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Former Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) isn’t ready to retire after serving for decades in Congress.

McConnell announced Thursday that he will chair the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense next year, overseeing the defense budget as he prepares to step down from Senate leadership.

In January, McConnell will transition to a rank-and-file member after 18 years as the leader of Senate Republicans. However, his new committee role ensures he will continue to wield significant influence over U.S. foreign policy, the Washington Examiner reported.

“Outside of defense, McConnell announced that he will chair the Senate Rules Committee, a lower-profile body responsible for contested elections and the administration of Senate rules and procedures,” the outlet added.

“America’s national security interests face the gravest array of threats since the Second World War. At this critical moment, a new Senate Republican majority has a responsibility to secure the future of U.S. leadership and primacy,” McConnell said in a statement. “I intend to play an active role in this urgent mission.”

Several X users voiced their opposition to McConnell’s new gig, with several suggesting he should be retiring instead.

As the more senior GOP senator, McConnell outranks Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), the committee’s current top Republican, meaning he could have bypassed her to take charge of the entire committee, said the Examiner. McConnell was never expected to pursue the chairmanship of the full Appropriations Committee, as he and Collins are close Senate allies, the outlet noted further.

However, his role on the Appropriations Committee could create tension in the upcoming Congress, where Republicans will hold a 53-seat majority. McConnell’s notably hawkish foreign policy stance contrasts sharply with President-elect Donald Trump’s focus on brokering an end to the war in Ukraine.

McConnell could play a key role in opposing some of President-elect Donald Trump’s more contentious Cabinet nominees, including Tulsi Gabbard, an outspoken anti-war figure selected to oversee U.S. intelligence agencies.

It remains unclear how vocal McConnell intends to be now that he is stepping away from Senate leadership. So far, he has made an effort not to overshadow incoming Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), noted the Examiner. On Tuesday, McConnell refrained from taking a position on how Thune should address the issue of recess appointments, a strategy Trump could use to bypass Senate confirmation for his nominees.

“Defending the Senate as an institution and protecting the right to political speech in our elections remain among my longest-standing priorities,” McConnell said.

He will take the place of Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), currently the ranking Republican.

In March, McConnell endorsed Trump, but the 45th president was not the Kentucky Republican’s first choice.

McConnell, who had recently announced he would step down as Senate GOP leader, made his endorsement after former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley dropped out of the presidential race, Axios reported.

“It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States,” McConnell said in a statement.

In a biography that was scheduled for release a week before the election earlier this month, McConnell allegedly expressed support for special counsel Jack Smith and stated that he hoped Trump would “pay a price” for his actions related to January 6th.

The post Former GOP Leader McConnell To Chair Two Senate Committees Next Year appeared first on Conservative Brief.