(right) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
The symbolism was perfect. A pro-life party makes huge gains November 4 and pro-life Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is elected unanimously as majority leader-elect today by the Republicans who will serve as senators in the Congress that convenes in January.
And McConnell, who was strongly supported by National Right to Life in his re-election bid against pro-abortion Alison Lundergan Grimes, is nominated by pro-life Sen. Kelly Ayotte (NH). His nomination is then seconded by incoming pro-life Senator-elect Tom Cotton (Ark.)
McConnell, first elected to the Senate in 1984, will officially become majority leader when the new Congress is sworn in January. McConnell has served as Senate minority leader during the past eight years.
Republicans picked up eight seats in the mid-term elections and have a strong chance to pick up a ninth next month in Louisiana, where pro-abortion Democrat Mary Landrieu is squaring off in a runoff December 6 against pro-life Republican Bill Cassidy.
On the Democratic side, outgoing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) has been tapped by his caucus to be the Senate minority leader come January.
(right) Pro-life Speaker of the House John Boehner
Over in the House, Republicans re-elected John Boehner (Ohio) as Speaker. New and re-elected members also returned Boehner’s top three leadership lieutenants: Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Ca.), Majority Whip Steve Scalise (La.), and GOP Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rogers (Wa.). As is Boehner, all three are pro-life.
Republicans have already gained 12 seats and could possibly equal or eclipse the 246 they won in 1946. There are 435 voting members in the House; 218 constitutes a majority, when all members vote.
House Democrats are expected to return pro-abortion Nancy Pelosi (Ca.) as House minority leader, although (as is the case with Sen. Reid) there is grumbling within the ranks after a tumultuous Tuesday.
Pelosi got into an argument today with reporters when they asked if she had considered stepping down from her leadership position.
By Dave Andrusko, NRL News Today
