Hosted the u. S. House of senate,tatives, u. S. And the library of congress. Enator mcconnell senator mcconnell takes us behind the scenes into the Republican LeadersConference Room and his private office. And he recalls his own political career and the historic moments. N which he participated we are in the United States capitol in the senate wing and a tour by theven majority leader himself. Fork you, senator mcconnell opening you have this week to us. Where are we in the capitol now . Senator mcconnell we are not in the senate wing, which is further down. We are in the main happen toll. Came down from philadelphia in the summer of the capitol looked quite different at that point. The two wings were added right there the civil war during 1850s. But this particular space like the capitol has its own history. That know that during general period they began to develop what subsequently came as the library of congress in this particular space. The been the office of republican leader of the senate, who that is, whether we are in minority, since probably the 1950s. But before that there were a functions different in this space. Initial development of the library of congress has a story of its own, which i think your viewers will be interested in. Host before we go there, from f theproximity standpoint, senate wing is very close to us. Senator mcconnell it is. Host and the rotunda. Give us a sense of space of where we are. Senator mcconnell the capitol this until the 1850s. And they added a howes wing senate wing. The reason was because we had won the war. Thead vast New Territory to pacific. And anticipated new states, new. Enators, new congressmen like all government projects, there was a big debate about how much to spend and whether to go big or to be modest. Ironiesne of the great of the American History, the wheel horse behind the first in as senate and subsequently secretary of war of the buchanan all people, was, of Jefferson Davis who argued for going big that we were going to building because we wanted to have a big, important country. Thei think thats one of great ironies of American History that later jefferson left and course, became president of the confederacy. Host before we go in the suite, its been named after a predecessor, howard baker. When did that happen . Senator mcconnell well, before i got here. When howard baker left in 1984, very popular with both sides of the aisle, both republicans and the democrats. And that was sort of a parting gesture to an outstanding republican leader. Host lets walk in. , ive beenlking in doing this for a long time. Though youre one of, dare to say, a declining number of senators who really the about the history of senate. Im thinking about senator byrd before you who spent so much time. That your interest in history is not as shared among as in the old days . Senator mcconnell i dont really know but i know there are who read a lot of American History. Ive always been interested in it. Thesis, i did my senior in college on henry clay and the compromise compromise of 1850. I have a depiction of that, which ill show you, subsequently. So ive always had an interest in it. And once i moved into this office and became republican theer, we got interested in history of this space and produced a pamphlet that sort of outlines the various things that have occurred here over the years. Int what did it look like 1800 . Senator mcconnell well, you smallererything was then. Theres a plaque in the hall that points out that in 1800 this would have been shortly after they got here the house of met inntatives actually this space and conducted the 36 ballot election that determined that Thomas Jefferson would be occurred in this space. Host right here. Senator mcconnell right in this space. Course, that was historically of enormous because bird was a scoundrel. Actually did a lot to influence jeffersons selection. He couldnt stand him. But he knew bird was a scoundrel and the country need to be saved from him. That occurred in here. And then they developed the library of congress in here, too. Host but it would have been this. Ifferent than was it this senator mcconnell i think the walls must have been configured differently. The house, subsequently, for many years, until the expansion in 1850, plated in statuary operated in statuary hall acoustics were terrible. They couldnt hear each other, literally could not hear each other. Were quitetes stressful because people could not the acoustics were just awful. That was one of the factors, in addition to winning the mexican led to the expansion decision to build a house wing wing. Senate host this room has got a number of things i want to talk about to stay with the history of it. 1800 was important but also 1814 important. Senator mcconnell it sure was. Host what happened . Senator mcconnell they developed the library of congress here. British invaded washington, they burned both the capitol and the white house. Didnt burn to the ground because it was made out of marble but it gutted the building. It took them four or knife years five years to get back into the capitol. Used the initial library of , which the books to start the fire. Supposedly happened in this area. It destroyed the initial library, of course. And gutted the capitol. And when people ask about jeffersons books being the start of the library of true but thats happened after and gutted the the initial library was destroyed in the fire. Then either gave or, i suspect, sold because he was his booksit debt, which are still on display at the library of Congress Building as the beginning of the library congress. Host one of the most architecturally significant today . Of this room architectural ly significant . Host the fireplace . Senator mcconnell well, it has which some of which actually still work but we dont use them anymore because of like henry clay here on the wall. Contemporary portrait of clay. Is not good for old portraits. Thrilled. Have been he and jackson were, i would their basically rivalry began the modern twoparty system. On absolutely everything. Clay took jackson on directly time in 1832. Jackson won overwhelmingly. And debated. And that was the beginning of the wiig party under clay which the republican party. And, of course, jackson was a prominent democrat. Think clay would have enjoyed the fact that since my predecessor is from tennessee, this office into and replaced him, i took jackson down, sent him back to the put henry clay up. So clay finally bested jackson something. Host the other portraits are from senator mcconnell republican president s. Host you selected which ones . Senator mcconnell i have bush 41, Teddy Roosevelt, bush 43, reagan course, ronald who is from my party and for us the modern hero. Host why did you choose the portrait, Teddy Roosevelt . Senator mcconnell well, roosevelt was the most person of whoever held the presidency. The only president who wrote ofks and made money off writing books and who was a big game hunter, fearless. Threatened i eastern, he took enormous chances throughout his life both as a young man hisg out west after losing wife and his mother on the same and hunting, you know, battling the terrain and weather and all the rest. Down to after his final run for presidency in 1912, which he that hea threeway race precipitated by taking on his colleague,nd and William Howard taft. He literally took off and went america and went down the amazon in an extremely dangerous trek down the amazon. Picked up a lot of exotic and wn diseases, which probably led to passed the age of 60. He had all kinds of Health Problems after he got back from down the amazon. Interestingur most president ever and happened to be a republican, so i thought that was appropriate to be in office. Blican leaders host how do you use this room today . Senator mcconnell well, this is where guests come in. They start here. I come out and have pictures taken with them. Then we go into the Conference Room. E have meetings those are not only usually people from home but also, you senators are in here all the time, in and out. Because my job as the majority ,eader is to set the schedule to decide what we are going to debate. It doesnt always guarantee the outcome because the senate is a really unusual body. Requires 60 votes to do most things and only rarely does one party have 60. Have to talk to each other. You cant do much in the senate basis. Rictly partisan so this is a beehive of activity only ofhe week not constituents, people who have particular interests, but senate. Es in the host before we leave this space, grand as it is, i want to understand its progression and usage because it was house of representatives and library of congress. And then what happened after that . Senator mcconnell lots of different things. Used, i think, for periods of time by vice , by others. I have a pamphlet here that i uses. Outlines the various but for our purposes, i think, the 1950s its been the office of the republican leader of the Senate Whether we are the minority. R the we dont all switch offices like they do in the howes house. Former speakers in the house nearly the office that the speaker does. But here its been con continuously since the time of robert taft in the 1950s, the office of the republican leader. Away is ther democratic leader . Senator mcconnell not very far. Hes off the floor of the samee, too, about the distance. Actually, he might be slightly a i. Feet closer than of course, we deal with each other every day in opening the thete and discussing business of the senate and how to go forward. Host were going to keep on suite. Through your ill let you lead the way here. Senator mcconnell ok. Man anden i was a young began to have hopes that maybe i a political career, my role model was a man named cooper, who was a republican senator from kentucky. Democratic, pretty so it was a little bit unusual to have a successful republican. Him. Identified with i was an intern in his office in the summer of 1964. Actively involved in breaking the fill juster rightster on the civil bill of 1964. Happily enough, 20 years after that i won the seat that he had alive. D he was still and this is a picture of when i be sworn in orientation. He asked me to stay at his house, which was a great honor. So i had gone from intern to senator. I didnt obviously defeat him. He retired. In the meantime, i defeel thed theguy who re defeated guy who replaced him after he retired. But it was a thrill to literally cooper,enator go from intern to his replacement. Host another influence on your life . Senator mcconnell yeah. Whomis a great uncle with i share a name who, interestingly enough, was a local politician in alabama. Of course, there were no republicans at all. He was like the county executive. They called them probate judges. Alabama. L do in this is a piece of his stationary. Thats where i was born in north alabama. We lived briefly in georgia and kentucky when i was 13. This is one of his old cards which shows you how politics has changed. Looks like hes running in 1934. To served it says you well, to make each transaction a stepping stone confidence perfect is my desire and constant endeavor. That probably wouldnt work today. Host a paid political announcement. Wasnt it . Senator mcconnell it was. Was one of his campaign cards. Obviously it was not a cut and of campaign. Host and were moving into the next suite. This . S senator mcconnell this is the as irence room that, indicated, this space has been by the republican leader roughly since the time of who was only majority leader briefly. He was a real power house in the senate. Of for president a couple times. Competed against eisenhower. When eisenhower won, he wanted and i think his colleagues wanted him to become the majority lead are, which he did. Regretfully he died about eight later, so he was only in here briefly. One of our best known and most leaders, howard baker of tennessee, who retired the year. Hat i got here in fact, just passed away the years. Uple of when i was an intern here, dirksen was the leader of the republican minority and a major theer with l. B. J. In making civil rights bill in 1964 and of 1965ng rights bill bipartisan. Host he also used television quite effectively during his time. Senator mcconnell he was not particularly tote genic but he actor. Reat witt. A natural could have made his living being an actor in plays on broadway. Entertaining. He sort of kept the republicans kennedyter the assassination and the goldwater debacle we were down to a number again, which has happened a couple of times in the last 100 years. Course, everyone who becameob dole the leader when i got here and. As our candidate for president and when bob stepped down to run president in 1996 he was seceded by trent lott of. Ississippi host do you still stay in touch with your predecessors, talk to them . Senator mcconnell sure. Was talking to dole recently. I talked to lott frequently. And bill is back on this wall. He was the one who put andrew outside, thus leading story about clay and jackson. Host how do you use this room . Having mcconnell were he had meetings in here all the time. The Republican Leadership are in here. If we have a particular issue were trying to advance, i bring leaders of both sides ways toy in to discuss go forward. Its a beehive of activity. Are also constituent meetings in here, too. Mostly members. Willing to share a story . It doesnt have to be contemporary or give away memory in this room . Senator mcconnell oh my goodness. That. Ave to think about there have been so many. One moment you would be interested in. Bush wanted to order the surge in iraq toward tenure, theis democrats had just come to the and they believed the unpopularity of the iraq war was hadprinciple reason they come to the majority. So there was a lot of resistance to providing the funds for the see if we could finally get the iraq war right. But ijust elected leader was leader of the minority so i had to try to sell to a new majority who felt they had just come to power because of the war alarity of the strategy that seemed to be doubling down on failure. I couldest salesman find was general david petraeus. And we had petraeus in here. Brought in members after members after members after theers and let him make argument about why he thought it would work. Salesman. Ood we got the funding. The surge did work. Not, the iraqt or war was won by the time office. T bush left so the sales job, in effect, was done largely in this room by petraeus, who was going to be the person to execute the thetegy if he could get funds for the troops. Host one of those if the walls sort of rooms. Isnt it . Senator mcconnell yes. Host next is your own personal office. Correct . Senator mcconnell yes. Host how long are your days . Senator mcconnell i usually have something to do in the. Vening were either in session or i have some event i need to attend for my colleagues. So i usually get home around 8 30 or 9 00. When do start . Senator mcconnell sort of normal time like most people, 8 30 or 9 00. Regularly 12hour days. Will how much of that time is spent in here . Senator mcconnell most of my in here. Like all senators, i have another office in the russell building. We have three Senate Offices but i have, as a result of being leader, i have two offices and two sets of staff. Deals with all of the senators. Russell is mainly oriented toward kentucky and my. Esponsibilities there but just to keep myself from running back and forth all the generally operate out of here. The people from the russell have constituents or concerns, they usually come over here. Youll be interested in what i have on the wall. This is lincoln and his son, ted. Host this is an original . Senator mcconnell i think so. In the 19th century, so many of disease. D lincolns son, willie, died while he was president. It to age 19 and died of some disease. Only lincolns son robert had a life. A distinctln is such figure for republicans, and actually in many ways for democrats as well, i thought it to have him up there. Host and people forget that he has kentucky roots because illinois laid such climb him. Senator mcconnell we all claim him. Wasas born in indiana he born in kentucky. Lived briefly in indiana. And ended up in illinois. Have lincolns birthplace. We make everybody wants to lincoln. Host also been to mary lincolns house in lexington. Too. E has kentucky roots, senator mcconnell she was from lexington. Link yoon roots in kentucky lincoln roots in kentucky were real. Famousbably remember his quote that he wanted to have god on his side but he had to have. Entucky what that meant was he spent an enormous amount of time prying to prevent kentucky from seceding from the union because he thought it was extremely the wart in terms of strategy to avoid kentuckys secession. The saying, i want to have to on my side but i have have kentucky. Speaking of kentucky, this is marshall harland. Every firstyear law student can tell you who he was. He was from kentucky. Fought for the union. Some the war he had political aspirations. But kentucky, curiously enough, theed to sort of go over to Southern Side after the war and became a totally democratic state. Harlan didnt get very far with his political aspirations. Partner, a law partner, who is a veryw wellknown. And the two of them were known citizens wholid were incorruptible. Lynnis partner benj bristow became Benjamin Bristow became secretary of tesh trie in the grant administration. And the reason was he was sort allr. Clean and grant had kinds of corruption problems. He brought in bristow to try to clean the place up. Bristow also, interestingly enough, was the nations first general. So bristow after about a year look at the situation and decided he needed to get out. He was afraid his reputation smeared. Why am i telling you about harlans partner . Point. A years ofafter eight grant, the republicans, harlan thought, needed to do something different. And so mr. Clean, he thought, would be the perfect nominee for president. So the Republican Convention was in cincinnati. In those days you werent supposed to act like you wanted didnt go tow cincinnati, harlan did to try to get bristow the president ial nomination. When it didnt happen, harlan switched the bristow delegates to rutherford b. Hayes which is how he got on the Supreme Court served for 30 years. And the reason i have John Marshall harlan up here, he was the center of the case plessee which upheld segregation and public accommodations. It was rail cars. Became thet in 18