US Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, whose legislative skills have torpedoed many Democratic priorities, suffered a rare defeat himself this week when Democrats thwarted his plan to block their new energy and medicine bills 430 billion dollars. McConnell, who has spent nearly half of his 80 years in the Senate, had vowed to deny bipartisan support for a sweeping bill to subsidize the U.S. semiconductor industry while Democrats pursued major legislation to fight climate change and reduce the price of prescription drugs. But hours after McConnell and 16 other Republicans voted to pass the semiconductor legislation, known as the “CHIPS” bill, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and fellow Democrat Joe Manchin surprised McConnell with a new package for the climate and drugs. Republicans were led to believe that Democrats had abandoned the climate and drug bill. Under Senate rules, this bill can pass without Republican support as long as all 50 Democrats in the 100-member Senate support it. “McConnell got McConnell,” said Brookings Institution senior fellow William Galston, noting the Kentucky Republican’s long use of hardline tactics to block Democratic initiatives, including former President Barack Obama’s nomination of a Supreme Court justice in 2016. McConnell sidestepped questions about the political maneuvering, but told Reuters in a brief interview that Democrats would regret moving forward with the legislation. Among other things, the legislation sets a minimum corporate tax rate of 15 percent and promotes electric vehicles. “It’s an unmitigated disaster for the country, and we’re going to fight it as hard as we can,” McConnell said. With the country grappling with inflation and President Joe Biden, a Democrat, deeply unpopular, Republicans hope to regain control of the House of Representatives, and perhaps the Senate, in the Nov. 8 midterm elections. “The game isn’t over yet, and I’m betting on McConnell as the leader,” said Sen. Roger Marshall. Other Republicans stopped short of blaming McConnell for the Democratic Party’s success. “They stiffed us on this,” Sen. John Thune, the chamber’s No. 2 Republican, told reporters. “The performances put on by the Democrats led our members to believe that this idea of a big reconciliation bill with lots of taxes was dead, which freed up at least some of our members to work on the CHIPS bill,” he said. Manchin, for his part, rejected that idea. “I certainly hope they don’t feel that way,” he told reporters. “Under normal times both parties would have cooperated in something like this.” Several Republicans have acknowledged that their best chance to defeat the legislation may depend on whether some Democrats have the nerve to raise taxes while the United States may be on the brink of recession. With the Senate split 50-50 and Vice President Kamala Harris giving away the tie, Democrats can’t afford to lose a single vote. Some critics blamed McConnell for not getting a commitment from Schumer not to pursue the other bill. “It was a serious mistake how we handled this,” said Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, a prominent conservative who did not mention McConnell by name. McConnell’s position as Senate Republican leader has been somewhat eroded by differences with Biden’s predecessor, Republican former President Donald Trump. Some Trump allies now running for the Senate have vowed not to support McConnell for leader in the next Congress, which begins in January. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said McConnell should have a good working relationship with Trump. “You’re not going to be a leader if you don’t have a working relationship with Trump,” Graham told Reuters on Thursday. The Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
