Mitch McConnell Calls Idea Of Term Limits For GOP Senate Leaders ‘Totally Inappropriate’

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday offered his assessment on the idea of imposing term limits on GOP leaders in the upper chamber.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), one of the lawmakers who have thrown their hat in the ring to succeed McConnell, has endorsed the concept, saying the Republican Party is “not fully utilizing some of the great talent we have.”

But McConnell, who has been serving in the leadership post since 2007, disagrees.

“Well, we have term limits now. They’re called elections and I had a contest myself during my last election as leader,” he said, citing the unsuccessful effort by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) to unseat him following the party’s underwhelming performance in the 2022 midterm elections.

McConnell added that no term limits apply to those who serve in leadership posts in the House of Representatives.

“I think the conference ought to be able to be free to choose whoever,” he said. “There’s no limit on the speaker or the other House leaders. That won’t be my decision to make, but I think it’s totally inappropriate.”

Cornyn has specifically called for six-year term limits, saying the move would allow more members with deep experience to take a turn in leadership roles.

“It’s possible there’s more than one person that could be a good leader for our for our party in the Senate and so I don’t know why we wouldn’t have that discussion,” Cornyn said, according to CNN’s Manu Raju.

McConnell last weekannounced he would be leaving the job in November, kicking off the race for his succession.

Apart from Cornyn, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) has also entered the contest to take over from McConnell, while Sen. Rick Scott has previously said he is alsomulling a run.

McConnell said he won’t be