[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 208 (Wednesday, December 20, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8153-S8154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         FUNDING THE GOVERNMENT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on a different matter, the Senate's 
work this week is not finished. Before Friday, Congress must agree on 
funding to sustain the necessary operations of the Federal Government. 
I know that all our colleagues on both sides of the aisle want to keep 
the government funded and attend to a number of other urgent 
priorities. I am confident we can work together to do just that. 
Americans are counting on us, after all.
  To begin with, our men and women in uniform are counting on us to 
provide the resources they require to fulfill their missions and keep 
the country safe. The burden of the Budget Control Act has fallen 
disproportionately on our All-Volunteer military. Under that law, 
defense cuts have outpaced nondefense cuts by $85 billion since fiscal 
2013. At the same time, the previous administration insisted that new 
defense spending be matched equally by

[[Page S8154]]

new nondefense spending, notwithstanding the actual needs of our 
military.
  This week, let's dispense with the arbitrary standard--as we did 
earlier this year--and provide our warfighters with the funding they 
need to accomplish the tasks put before them.
  Americans whose premiums are soaring or whose coverage is in jeopardy 
because of the failures of ObamaCare are counting on us to take 
bipartisan steps toward stabilizing health insurance markets.
  The parents of 9 million children enrolled in the Children's Health 
Insurance Program are counting on us to renew the program's funding.
  Our country's law enforcement professionals are counting on us to 
renew an important foreign intelligence program that helps them defend 
the homeland from those who wish us harm.
  Veterans are counting on us to renew the popular Veterans Choice 
Program and preserve their flexibility to access care outside of the VA 
system.
  Just as we have done in the past, we need to pass a routine pay-go 
waiver to avoid a draconian sequester that none of my colleagues want 
to see take effect. Americans are counting on us not to inflict harmful 
cuts on Medicare and other essential operations.
  I look forward to working together in the coming days to fund our 
government in a manner that does right by the American people.

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