[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 167 (Tuesday, October 22, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5931]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           GOVERNMENT FUNDING

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, later today, the Senate will vote on 
finally getting the appropriations process moving. We will vote on 
considering a package of domestic funding bills, and if we take up the 
legislation, I intend to stay on it until we complete it.
  On both sides of the Capitol, our Democratic colleagues have spent 
recent weeks insisting over and over that their 3-year-old quest to 
impeach the President will not prevent them from the substantive work 
American families need us to tackle. So far, the early returns haven't 
been too encouraging.
  A few weeks ago, we saw the unusual spectacle of Senate Democrats 
voting to filibuster defense funding due to political fights with the 
White House. Democrats blocked a pay raise for our servicemembers 
because they would rather fight with the President.
  We know that across the Capitol, for months now, Speaker Pelosi has 
been blocking the USMCA and blocking the 176,000 new American jobs it 
would create.
  This week offers another test. Soon we will be voting on 
appropriations, and we will see whether our Democratic friends really 
can put aside their impeachment obsession long enough to get some real 
work done on the side. Actions speak louder than words.
  First, I hope we will tackle a package of domestic funding bills. 
After that, we will turn to a defense vehicle. I urge our Democratic 
colleagues to drop the stall tactics that have left funding for our 
Armed Forces in limbo and join with Republicans to deliver the funding 
our military commanders need to keep us safe.

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