The following is a transcript of an interview with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell which aired on Sunday, March 20, 2022 on “Face the Nation.”
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome back to Face the Nation, we now turn to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who is joining us from Louisville, Kentucky, this morning. Good morning to you, sir. Welcome to Face the Nation.
U.S. Senate Minority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL: Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: President Biden is heading to Europe this week to meet with NATO allies. You helped give him about $ 13 billion in urgent support along with the rest of Congress. What do you expect the president to do this week?
SEN. MCCONNELL: Well, we gave him a lot of money. I think he needs to step up his game. He has generally done the right thing, but never soon enough. I mean, let’s take a look at what’s happened here. Ukrainians have killed more Russians in three weeks than we lost in Afghanistan and Iraq in 20 years. I think we should get into that believing that Ukrainians can really win. And the way they win is that we bring them these defensive weapon systems as quickly as possible. For example, I am perplexed why we have not been able to introduce Polish Russian MiGs to the country. Now the Ukrainians have many pilots who know how to pilot them.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-Hmm.
SEN. MCCONNELL: In these Eastern Bloc countries, they have Soviet ground-to-air systems that the Ukrainians know how to operate. We have the resources to give the President the opportunity to get these weapons to us as soon as possible.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s right.
SEN. MCCONNELL: And then we offered loan guarantees to countries that send weapons to Ukraine to buy new weapons and probably better weapons from us. So what I would like the president to do is reassure our Eastern Bloc allies. It’s okay to go to Brussels. It’s okay to go to Berlin, and I’d like to see him go to Romania or Poland …
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-Hmm.
SEN. MCCONNELL: –or the Baltics. They are right on the front line …
MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s right.
SEN. MCCONNELL: –and we need to know that we are in this fight with them to win.
MARGARET BRENNAN: There are not many differences in politics here, really, others … I mean, you agree with the president that there should be no air exclusion zone. There’s a question of a few dozen MiG fighter jets out there, but I don’t hear many political differences from Republicans. In your opinion, will the 13 billion you just authorized guarantee the financing of a Ukrainian insurrection if the government falls? How long does this money last?
SEN. MCCONNELL: Well, if they need more, we should give them more. Look, what … this is a way to have a zone of flight exclusion in effect, that these weapons systems land-air weapons systems give them a chance to fight to control the air, to shoot down planes and others seeking to control the air. . Without the United States having a no-fly zone that has our own pilots in there. So I think weapon systems are available. Look, I think we need to change our attitude here. Ukrainians could really win this thing …
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-Hmm.
SEN. MCCONNELL: –and that’s what- the attitude we should have is that we’re in it to help them win.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You have a very clear language there, but others in your party have not. Congresswoman Liz Cheney has said that there is currently a Putin wing of the Republican Party. Do you think it refers to Congressman Cawthorn, who called Zelenskyy a bully? Marjorie Taylor Greene said the US should not fund a war that Ukrainians cannot win. Is there room in the Republican Party for this rhetoric and why is there no more discipline?
SEN. MCCONNELL: Well, there are some lonely voices that are in a different place, but looking at Republicans in the Senate, I can tell you that if I had been the leader of the majority I would have put this Ukrainian supplement on its own. I think pretty much all of my members would have voted for it. The vast majority of Republican Party members, both in Congress and across the country, are completely behind with the Ukrainians and call on the president to take these steps more quickly. Yes, to be more daring. So there may be some lonely voices next door. I wouldn’t pay much attention to them.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you what is about to start this week. You have said that President Biden’s candidate for the Supreme Court, Judge Brown Jackson, is very smart, clearly qualified and very likely to be confirmed. You have personally voted against it before. Are you ready to vote for her this time?
SEN. MCCONNELL: You know, we had a really good conversation in my office and I asked him, you know, usually the Supreme Court candidates on both sides have never answered the questions. What they usually say is that something might happen to me, and I don’t want to prejudge how I might actually vote, but I’m asking you to defend the court. Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Judge Breyer publicly opposed the judicial packaging which is …
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-Hmm.
SEN. MCCONNELL: –Trying to increase the number of members of the court in order to get a result you like, that would have been an easy thing for her to defend the integrity of the court. She wouldn’t. So in the meantime, the committee will ask you all the difficult questions. I have not made a final decision on how I will vote.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You haven’t made a final decision, but are you open to convincing? I mean, this is a historic candidate.
SEN. MCCONNELL: I’m going to listen to the evidence. I’m going to listen to the audiences. And by the way, she will be treated much better than Democrats usually treat Republican candidates like Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh. It will be a respectful and deep dive into your record, which I think is totally appropriate for a lifelong date.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mmhmm. So, are you open to voting? Okay, we’ll see.
SEN. MCCONNELL: I’m willing to listen to the testimony. That’s why we have audiences.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, I also want to ask you about the help for COVID. Dr. Fauci of another network this morning said Congress should authorize spending to continue to increase our supply of test antivirals and give the ability to provide booster injections. Republicans have disagreed with this idea of more COVID help. Dr. Fauci says we need it. Are you afraid of an empty arsenal?
SEN. MCCONNELL: Well, last year, Congress approved a $ 2 trillion package, supposedly for COVID, and it was approved in a totally partisan way. Much of that money has yet to be spent. We’re willing to listen to the case that we need to spend more money on COVID, but they should reschedule some of that massive amount that was spent last year that hasn’t come out yet. So let’s take a look at how to pay for it, and then we’ll be happy to decide if we support it or not.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Leader of the McConnell minority, thank you so much for your time today. We will be back soon.
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