[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 171 (Wednesday, November 30, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S6602]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. LEAHY. I do not see anybody else seeking recognition, but let me 
just say just a little bit more on these issues. Yesterday I commended 
my Republican colleague, Senator McCain. He complained about the 
decision of his own party to do away with regular order in our 
appropriations process. He's absolutely right. We should have debated 
and passed those bills the way we used to do. Ten months ago that's 
what the Republican leadership said they wanted to do, and they are in 
control here. And we worked hard in the Appropriations Committee, 
Republicans and Democrats together, and we reported out all our 
appropriations bills. Hundreds and hundreds of hours of work by 
members, even more by their staffs.
  Almost every one of these bills was bipartisan, and they passed 
usually by a unanimous vote or close to it. All that goes for naught. I 
commented about just one of these, and of course that is the State and 
foreign operations bill. Both before Benghazi and since Benghazi, the 
Republican chairman of the subcommittee and I have put in money, a 
considerable amount of money, for the security of our embassies and our 
personnel abroad. Rather than acknowledge their own responsibility for 
having cut funding for security prior to Benghazi, the House 
Republicans wasted tens of millions of dollars on hearings to blame the 
administration. Madam President, maybe double standards make for a 
sound bite on the evening news, especially if it sounds good and the 
people putting it on haven't done the research to find out what's 
really going on.
  But it's no consolation to the men and women serving at our embassies 
and throughout the world to represent the American people. Oftentimes 
in danger, as we just saw within the last couple of days in the 
Philippines. It does them no good to see Congress spend tens of 
millions of dollars to decry the lack of security, tens of millions of 
taxpayers' dollars on hearings that proved nothing, to get on 
television for political purposes, and then scrapping the 
appropriations bills and supporting instead a continuing resolution 
that will cut funds for embassy security by half a billion dollars.
  Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam 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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