Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump looms over Senate's anti-Asian hate crimes battle Appointing a credible, non-partisan Jan. 6 commission should not be difficult Why President Biden is all-in in infrastructure MORE (R-Ky.) shrugged off the idea that Republicans are waging a war on women, calling it a "manufactured issue."
"Talk about a manufactured issue," McConnell said in an interview with local Louisville, Ky., radio station WHAS on Monday.
He said his female Republican colleagues in the Senate would agree with him on that.
"There is no issue. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison [(Texas)] and Kelly Ayotte
Kelly Ann AyotteOvernight Defense: NATO expanding troops in Iraq Overnight Defense: New START extended for five years | Austin orders 'stand down' to tackle extremism | Panel recommends Biden delay Afghanistan withdrawal Study group recommends Biden delay Afghanistan withdrawal MORE from New Hampshire and Susan Collins
Susan Margaret CollinsTrump looms over Senate's anti-Asian hate crimes battle Moderates' 0B infrastructure bill is a tough sell with Democrats OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Senate confirms Mallory to lead White House environment council | US emissions dropped 1.7 percent in 2019 | Interior further delays Trump rule that would make drillers pay less to feds MORE and Olympia Snowe from Maine, I think, would be the first to say — and Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann MurkowskiRepublicans who backed Trump impeachment see fundraising boost Moderates' 0B infrastructure bill is a tough sell with Democrats The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Tax March - CDC in limbo on J&J vax verdict; Rep. Brady retiring MORE from Alaska — ‘We don’t see any evidence of this.' "Democrats have increasingly lobbed the "war on women" charge since Republicans strongly resisted an Obama administration rule requiring certain religious organizations to provide contraceptive coverage to employees. Democrats took Republicans' opposition to the rule and spun it as the latest example of a long list of efforts to disenfranchise American women.
GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Olympia Snowe (Maine) both voiced opposition to Republican efforts to overturn the Obama administration's rule.
On Sunday, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) said the charge was something of an exaggeration.
"We’ve got to quit exaggerating our political differences," Cleaver said on CNN's "State of the Union."
