WASHINGTON _ Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., reiterated Monday that a new committee to investigate Russian hacking related to the 2016 election was not necessary. And, if Russians were looking to sway the election in the favor of Donald Trump, McConnell said they would be disappointed.
"If they were trying to elect Donald Trump, my guess is ... they made a bad investment, because look at who he's picking for the Cabinet: Gen. (James) Mattis for Defense; Mike Pompeo, an intelligence expert, number one in his class at the academy, to head the CIA," McConnell said in an interview on KET that aired Monday night.
"If they say they're trying to elect a particular candidate, I think they're going to find out that it didn't do them any good," he said.
McConnell said he was not concerned about Trump's pick for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, who has business ties to Russia. McConnell said the Exxon Mobil CEO was just doing his job in searching for oil and gas.
However, McConnell also said he did not agree with Tillerson's criticism of U.S.-imposed sanctions on Russia following the country's invasion of Crimea.
"I don't have any doubt that Rex Tillerson will be representing the United States of America," McConnell said. "My guess is that Vladimir Putin will be very disappointed with the Rex Tillerson he gets as secretary of state, a very different job representing the United States of America as opposed to one of the country's largest businesses."
In the interview, McConnell restated his position that a select committee is not necessary to investigate Russian hacking to interfere in the 2016 election, and the issue will be handled by the Intelligence committees.
"We already have a committee established to do this," McConnell said. "We don't need a special committee to set up what we already have the ability to do, but it is a serous matter and it will be investigated."
His statement comes after a bipartisan group of top senators, including incoming Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-NY., and Armed Services Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., called for a temporary select committee to investigate the hacking and to make legislative recommendations.
The push for a new committee will likely continue when the 115th Congress convenes on Jan. 3.
But McConnell is also looking to capitalize on unified GOP control of the House, the Senate and the White House to start the process of repealing the 2010 health care law, developing a tax overhaul and undoing regulations.
"Well it's certainly no time for hubris because all majorities are never permanent," McConnell said. "It's a big job to actually have responsibility and to produce results and we intend to do it."
McConnell said he expects Democratic resistance.
"It'll be interesting to see," McConnell said. "The Democrats are in a very feisty mood these days."
McConnell admitted in the interview that he expected Republicans to lose control of the Senate and for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton to win the White House. McConnell noted Republicans were defending 24 Senate seats, compared with the Democrats' 10.
"I honestly thought we wouldn't hold the U.S. Senate. I thought we'd come up short," McConnell said. "I didn't think President Trump had a chance of winning."
McConnell explained that Trump was victorious, especially in some traditionally Democratic states, because he spoke to a segment of the population that felt neglected by politicians.
"I think there was a lot of feeling among just ordinary people all across the country that the current administration didn't care about them," McConnell said. "And Trump was able to convey, oddly enough, a message from a billionaire who lives in Manhattan, a genuine concern for people who felt kind of left off, that were sort of offended by all the political correctness they see around them, and didn't feel like this was the America they were accustomed to."
