[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 198 (Tuesday, December 5, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S7829]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        ISSUES BEFORE THE SENATE

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, instead of rushing a bad tax bill through 
the conference, the Senate should focus on the bevy of year-end issues 
confronting us. First and foremost, we must reach a spending bill that 
would have us meet our commitments to support the military and also 
urgent priorities here at home, such as combating the opioid crisis, 
shoring up pension plans, supporting veterans' healthcare, relieving 
student loan debt, and building rural infrastructure.
  In previous budget agreements, Democrats have always strived to 
achieve parity between our investments in defense and jobs and economic 
development here at home. It has continually been a sticking point with 
Republicans as we go through these negotiations. They want to increase 
the spending for defense, the military, but shortchange important 
domestic programs such as infrastructure, education, scientific 
research--measures that create jobs and help the middle class. We 
Democrats support an increase for our military, but we want to make 
sure other crucial programs don't get left behind. So we will fight 
just as hard in this budget agreement to ensure that for each dollar we 
add for defense, a dollar is added for domestic economic development, 
50-50.
  We care about our soldiers. They are the greatest. They are risking 
their lives for us, but we also care about a pensioner who spent his 
whole life working in the steel mills, working driving a truck, working 
building buildings. They religiously put money away every month so they 
would have something when they retire, and if it is not there--they are 
important too.
  General Mattis came to see me and told me how badly our Defense 
Department needs help. I agree, but I told him to go back to the White 
House and tell the White House the domestic side of the ledger needs 
help as well. Spending on the domestic side of the ledger is lower than 
it was in 2010, despite increased costs.
  We also need to provide funding for Community Health Centers, the 
Children's Health Insurance Program, relief for millions of Americans 
still recovering from national disasters, and we must come together on 
a bipartisan bill to support the Dream Act along with tougher border 
security measures. So it is a lengthy to-do list. It will require hard 
work, steady cooperation, and compromise on both sides.
  Last night, however, there was a concerning spectacle on the House 
floor. The freedom caucus held up an unrelated vote on the tax bill--
who could figure--because they were unsatisfied with the Republican 
leadership's plan to keep the government open. If we are going to solve 
all the problems that confront us before the end of the year, House 
leaders cannot let the Freedom Caucus--a small band of hard-right 
reactionary conservatives--run the show. If they cooperate with 
Democrats, they can accomplish something. To just let the Freedom 
Caucus dictate is a recipe for chaos.
  Once again, negotiations broke off because we were at an impasse on 
the 50-50 parity for defense and nondefense. That has been very 
important to Democrats for years. We have settled our budget 
agreements, our spending policy, omnibus agreements always with 50-50, 
and we believe it is still important today--parity, parity, parity.
  As we continue to negotiate with our Republican counterparts, we hope 
the Republican leadership can avert more of this unnecessary hostage-
taking like we saw on the House floor last night that can only impede a 
serious, ongoing bipartisan negotiation.
  I yield the floor.

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