[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 166 (Tuesday, October 30, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S13532]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        FIVE WEEKS AND COUNTING

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, a lot of business in the Senate 
involves numbers. There are 100 Senators. The majority has 51, and this 
side of the aisle has 49. As the majority leader just indicated, it 
takes 60 votes to pass most significant legislation. Senators are 
always thinking about many different numbers. But today's number is 
quite simple. The number is 5--yes, just 5. It is 5 because this is the 
fifth week of the new fiscal year. But our friends on the other side of 
the aisle have yet to fulfill, as the majority whip puts it, ``the most 
fundamental job Congress is expected to do,'' and send a single 
appropriations bill to the President's desk.
  Let me give just one example. The Senate passed the Military 
Construction/Veterans Affairs appropriations bill, which provides 
critical funds for wounded warriors, deserving veterans, and the base 
installations of servicemembers and their families, in a bipartisan 92-
to-1 vote nearly 2 months ago. Yet that bill now sits idle as we wait 
for the majority to call it up to conference.
  Meanwhile, as early as today, the majority could proceed to take up 
another version of the SCHIP bill, which is certain to be vetoed once 
again by the President.
  Republicans want to strengthen and secure the SCHIP program. The 
exact wrong way to do that is to lose focus on the low-income children 
it was designed to protect. So let's work together on a compromise that 
will keep the focus where it belongs, on low-income children. But I 
suspect I am going to have plenty of chances to come back to the Senate 
floor and debate this issue very soon.
  The point is, working on a bill that we know will be vetoed is not 
the best way to use precious legislative time. Why do they insist that 
we go through with this?
  Further, Mr. President, I think we can all agree that we should do 
everything in our power to provide for our veterans and our troops. 
November 11 is Veterans Day. I think this Senate ought to honor our 
veterans and the brave men and women who serve under our country's flag 
by sending the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs and Defense 
appropriations bills to the President's desk by Veterans Day without 
any gimmicks and games. It is the least this Congress can do for those 
who have worn the uniform, and it is the least this Congress can do to 
meet the minimum threshold of conducting the Government's important 
business.
  Five weeks and counting, Mr. President.
  I yield the floor.

                          ____________________