[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 177 (Thursday, December 8, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S6879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                         WORK BEFORE THE SENATE

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, earlier today we moved the Defense 
authorization bill across the finish line. This legislation authorizes 
funding for things such as training our troops to counter the ever-
evolving threats emanating from around the world. The Defense 
authorization bill will also give our men and women in uniform the most 
up-to-date weaponry and the other equipment they need, including 
advanced aircraft, ships, and ground vehicles.
  Fortunately, the bill also authorizes needed improvements in military 
facilities such as those in Fort Hood, TX, Joint Base San Antonio, Red 
River Army Depot, and Ellington Field.
  Finally, it provides a much needed pay raise for our troops. I am 
pleased we were able to finish our work on that to better serve our men 
and women in uniform.
  I hope the President reconsiders his stated intention to veto this 
legislation. It makes absolutely no sense to me, and I think it would 
be an insult to the troops--whom we all claim to support--to deny them 
the resources and the pay raise that this bill provides for.
  We still have more work ahead of us, including the continuing 
resolution. I know there are Members of this body who say: Well, we 
want to change that appropriations bill to add some other provisions. 
But I just came back from meeting with some of the Members of the Texas 
House delegation. They tell me the House is leaving. So even if changes 
are made, the House is not going to be here and in session to make 
changes to the continuing resolution.
  Our friends across the aisle need to face up to the reality that if 
they somehow prevent us from passing this continuing resolution, it 
will be on their hands. I hope they will reconsider because they are 
not going to be able to achieve the goal they are seeking.
  We are close to wrapping up the Water Resources Development Act as 
well. This bill has also experienced a little bit of a hiccup. It has 
been held up over questions about how to best address the drought in 
California, but the bottom line is that California needs this 
legislation to help deliver water to its people and to keep producing 
billions of dollars' worth of crops each year.
  I know the folks in California consider themselves to be the 
breadbasket for America and literally the world because of all the food 
we export, but that is one reason why this legislation is so important 
and why the senior Senator from California, Mrs. Feinstein, and 
Majority Leader McCarthy negotiated this package.
  I know Senator Boxer is not pleased with it, but the fact is, under 
the current procedures, we are going to finish this legislation one way 
or another--perhaps as late as Monday, but we need to get it done.
  This legislative package will make sure that California and the rest 
of the country get the resources we need while complying with all 
environmental laws. Of course, with some cooperation we can get all of 
these moving parts done for the American people soon.

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