[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 15 (Monday, January 22, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S429-S430]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             FEDERAL REGISTER PRINTING SAVINGS ACT OF 2017

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 
Senate will resume consideration of the House message to accompany H.R. 
195, which the clerk will report.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       House message to accompany H.R. 195, a bill to amend title 
     44, United States Code, to restrict the distribution of free 
     printed copies of the Federal Register to Members of Congress 
     and other officers and employees of the United States, and 
     for other purposes.

  Pending:

       McConnell motion to concur in the amendment of the House to 
     the amendment of the Senate to the bill.
       McConnell motion to concur in the amendment of the House to 
     the amendment of the Senate to the bill, with McConnell 
     amendment No. 1917 (to the House amendment to the Senate 
     amendment to the bill), of a perfecting nature.
       McConnell motion to refer the message of the House on the 
     bill to the Committee on Appropriations, with instructions, 
     McConnell amendment No. 1918, to change the enactment date.


                   Recognition of the Majority Leader

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader is recognized.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, in 2 hours every Senator can vote to 
end this government shutdown. At 12 noon we will vote to end the 
Democratic leader's filibuster and advance instead a bipartisan bill 
that would put this mess behind us.
  The bill before us does three things that every Democrat and 
Republican should be able to support. First, it ends the shutdown and 
restores full funding for the Federal Government through February 8. 
Second, it extends health insurance for 9 million vulnerable children. 
Third, it will enable Congress to resume serious bipartisan talks on 
the important issues facing our Nation.
  I respect the passion that many of our friends in this Chamber, both 
Democrat and Republican alike, bring to the major issues before the 
Senate--all of these issues. Each of us brings our own views and 
personal perspectives to discussions of immigration policy, healthcare 
reform, or details of government spending.
  But we should not let the political feuds or policy disagreements 
obscure the simple fact that every Member of this body cares deeply 
about the challenges facing our country. All of us want to make life 
better for the American people.
  Bearing this in mind, I hope and intend that we can reach bipartisan 
solutions on issues such as military spending, immigration and border 
security, and disaster relief before the February 8 deadline.
  But yesterday evening, I restated my position that these negotiations 
can't last forever. Should these issues not be resolved by the time the 
funding bill before us expires on February 8, so long as the government 
remains open, it would be my intention to take up legislation here in 
the Senate that would address DACA, border security, and related 
issues, as well as disaster relief, defense funding, healthcare, and 
other important matters.
  Let me be clear. This immigration debate will have a level playing 
field at the outset and an amendment process

[[Page S430]]

that is fair to all sides, and it would be my strong preference for the 
Senate to consider a proposal that could actually be signed into law. A 
bipartisan, bicameral group is already negotiating, and I look forward 
to completion of its work.
  But it is abundantly clear that the Senate cannot make progress on 
any of these crucial matters until the government is reopened. We need 
to move forward. The very first step is ending the shutdown. It is 
evident that this government shutdown is doing nothing--absolutely 
nothing--to generate bipartisan progress on the issues the American 
people care about. Every day we spend arguing about keeping the lights 
on is another day we cannot spend negotiating DACA, defense spending, 
or any of our other shared priorities.
  Let's join together and put the filibuster behind us and get back to 
work for the American people.

                          ____________________