McConnell to lead Senate GOP

Senate Republicans have re-elected Mitch McConnell to be majority leader next year while Democrats picked Chuck Schumer to lead them, setting the chief actors as the chamber prepares to push an agenda that will be dominated by Donald Trump and the GOP.

McConnell, 74, is a discreet but deadly master of the Senate's legislative chess game.

His role will be to steer GOP bills to the desk of a president whose name he barely spoke during a tumultuous campaign in which many Republicans viewed Trump and his incendiary comments on Muslims, veterans and others as political poison.

"It's time to accept the results of the election, to lower the tone and to see what we can do together to make progress for the country," McConnell, from Kentucky, told reporters on Wednesday.

As Senate minority leader, Schumer will assume his weakened party's most powerful remaining post as it struggles to define its role in a Republican-dominated government.

McConnell and Schumer faced no opposition at separate closed-door meetings.

Republicans will control the White House, House and Senate but their potential Achilles' heel is the Senate, which they will dominate 52-48.

Assuming Republicans don't eliminate the rule allowing filibusters, Schumer should be able to keep the GOP from the 60 votes they'd need on some issues to break the procedural delays, potential leverage for bargains.