[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 138 (Monday, August 20, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5705-S5706]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          APPROPRIATIONS BILLS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, last week the Senate turned to a 
critically important pair of appropriations bills--those which 
encompass the Departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, 
and Education. And we proceeded to this legislation by unanimous 
consent. That may seem like a small detail in the scheme of things, but 
it underscores a fact that should be a real source of pride for this 
Senate: Bill by bill, we are rebuilding a regular process for 
responsibly appropriating taxpayers' money. We are achieving what we 
set out to do, and we are doing it together.
  Because of the leadership of Chairman Shelby, Senator Leahy, and our 
subcommittee chairs and ranking members, all 12 appropriations bills 
for this fiscal year were reported out prior to the July 4th recess. 
The process was so bipartisan that, cumulatively across all 12 bills, 
the committee votes were 363 to 9.
  Here on the floor, we have already approved--with bipartisan 
support--measures to fund Energy and Water Development, Military 
Construction, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, Housing and Urban 
Development, Interior, Environment, Agriculture, and other priorities.
  We have had a normal committee process. We have had amendment votes 
here on the floor of the Senate. We have considered these bills 
thoroughly but efficiently and then passed each of them with bipartisan 
majorities. That is exactly the momentum we need to keep up right now.
  The legislation now before us will be a major milestone. It addresses 
vital priorities: a pay raise for our troops, plus funding for their 
missions and work to restore combat readiness, training programs for 
American workers, and new tools for combating the opioid epidemic. 
These bills will bring billions of dollars and resources and relief to 
the families and communities that are fighting every day against the 
crisis of drug abuse and addiction that has inflicted so much pain on 
our country. I will have more to say this week

[[Page S5706]]

on the important things this legislation will accomplish, but first I 
want to pause and take stock of our progress.
  When we finish and pass the legislation before us, we will have 
approved 9 of the 12 bills to appropriate money for the government. 
Together, they will account for more than 87 percent of the 
discretionary spending for next year, and it will be the first time in 
15 years that the Senate will have passed the Labor-HHS-Education 
appropriations bill before the start of the fiscal year.
  I am glad we will be voting on a pair of amendments later this 
afternoon, and I hope that, with consent, we will be able to vote on 
more amendments this week. Then I will look forward to passing this 
legislation for our servicemembers and for middle-class families across 
our country.

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