demented and they run a very close second to the evil bastard demoncraps.these fools keep committing treason and they don’t even give a care. the day will come when they will all be hanged for there high crimes and treason against the state. I am sick of looking at that turtle head lying piece of garbage McConnell. the people of Kentucky who voted him back in should have there heads examined. These are sycophants running our government.
Breathe, billy boy.
Those who loose their heads,
Are the most likely to loose their head.
WE HAVE BEEN WARNED