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Published 18:13 IST, October 20th 2021

McConnell hopes midterms are a referendum on Biden

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized the ongoing negotiations Democrats are having with each other on President Joe Biden's sprawling package of social services and climate change strategies.

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IMAGE: AP | Image: self

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized the ongoing negotiations Democrats are having with each other on President Joe Biden's sprawling package of social services and climate change strategies.

"We've all been fascinated by the stories all of you are filing about the difficulty our Democratic friends are having getting everybody in place on this reckless tax and spend proposal. The longer this lays out there, the more unpopular it becomes," McConnell said speaking at a press conference in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday.

McConnell also said that he would like the midterm elections in 2022 to be a "referendum on the performance of the current administration, not a rehash of suggestions about what may have happened in 2020" when asked about Republican efforts to embrace former President Donald Trump despite the McConnell's own criticism of Trump's actions relating to the January 6th insurrection.

McConnell criticized efforts to strike down some voting laws passed by state legislatures when asked about a voting rights bill that may soon be considered by the Senate.

While many Democrats maintain recent laws are too restrictive, McConnell says they are needed because " voter fraud does in fact exist," although he said "it doesn't happen very often."

IMAGE: AP

Updated 18:13 IST, October 20th 2021