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A RESOLUTION honoring United States Senator Mitch McConnell upon the 1
occasion of his becoming the longest-serving Senate Party Leader in American history. 2
WHEREAS, Addison Mitchell McConnell III was born on February 20, 1942, to 3
Julia Odene and Addison Mitchell "A.M." McConnell II in Sheffield, Alabama, and grew 4
up in nearby Athens, Alabama; and 5
WHEREAS, in 1956, Mitch McConnell's family moved to Louisville, Kentucky, 6
where he attended duPont Manual High School, and was elected student council 7
president during his junior year; and 8
WHEREAS, in 1964, Mitch McConnell graduated Omicron Delta Kappa from the 9
University of Louisville with a Bachelor of Arts in political science with honors, during 10
which time he was president of the Student Council of the College of Arts and Sciences 11
and a member of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity; and 12
WHEREAS, after interning with Senator John Sherman Cooper, an experience 13
which would inspire him to later run for the Senate, Mitch McConnell graduated from the 14
University of Kentucky College of Law, where he was president of the Student Bar 15
Association; and 16
WHEREAS, after serving as chief legislative assistant to Senator Marlow Cook, 17
practicing law, and serving with the United States Department of Justice, Mitch 18
McConnell was elected Jefferson County Judge/Executive in 1977, defeating the 19
incumbent, and was re-elected in 1981; and 20
WHEREAS, in 1984, Mitch McConnell was elected to the United States Senate, 21
making history as the only Republican challenger in the country to defeat an incumbent 22
Democrat that year, and as the first Republican to win a statewide Kentucky race since 23
1968; and 24
WHEREAS, in 2020, Mitch McConnell was re-elected to a record seventh term in 25
the Senate, winning 117 of the Commonwealth’s 120 counties, and becoming Kentucky’s 26
longest-serving United States Senator; and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 931
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WHEREAS, Mitch McConnell served in leadership as the Majority Whip in the 1
108th and 109th Congresses and as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial 2
Committee during the 1998 and 2000 election cycles; and 3
WHEREAS, Mitch McConnell is the Senate Republican Leader, and on January 3, 4
2023, he became the longest-serving Senate Party Leader in history, having recently been 5
elected to lead the Republican conference for the ninth time since 2006; and 6
WHEREAS, from 2015 to 2021, Mitch McConnell served as Senate Majority 7
Leader, joining Vice President Alben Barkley as the only Kentuckians to ever be 8
Majority Leader of the United States Senate; and 9
WHEREAS, Mitch McConnell's imprint on the United States Senate is indelible 10
and obvious, as he has been called "the most important Republican since Ronald 11
Reagan," with one veteran political commentator opining that he was "most effective 12
floor leader in either party I've ever seen"; and 13
WHEREAS, TIME Magazine twice named McConnell one of the 100 Most 14
Influential People in the World; and 15
WHEREAS, Mitch McConnell led a transformation of the federal judiciary, 16
confirming three Supreme Court Justices during his tenure as Majority Leader and, in 17
four years, prioritizing the confirmation of 30 percent of circuit court judges nationwide, 18
and a total of 234 lifetime appointments to the federal bench; and 19
WHEREAS, Mitch McConnell currently serves as a senior member of the 20
Appropriations, Agriculture, and Rules Committees; and 21
WHEREAS, Mitch McConnell, the proud father of three daughters, is married to 22
Secretary Elaine L. Chao, who previously served as the 18th United States Secretary of 23
Transportation, Secretary of Labor, president of the United Way of America, and director 24
of the Peace Corps; and 25
WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the Kentucky Senate honor Mitch 26
McConnell for his unmatched history of leadership in the United States Senate, his 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 931
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dedication to his constituents, and his tireless efforts to make the Commonwealth and our 1
nation a better place; 2
NOW, THEREFORE, 3
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 4
Kentucky: 5
Section 1. The members of the Senate, both individually and collectively, do 6
hereby congratulate Senator Mitch McConnell upon the occasion of his becoming the 7
longest-serving Senate Party Leader in American history, applaud his many 8
accomplishments in that august body, and offer sincere thanks for his decades of hard 9
work for the Commonwealth and this great nation. 10
Section 2. When the Senate adjourns this day, it does so in honor of Senator 11
Mitch McConnell. 12
Section 3. The Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to transmit a copy of this 13
Resolution to Senate President Robert Stivers for presentation to Senator Mitch 14
McConnell. 15