McConnell: We'll have transition, no nod to Biden

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday " I think we ought to quit all the hand wringing" as President Donald Trump, backed by Republicans in Congress, pursues legal challenges to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's election victory.

Republicans are increasingly pointing to a December deadline as they give Trump time and space to exhaust his legal challenges. That's when the states face a deadline to certify results and a Dec. 14 deadline for the Electoral College to cast its votes. It's also about the time it took to resolve the 2000 election dispute between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore.

"Those cases will be decided and then the Electoral College will meet and then we'll have the inauguration," McConnell told reporters on Capitol Hill.

"I don't think we're going to have an interrupted transition to whoever is the next administration. I think we ought to quit all the hand wringing and not act like this is extraordinary."

Trump's GOP allies in Congress have largely declined to congratulate Biden, and instead they are backing up Trump's efforts to pursue legal challenges, even though privately many Republicans doubt he has any legitimate path to change the outcome. Trump and his GOP allies haven't offered any proof of election fraud and their legal challenges have largely been rejected by the courts.

Still, Republicans are unwilling to stray from Trump, even in defeat, or anger his most ardent supporters ahead of the Jan. 5 runoff elections in Georgia that will determine majority control of the Senate. Two Republican senators are struggling to keep their seats against Democratic challengers.

President-elect Joe Biden says "nothing going to stop" his administration's moving forward despite President Donald Trump's refusal to concede the race.

Speaking to reporters McConnell addressed the Senates remaining business, saying there were no plans for another multi trillion dollar coronavirus economic stimulus package in the future.

"We need to think about if we're going to come up with a bipartisan package here -- about what size is appropriate," he said.

It seems to me that snag that hung us up for months is still there. I don't think the current situation demands multi trillion-dollar package." Adding, "I think it should be highly targeted."