(Headline USA) Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., kicked off two Republican senators who had been critical of his leadership from the powerful Senate Commerce Committee this week.
Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, were booted from the committee, which oversees issues regarding commerce, science and technology, transportation, and other things. Scott said the decision to remove him from the committee was political.
According to Scott, McConnell informed him of the decision via text message.
“This is what happens when you challenge leadership,” he said on Wednesday.
Scott noted the decision makes no sense, since he has experience handling commerce as the former governor of Florida.
“It was McConnell’s decision to remove someone who has actually run businesses and ran the third-largest state from a committee I’ve served on for four years. You’ll have to ask him why,” he said.
Scott challenged McConnell for leadership of the Senate GOP shortly after the midterm elections. Lee supported Scott’s challenge, giving a nominating speech for Scott’s bid. However, McConnell kept his leadership position, with 37 Republican senators casting their votes for him and only 10 voting for Scott.
McConnell insisted last year that he wasn’t “offended” by the challenge.
“I’m not in any way offended by having an opponent or having a few votes in opposition,” he said after his re-election. “I’m pretty proud of 37 to 10.”
Scott said he is “not going to back down” and that he believes he “did the right thing” by challenging McConnell, arguing the Senate GOP conference “needs to change.”
“We have to stop giving in to the Democrats,” Scott said.
Lee declined to comment on his removal from the committee.
Conservative radio host Mark Levin slammed McConnell over the move, calling the leader a “petty, power-hungry RINO.”
McConnell is a petty, power-hungry RINO. Contemptible.https://t.co/Z8Ngu8aeFP
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) February 2, 2023
