McConnell on Ethics Tiff: Dems Need to 'Grow Up'

Says opposition to unvetted Cabinet nominees is just 'little procedural complaints'
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jan 8, 2017 12:48 PM CST
McConnell on Ethics Tiff: Dems Need to 'Grow Up'
In this 2016 file photo, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks. The government's ethics office says several of Donald Trump's Cabinet choices have not completed a review to avoid conflicts of interest even as Senate Republicans move rapidly to hold confirmation hearings next week.   (Susan Walsh)

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says Democrats need to "grow up" and "get past" the election. The Kentucky Republican is objecting to concerns raised by Democrats that Congress this week will hold hearings to consider nominees for the incoming administration who haven't completed ethics reviews. The director of the Office of Government Ethics says in some cases, the nominees haven't submitted even draft financial disclosures. McConnell tells CBS' Face the Nation that "all of these little procedural complaints are related to their frustration in having not only lost the White House, but having lost the Senate." He added: "I understand that, but we need to sort of grow up here and get past that." Elsewhere on the Sunday dial, via the AP:

  • More ethics: Trump's incoming chief of staff, Reince Priebus, tells Fox News Sunday the ethics office has all the information needed and must move faster. "Change was voted for and change we will get."
  • ObamaCare: McConnell says lawmakers will replace the existing health care law with a GOP version "rapidly." The promise comes as Reince Priebus says it would be "ideal" if Congress could repeal and replace the law in one fell swoop, but acknowledged that might not happen. McConnell says "we will be replacing it rapidly after repealing it." He's not saying how quickly that might happen.
  • Russia: Priebus was in the room when Trump was presented with intel findings, and says that Trump "accepts the fact that Russia and other entities engaged in cyberattacks" against the country. Trump has so far declined to say whether he accepts that Russia intruded on his behalf.
  • Punish Russia: Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham says Trump should "show leadership" and punish Russia. "Even though it didn't affect the outcome, they tried to interfere. And they need to pay a price."
(More Sunday morning talk shows stories.)

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