Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellConservatives wage assault on Mueller report Overnight Energy: Interior reverses decision at heart of Zinke criminal probe | Dem divisions deepen over approach to climate change | GM to add 400 workers to build electric cars Trump: Green New Deal 'the most preposterous thing' and 'easy to beat' 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 AyotteSchultz recruiting GOP insiders ahead of possible 2020 bid Bottom Line US, allies must stand in united opposition to Iran’s bad behavior MORE from New Hampshire and Susan Collins
Susan Margaret CollinsSenate GOP poised to go 'nuclear' on Trump picks Overnight Health Care: CDC pushes for expanding HIV testing, treatment | Dem group launches ads attacking Trump on Medicare, Medicaid cuts | Hospitals, insurers spar over surprise bills | O'Rourke under pressure from left on Medicare for all Dem group launches ads attacking Trump's 'hypocrisy on Medicare and Medicaid cuts' MORE and Olympia Snowe from Maine, I think, would be the first to say — and Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann MurkowskiRed dresses displayed around American Indian museum to memorialize missing, murdered native women Juan Williams: Don't rule out impeaching Trump The 25 Republicans who defied Trump on emergency declaration 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."
