McConnell seizes on debt standoff to undermine Biden agenda

By LISA MASCARO
AP Congressional Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) — During the recent standoff over the nation’s debt limit, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell showed just how far he’ll go to stop President Joe Biden’s agenda. He engineered both the showdown and also its resolution this past week. But there’ll be another fight when funding to pay America’s bills runs out in December. To some Republicans, McConnell is a shrewd leader, using every tool at his disposal to leverage power and undermine Biden’s priorities. To others, including Donald Trump, he’s weak, having “caved” too soon. To Democrats, McConnell remains an infuriating rival who’s shown once again that he’s willing to break one institutional norm after another to pursue Republican power.