[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 29 (Thursday, February 14, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1341-S1342]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           Government Funding

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, later today we will vote on the 
agreement by the conference committee to keep the government open, as 
well as provide additional border security. Once again, I applaud the 
members of the conference committee and their staffs. They were the nub 
here, and they did outstanding work, nights and weekends, to reach an 
agreement. We knew that if the conference committee were allowed to 
work, they could bring this together. The agreement is a validation of 
the idea that when you put Members of both parties in a room to 
negotiate in good faith, when everyone is willing to give and take, 
progress is never out of reach. So, again, I thank the members of the 
committee.
  The agreement is a reasonable compromise. It provides additional 
funding for smart, effective border security. It does not fund the 
President's wall, but it does fund smart border security initiatives 
that both parties have always supported, including increased security 
at our ports of entry and humanitarian assistance at our border. Most 
importantly, it will keep our government open.
  Everyone, I believe, including the President, wants to avoid a repeat 
of what happened before Christmas. Everyone wants to avoid another 
senseless government shutdown. I expect Congress will pass this bill 
sometime this afternoon, and President Trump should sign it 
immediately.

[[Page S1342]]