Here's what you need to know about one of the longest-running U.S. senators and Republican leaders, from his beginnings to his controversies. RELATED: https://bit.ly/3nutR3l WASHINGTON – When Vice President Joe Biden visited the Senate four years ago to bid farewell to his many long-time Senate colleagues, Mitch McConnell looked him in the eye and described him as "a real friend ... a trusted partner ... We're all going to miss you." Several years earlier, after the two had worked together behind the scenes to broker a major tax deal, the Kentucky senator invited Biden to an event at the University of Louisville as a gesture of goodwill. “You want to see whether a Republican and Democrat really like each other,’’ Biden said as McConnell looked on. “Well, I’m here to tell you we do.’’ » Subscribe to USA TODAY: http://bit.ly/1xa3XAh » Watch more on this and other topics from USA TODAY: https://bit.ly/3munQCb » USA TODAY delivers current local and national news, sports, entertainment, finance, technology, and more through award-winning journalism, photos, videos and VR. #mitchmcconnell #senate #usatoday