[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 155 (Tuesday, September 18, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S6213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         FUNDING THE GOVERNMENT

  Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, I rise today disappointed and frustrated.
  Once again, we passed an ill-advised continuing resolution to fund 
much of our government. Once again, folks, we have passed the buck. 
Once again, we have failed to do our job.
  One of Congress's most essential roles is to fund a responsible 
government that runs efficiently and effectively. We have a duty to 
taxpayers to not just simply give a thumbs-up on spending their money 
but to debate and consider whether programs are working to serve their 
needs. Unfortunately, we have been negligent in this solemn duty. Like 
myself, Americans are tired of this shortsighted habit of kicking the 
can down the road.
  How did we get to this point, you might be asking yourself. After 
all, we worked across the aisle in an open and collaborative way and 
found a path forward to fund our national defense and the vital 
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. We 
recently passed a similar bill related to Energy and Water, Legislative 
Branch, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs.
  As we have seen, a continuing resolution was attached to this 
legislation for the rest of the government, including our vital 
Department of Homeland Security. Worse, this continuing resolution 
doesn't fund the government fully until the end of the fiscal year. No, 
it simply punts the ball to December 7. That is it. We will be back 
here before Christmas, and if experience is any sort of guide, multiple 
times after that before we can get the government fully funded.
  I ultimately chose to vote yes on this continuing resolution because 
of what it means for our national security and our servicemembers who 
risk their lives every day for our security. Also, the continuing 
resolution included the Violence Against Women Act, a bill I could not 
allow to lapse given that this bill provides services for our most 
vulnerable. VAWA addresses the scourge of domestic violence that is so 
prevalent in our communities--crimes that often hurt women and children 
the most, often requiring them to be displaced from the only homes they 
know.
  I believe we can strengthen this act in several ways by addressing 
changing circumstances since its last reauthorization 5 years ago by 
tailoring its language to better fit the needs of our communities. 
There are provisions we need to change and to work on, but we are not 
afforded that opportunity.
  Tying our Nation's security and the Violence Against Women Act to the 
CR made it both the carrot and the stick. We are leaving services and 
programs that the American people rely upon open to partisan delay and 
political gerrymandering.
  The people of Iowa elected me to come to Washington to be their voice 
and to instill much needed fiscal responsibility. Rather than pushing, 
procrastinating, and postponing for another 3 months, we should buckle 
down and build upon the great progress we have made this year by 
getting the remaining appropriations bills across the finish line.
  We should debate the Violence Against Women Act in regular order so 
we can strengthen it and provide protections for those who need it the 
most. There are items I support in this continuing resolution, but we 
need to do our job. We need to fund the government. If we don't take 
action now, we will be back here month after month, year after year, 
doing the exact same thing.
  Thank you.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Barrasso). The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DONNELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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