WASHINGTON (AP) — During the recent standoff over the nation's debt limit, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell showed just how far he'll go to stop President Joe Biden’s agenda. He engineered both the showdown and also its resolution this past week. But there'll be another fight when funding to pay America's bills runs out in December. To some Republicans, McConnell is a shrewd leader, using every tool at his disposal to leverage power and undermine Biden’s priorities. To others, including Donald Trump, he's weak, having “caved” too soon. To Democrats, McConnell remains an infuriating rival who's shown once again that he's willing to break one institutional norm after another to pursue Republican power.
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Alex Brandon/AP
In this Oct. 7, 2021, photo, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., walks to a policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington. The dangerous standoff in Congress over raising the debt limit as well as its ultimate resolution both were engineered by McConnell, the Republican leader determined to stop President Joe Biden’s agenda even if it pushes the country toward grave economic uncertainty. McConnell is no longer the majority leader of the Senate, but he is exerting the power of the minority in new and uncharted ways. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Posted at 12:34 PM, Oct 09, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-09 12:34:44-04
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