[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 108 (Wednesday, June 27, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S4501]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  ENERGY AND WATER, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, AND MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND 
VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS BILL AND THE AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION 
                                  BILL

  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, today I wish to discuss votes on final 
passage of H.R. 5895 and the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to 
proceed to H.R. 2.
  I was not in Washington on Monday because I was visiting Senator John 
McCain at his ranch in Arizona.
  The Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction 
and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act of 2019, H.R. 5895, is the 
result of a commendable bipartisan negotiation process led by Chairman 
Shelby and Ranking Member Leahy of the Appropriations Committee. The 
bill includes strong funding for ongoing work on Bureau of Reclamation 
rural water projects like the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System that 
will benefit approximately 300,000 people in the southwest Minnesota, 
southeast South Dakota, and northwest Iowa regions. The bill also 
includes legislation I led with Senator Tillis to create a center of 
excellence within the Department of Veterans Affairs to address the 
health conditions relating to exposure to burn pits. Had I been in 
Washington, I would have voted in favor of its passage.
  The Agriculture and Nutrition Act, H.R. 2, passed the Senate 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee by a vote of 20 to 1. 
The bill will provide critical investments in communities in Minnesota 
and will provide much-needed certainty for our farmers and ranchers. 
The bill includes provisions I championed to continue investments in 
renewable energy programs, create an animal disease and disaster 
program, and provide support for our dairy farmers. Had I been in 
Washington, I would have voted in favor of the motion to invoke cloture 
on the motion to proceed to the bill.
  Thank you.

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