[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 72 (Thursday, April 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S2569]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Government Funding Bill

  Mr. President, I wish to talk first about some good news: the 
appropriations process--our negotiations to keep the government open. 
The President has backed off his threat to hold government funding 
hostage over the wall and over cutting healthcare funding for millions 
of Americans. This healthcare funding is essential to ensuring that 
millions of Americans will not see their premiums skyrocket and that 
they will not be kicked off their plans. Make no mistake, we will watch 
the administration like a hawk to make sure they follow through on 
their promise to continue this funding.
  We are very happy that they have seen the light that Democrats have 
tried to show them for weeks. Threatening to hurt Americans for 
political gain is a loser.
  Much like the administration's withdrawal of their demand for wall 
funding, which Democrats laid out a month ago as a condition for 
successful bipartisan negotiations on the appropriations bill, this 
decision brings us closer to a bipartisan agreement to fund the 
government and is good news for the American people.
  The tendency of this administration has been to go at it alone. What 
these negotiations show is that when the Trump administration takes 
into account the Democratic position and is willing to move in our 
direction, they can make progress on issues as we have on the 
appropriations bills.
  On those appropriations bills, of course, there are a few remaining 
issues to be settled. The most vexing are poison pill riders. We will 
not accept them, but I believe we are close to final agreement. Our 
side will continue to work in good faith to see that an agreement is 
reached to keep the government open by tomorrow's deadline.
  I hope that this is something of a metaphor for the future, that the 
administration will not put together its plan and say that 
bipartisanship means you support our plan without any Democratic 
consultation, input, and, more importantly, taking into account our 
values, which we believe are close to where American values are--much 
closer than some on the other side.