Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, of Ky., speaks during a news conference with members of the Senate Republican leadership, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 2:25 PM PT – Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is opposing Democrat plans to add provisions on marijuana and a permitting reform to the annual defense bill.

When speaking on the Senate floor on Tuesday, McConnell (R-Ky.) referred to the National Defense Authorization Act. He claimed that Democrats are trying to add partisan projects instead of putting the U.S. military first.

“House and Senate Democrats are still obstructing efforts to close out the NDAA by trying to jam in unrelated items with no relationship whatsoever to defense,” he said.

This comes after Democrats proposed allowing banks to do business with marijuana businesses, while Republicans want a provision to cancel the vaccine mandate in the military. McConnell stressed that Democrats are more interested in promoting drugs than national defense.  

“We’re talking about a grab bag of miscellaneous pet priorities, like making our financial system more sympathetic to illegal drugs or permitting reform in name only that’s already failed to pass the Senate earlier this year,” McConnell said.

McConnell pointed out that Democrats are holding America’s armed forces hostage over their far-left agenda, which also reveals poor planning by Senate Democrat leadership.

President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 1:25 PM PT – Tuesday, December 6, 2022

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said President Joe Biden will likely announce his decision on re-election after the holidays. Klain made the comment on Monday during an interview at the Wall Street Journal’s’ CEO Council Summit. 

He reiterated Biden’s past comments in which the president said he will make a formal decision early next year. Biden reportedly discussed a possible 2024 run with his family over Thanksgiving. He will continue the talks during Christmas and New Year’s.

“I hear from a lot of Democrats across the country that they want him to run. But the president will make that decision,” Mr. Klain said. “I expect it shortly after the holidays, but I expect the decision will be to do it.”

At 80-years-old, Biden is the oldest President in U.S. history. This is further fueling concerns over his fitness for office. However, Biden has dismissed these concerns, citing that only his family or an unexpected occurrence, such as a health catastrophe, would likely make him reconsider running.

In the meantime,  45th President Donald J. Trump has already announced his 2024 campaign in hopes of returning to the White House.