[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 195 (Saturday, December 17, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S8760]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
         APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2012--CONFERENCE REPORT--Continued

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is now two minutes of debate prior to a 
vote on the conference report to accompany H.R. 2055.
  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, this Omnibus appropriations bill 
represents a victory for compromise, a victory for American taxpayers, 
and a victory for bipartisanship. It is fiscally responsible and it 
provides the necessary guidance to our agencies so they will be able to 
fulfill their vital missions on behalf of the American people. It meets 
every requirement of the Budget Control Act and contains not a single 
earmark; 149 Democrats and 147 Republicans voted in favor of this bill 
yesterday. Clearly it is a strong bipartisan bill and I urge a ``yes'' 
vote.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who yields time?
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, this will be the last rollcall vote of this 
year.
  Have a happy holiday, everyone.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on the adoption of the 
conference report to accompany H.R. 2055.
  Mr. BARRASSO. I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. KYL. The following Senator is necessarily absent: The Senator 
from Kentucky (Mr. Paul).
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 67, nays 32, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 235 Leg.]

                                YEAS--67

     Akaka
     Alexander
     Baucus
     Begich
     Bennet
     Bingaman
     Blumenthal
     Blunt
     Boozman
     Boxer
     Brown (MA)
     Brown (OH)
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Chambliss
     Cochran
     Collins
     Conrad
     Coons
     Durbin
     Feinstein
     Franken
     Gillibrand
     Graham
     Hagan
     Harkin
     Heller
     Hoeven
     Hutchison
     Inouye
     Isakson
     Johanns
     Johnson (SD)
     Kerry
     Klobuchar
     Kohl
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Manchin
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Mikulski
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Nelson (NE)
     Nelson (FL)
     Pryor
     Reed
     Reid
     Roberts
     Rockefeller
     Schumer
     Shaheen
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Warner
     Webb
     Whitehouse
     Wicker
     Wyden

                                NAYS--32

     Ayotte
     Barrasso
     Burr
     Coats
     Coburn
     Corker
     Cornyn
     Crapo
     DeMint
     Enzi
     Grassley
     Hatch
     Inhofe
     Johnson (WI)
     Kirk
     Kyl
     Lee
     Lugar
     McCain
     McCaskill
     McConnell
     Moran
     Portman
     Risch
     Rubio
     Sanders
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Snowe
     Thune
     Toomey
     Vitter

                             NOT VOTING--1

       
     Paul
       
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 67, the nays are 
32. Under the previous order requiring 60 votes for the adoption of the 
conference report to accompany H.R. 2055, the conference report is 
agreed to.
  The majority leader.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, today I cast my vote against H.R. 2055, 
the nine-bill appropriations measure. I opposed this package because 
the process put forward by the majority was woefully inadequate given 
the seriousness of the issues involved. Valuable legislative time was 
wasted this year on political messaging votes; time that could have 
been more properly devoted to the nuts and bolts of legislating. The 
full Senate, for example, was denied the opportunity to consider the 
Defense Appropriations bill at a time when our men and women in uniform 
are facing looming uncertainty over out-year funding.
  Despite my overall opposition to this measure, I would note that 
there are several provisions that I am in favor of in this package. As 
always, I support funding for the brave members of our military and for 
our veterans. Indeed, I voted for the Senate version of the Military 
Construction/VA appropriations bill earlier this year and just a few 
days ago voted for the final version of the Defense Authorization bill. 
Among the other provisions I support are policy riders such as those 
that encourage a culture of life and that rein in government overreach.
  In closing, it is unfortunate that the majority continues to operate 
as it has. I am hopeful that the majority's efforts in this regard do 
not presage further legislative shortcuts on matters of national 
importance in the second session of this Congress.

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