[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 151 (Thursday, September 19, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5586]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                             Appropriations

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, yesterday, the Senate failed to advance 
a motion to proceed to a package of appropriations bills, demonstrating 
something that Leader McConnell already knew: There are not enough 
votes in the Senate for the President's wall.
  The Senate refuses to fund the border wall that the President 
promised Mexico would pay for, especially not at the expense of our 
troops and their families and important public health programs like 
childcare and Head Start. Just yesterday, the Pentagon warned of dire 
outcomes if the money to fund the military is not provided.
  Read today's Washington Post. Our military people are upset with 
this. Now, their chain of command is not going to publicly say it, but 
we know it. Over 120 military projects stand to lose funding, and we 
aren't talking about fixing parking lots. We are talking about military 
readiness. We are talking about medical facilities for troops in North 
Carolina. We are talking about schools for military families in 
Kentucky. We are talking about explosives stored in unsafe conditions. 
We are talking about a very important engineering lab at West Point to 
train our future soldiers. Even hurricane recovery projects in Florida 
are at risk.
  The Defense Department was very clear that without this funding, 
lives would be at risk, but that is what Republicans on the 
Appropriations Committee proposed. The Senate rightly rejected that 
idea.
  The Republican leader is saying we are hurting the military? Give me 
a break. We are defending the military. How much bull does the majority 
leader think the American public will swallow? They are taking money 
out of the military to put it in the wall, and he says that we are 
hurting the military? Oh, no. Leader McConnell is hurting the military, 
and we defended them. We defended them because we want the money to go 
to the military, not to the wall.
  By the way, in that regard, Leader McConnell did not stick with the 
agreement. The agreement was not only on the 302(a)s but there would be 
bipartisan agreement on where the money on the defense side and the 
nondefense side would be distributed.
  Instead of consulting Democrats, they tried to jam something down our 
throats, taking money out of defense, out of Head Start and other 
programs in the health and human services budget and put it into the 
wall. Well, that wasn't going to stand, it isn't going to stand, and it 
will not stand.
  I hope Leader McConnell has learned his lesson. Shutting down the 
government or trying to eyeball for the wall isn't going to work. Let's 
roll up our sleeves and work together.
  My friend the Republican leader and Chairman Shelby have now shown 
the President that they tried again to fund his wall. They have seen, 
once again, that the votes are not there. They have seen, once again, 
that when the Senate Republicans do the President's bidding and refuse 
to engage the Democrats, the only thing they accomplish is wasted time.
  The pattern repeats itself far too frequently. The same impulse to do 
the President's bidding--they are so afraid of this President--and that 
is what led to the 35-day Trump shutdown earlier this year. Let's not 
repeat that, Republicans. Let's learn our lessons.
  The same impulse led Republicans to deny for months disaster aid to 
Puerto Rico. In each case, whether it be taking money out of needed 
places like the military and putting it into the wall or not being fair 
to Puerto Rico when it came to aid, they had to relent and work with 
Democrats. I am glad they did for the good of the country.
  So enough time has been wasted this work period. Leader McConnell, 
Chairman Shelby, let's sit down. It is time for you to sit down and 
negotiate with Democrats on the way forward.
  (Mr. SCOTT of Florida assumed the chair.)