GHENT, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Kentucky company is promising a multi-million dollar investment in its Carroll County facility.
The CEO of North American Stainless credits tax relief that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell helped bring, after a bipartisan Senate vote ratified a trade treaty in July.
"Moving this critical treaty through the Senate, and facilitating new investment in Kentucky, Leader McConnell listened and put Kentucky jobs first," said NAS CEO Cris Fuentes.
McConnell was in Ghent for the announcement about the $30 million investment, and shook hands with dozens of the 1,500 steel workers the company employs.
NAS says the company is saving $35 million in taxes thanks to the relief.
"My job is to look out for middle America," said McConnell, from the stage at NAS.
A job he hopes to continue in his bid for a seventh term in the US Senate.
"I saw a commercial from my likely opponent during a football game Saturday, so I think we've moved on to the next election," said McConnell
For the time being, the Senate Majority Leader said he's staying out of the 2020 Democratic primary, but is ready for whoever wins.
"We'll see who the opponent is. We know which one has a lot of money," said McConnell.
On last week's election results, the senator says he's happy to see that five Republicans will hold statewide office by next month, despite the loss by Republican Governor Matt Bevin.
"He had a good 4 years. And I'm awfully proud of the rest of the ticket. Everyone won a very large majority. I'm sorry Matt came up short. But he had a good four years. And I think all indications are, barring some dramatic reversal on the recanvass, that we'll have a different governor in three weeks," said McConnell.
When McConnell was asked for his reaction to KSR host Matt Jones being taken off his radio show last week, the senator says his campaign did not pull Jones off his radio or TV shows.
On Friday, Jones said he was very close to announcing he would not join the US Senate race, but those developments have given him more to consider.
