I'm going to provide full support to our men and women over in Saudi Arabia... we're going to back him to the hilt.
Mitch McConnell will support U.S. troops deployed in Saudi Arabia and back the U.S. military effort in the Middle East.
Occurrences
Evidence
Vote Date: January 12, 1991. Measure Title: A joint resolution to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 678. Vote Summary lists McConnell (R-KY), Yea.
Roll call vote on S.Con.Res. 2, 'A concurrent resolution supporting the United States presence in the Persian Gulf.' The vote summary includes McConnell (R-KY) among the Yeas in the 98-0 Senate agreement.
Sponsor: Sen. McConnell, Mitch [R-KY] (Introduced 01/23/1991). The bill's tracker shows it was introduced by McConnell and later passed the Senate.
A message from the President transmitting notice of the deployment of United States Armed Forces personnel at the request of the Government of Saudi Arabia into the region as a result of aggression by Iraq.
Question: On the Joint Resolution (Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution). Vote Date: January 12, 1991. McConnell (R-KY), Yea.
Sponsor: McConnell, Mitch [Sen.-R-KY]. Latest Action: 01/23/91 Introduced in Senate and read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
Vote 2 on Jan. 12, 1991 authorized use of U.S. Armed Forces pursuant to U.N. Security Council Resolution 678; McConnell (R-KY) voted Yea.
Vote 3 on Jan. 17, 1991 agreed to S.Con.Res. 2 supporting the United States presence in the Persian Gulf; McConnell (R-KY) voted Yea.
The Senate roll call for S.J.Res. 2 on January 12, 1991 shows McConnell (R-KY) voting Yea on the authorization for use of U.S. Armed Forces against Iraq.
The Senate roll call for S. Con. Res. 2 on January 17, 1991 shows McConnell (R-KY) voting Yea on a concurrent resolution supporting U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf.
The Senate roll call on S.J.Res.2 authorized use of U.S. Armed Forces against Iraq, and McConnell (R-KY) voted Yea.
The Senate agreed to S. Con. Res. 2 by 98-0, and McConnell (R-KY) voted Yea.
The Senate roll call records S.J.Res. 2 as the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution, passed 52-47 on January 12, 1991. McConnell (R-KY) is listed as voting Yea.
Congress.gov identifies S.J.Res. 2 as authorizing the President to use U.S. armed forces against Iraq under U.N. Security Council Resolution 678 and records Senate passage by Yea-Nay Vote 52-47, Record Vote No. 2.
The Senate roll call records S.Con.Res. 2 as agreed to 98-0 on January 17, 1991. McConnell (R-KY) is listed as voting Yea.
Congress.gov describes S.Con.Res. 2 as supporting the U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf, commending the President as Commander in Chief, and expressing unequivocal support for U.S. armed forces personnel. It passed the Senate 98-0 and the House 399-6.
Congress.gov lists McConnell as sponsor of S.253, introduced January 23, 1991. The bill later passed the Senate by voice vote with amendment on April 18, 1991.
Assessments
McConnell fulfilled the 1990 federal Senate campaign commitment during the term following that election. In January 1991 he voted Yea on S.J.Res. 2, the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution, directly backing the U.S. military effort in the Persian Gulf. He also voted Yea on S.Con.Res. 2, a resolution supporting the U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf and expressing support for U.S. armed forces personnel, matching the promise to support deployed troops. His sponsorship of Gulf War-related legislation further supports candidate credit, but the roll-call votes alone are sufficient for delivery.
McConnell’s 1990 Senate campaign promise was to support U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia and back the U.S. military effort in the Middle East. After winning reelection and remaining in office, he voted Yea on January 12, 1991 for S.J.Res. 2 authorizing use of U.S. Armed Forces against Iraq, and on January 17, 1991 for S.Con.Res. 2 supporting the U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf. Those votes are direct, material acts of support for the deployment and the Gulf War effort, so the promise was fulfilled during the Senate term tied to that campaign.
The promise was to support U.S. troops deployed in Saudi Arabia and back the U.S. military effort in the Middle East. After winning the 1990 Kentucky Senate election, McConnell took clear official action in the next Congress: on January 12, 1991, he voted Yea on S.J.Res. 2 authorizing the use of U.S. Armed Forces against Iraq, and on January 17, 1991, he voted Yea on S.Con.Res. 2 supporting the U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf. Those votes directly match the promised support for the Saudi deployment and the broader Gulf War effort, so this is full delivery in the same term context following the campaign.
McConnell’s post-campaign Senate actions directly matched the promise: he voted yes on the January 12, 1991 authorization for use of force against Iraq, voted yes on the January 17, 1991 resolution supporting the U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf, and sponsored related Persian Gulf War legislation. That is affirmative support for U.S. troops deployed in Saudi Arabia and the broader military effort in the Middle East, so the promise was fulfilled in the ensuing Senate term.
McConnell’s record in the 102nd Congress directly matches the promise: he voted yes on the Jan. 12, 1991 authorization for U.S. Armed Forces in the Gulf and on the Jan. 17, 1991 resolution supporting the U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf, and he also introduced Persian Gulf-related legislation. That is enough to count the promise as fulfilled in office rather than merely promised during the campaign.
McConnell won the 1990 Senate election and, in the ensuing Senate term, voted on January 12, 1991 to authorize the use of U.S. Armed Forces against Iraq under U.N. Security Council Resolution 678. He also voted on January 17, 1991 for a Senate resolution supporting the U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf and introduced Gulf War-related legislation on January 23, 1991. These actions directly satisfy the promise to support U.S. troops deployed in Saudi Arabia and back the U.S. military effort in the Middle East.
McConnell won the 1990 Senate race and, in the ensuing Senate term, voted yes on January 12, 1991 to authorize use of U.S. Armed Forces against Iraq, directly backing the U.S. military effort in the Middle East. He also voted for a January 17, 1991 Senate resolution supporting the U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf and introduced related Gulf War legislation. This satisfies the promise to support deployed troops and back the military effort.
McConnell fulfilled the promise in the federal Senate context immediately after the 1990 campaign by voting yea on January 12, 1991 to authorize use of U.S. Armed Forces under U.N. Security Council Resolution 678, and by voting yea on January 17, 1991 for a Senate resolution supporting the U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf. He also sponsored related Persian Gulf War legislation introduced January 23, 1991. These actions directly match the promise to support U.S. troops deployed in Saudi Arabia and back the U.S. military effort in the Middle East, and occurred during the Senate term following the campaign victory.