Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in history, announced late last month that he would be stepping down as Republican Leader after the November election, bringing a close to his 17 years in the Senate leadership, CBS News reported.
The 82-year-old McConnell announced his decision to step down in a speech on the Senate floor on February 28. The minority leader reflected on his time in the Senate, saying when he was first elected in 1984, he never would have imagined that he would become Kentucky’s longest-serving senator.
McConnell said serving the state had been “the honor of my life” while leading the Republican Party in the Senate had been his “highest privilege.”
In announcing his departure from the leadership, McConnell said he would remain in his role until Republicans selected a new leader to replace him after the 2024 election.
In a statement released by the White House following McConnell’s announcement, President Biden praised the GOP leader for his long service and noted that in the years he and McConnell had been in the Senate, they were able to bridge their differences and “find common ground on behalf of the American people.”
Biden said he was proud that he and McConnell had been able to work together “in good faith” despite having “many political disagreements.”
Nancy Pelosi, who stepped down from the Democrat House leadership after the 2022 midterm elections, said in a statement that McConnell would be “recognized for his patriotism” and his years of service to his state, Congress, and the country.
Like Biden, Pelosi also noted that she and McConnell “often disagreed,” but said that the two of them “shared our responsibility to the American people” and found “common ground whenever possible.”
Pelosi offered her best wishes to both Leader McConnell and his wife Elaine Chao “as they prepare for their next chapter.”
In his Senate speech, McConnell said that while he was stepping down from leadership, he would remain in the Senate until his current term expires in 2026.
