[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 181 (Thursday, November 15, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7019-S7020]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            ORDER OF BUSINESS AND BIPARTISAN ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, the Senate's final order of business 
this week will be to confirm Michelle Bowman, the President's choice to 
serve on the Federal Reserve Board.
  As I highlighted in recent days, we have before us a nominee whose 
skills and background are tailor-made for the responsibilities of the 
office. Ms. Bowman has extensive experience in community banking, and 
the seat to be filled is intended for an expert in that very field.
  My colleagues hardly need me to illustrate any further the role that 
small community banks play in the lives of family farms, small 
businesses, and communities all across our country. It is time to take 
an important step for them and confirm this well-qualified nominee.
  Yesterday, we passed legislation to reauthorize the Coast Guard by an 
overwhelming bipartisan majority. The Senate took action to reaffirm 
the critical security, interdiction, and rescue missions that keep 
America safe and to streamline duplicative regulations at the same 
time.

[[Page S7020]]

  The provision to clarify the regulation of vessel incidental 
discharge delivered a much needed victory for the communities and small 
maritime businesses, including so many in my State of Kentucky, that 
rely on America's inland waterways for their livelihood. The 
reauthorization delivered some well-earned certainty to the brave men 
and women of the U.S. Coast Guard, whose commitment to service should 
make all of us proud.
  Of course, the Coast Guard legislation was just the very latest 
installment in a long list of bipartisan successes passed by this 
Senate in this Congress on behalf of the American people.
  The big battles may be what captivate the press, and Republicans are 
certainly proud of our signature accomplishments, like historic tax 
reform and confirming Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh, but at the 
same time, it is frequently overlooked how many of this Congress's 
achievements have been thoroughly bipartisan.
  Republicans and Democrats together passed landmark legislation that 
marshaled more resources to the frontlines of communities fighting 
against opioids, more specialized training and resources for first 
responders, greater access to grant support for State and local 
authorities, and more support for treatment, recovery, and workforce 
reentry programs to heal the wounds of this devastating epidemic.
  Together we reformed some of the excesses of Dodd-Frank and lightened 
the load on local lenders.
  Together we ended the cycle of chronic continuing resolutions for 
defense funding that denied certainty to our Armed Forces and eroded 
our readiness. We rebuilt a regular appropriations process. It featured 
the largest year-on-year defense funding increase in 15 years and the 
biggest pay raise for servicemembers in nearly a decade.
  Together we made new investments to start rebuilding our Nation's 
infrastructure.
  Together, we brought new resources and new reforms to the systems 
that serve our veterans. Together, we improved comprehensive sanctions 
to target maligned behavior throughout the international system. We 
passed major bills to combat sex trafficking, improve school safety, 
expand opportunities for vocational and technical training, and extend 
the right to try new medical treatments to those with terminal 
illnesses.
  This isn't even an exhaustive list. Clearly, the Senate has proved to 
be fertile soil for bipartisan work. It has made life better for the 
American people in tangible ways. We should all take pride in this, and 
we need to keep up this momentum for the remainder of this year as we 
consider more legislation and confirm more nominees. We will need it 
throughout the next Congress. We will need to work across the aisle 
within this body, and this Republican Senate and Democratic House will 
need to learn to collaborate as well. This long list of accomplishments 
offers just the blueprint we will need.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. PAUL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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