[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 165 (Monday, December 19, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13989-S13990]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS

  Mr. COBURN. Mr. President, in the past in this body, I have been 
highly critical of some of the things that have gone on in the 
appropriations process. But I want to say the chairman of the 
Appropriations Committee in this body, with the appropriations package 
we are going to look at today, or whenever we get to it, has done a 
phenomenal job. I think the American people need to know this is the 
type of leadership we have been looking for for a long time.
  All of the additional spending for the victims of the hurricane, for 
LIHEAP, for all of the additional things we are going to be doing, has 
been paid for not on the backs of our children and our grandchildren 
but in fact by making hard decisions on what to trim.
  A lot of resistance is probably going to come with this, and the 
reason people are uncomfortable with it is because we are trimming the 
size of the

[[Page S13990]]

Federal Government at the same time we have neighbors on the gulf coast 
who need help, and those who are unfortunate with their heating bills 
this year need help.
  I want to have in the Record that both Senator Stevens on the Defense 
appropriations bill and Senator Cochran I believe have done a fantastic 
job, and they have set a benchmark for where we need to go next year in 
terms of any new programs we need to be paying for by making reductions 
in other programs. What it is doing is securing the future for our 
children and our grandchildren.
  My hat is off to them. I think they have done a great job. We have 
looked over the bill since last evening, since the numbers came 
through. We are very pleased. There are no gimmicks, no games being 
played with the numbers. Hard choices have been delineated in this bill 
which will require hard votes but for the right reasons. And for the 
next two generations, I thank them for their hard work on this bill.
  With that, I note the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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