[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 167 (Tuesday, October 22, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5932]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                             Appropriations

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, the Republican leader in recent days 
has charged that because the House of Representatives is now engaged in 
its constitutional duty to examine Presidential wrongdoing, that 
somehow Democrats are not interested in legislating.
  It is a curious criticism coming from Leader McConnell, Democrats not 
interested in legislating, from the man who proudly calls himself the 
``grim reaper.'' Since the midterms, the Democratic House majority has 
passed hundreds of bills with bipartisan support while Leader McConnell 
has deliberately focused the Senate on anything but legislation. He has 
turned this Chamber into a legislative graveyard.
  Democrats want to vote on things. Gun safety, how about it? 
Healthcare, how about it? Infrastructure, how about it? Improving our 
democracy. On none of these things will Leader McConnell even dare put 
a bill on the floor, let alone the House bills, which would have a 
chance of getting something done.
  This very week, we have an example of how Democrats plan to work with 
our Republican colleagues to advance legislation. The Republican leader 
has indicated, finally, alas, that he may bring several appropriations 
bills to the floor this week. Democrats want to move forward and debate 
those bills in an open and vigorous fashion.
  There are several appropriations bills that don't have any bipartisan 
support. The Republican leader knows why. We need to have bipartisan 
support on the 302(b)s, the allocations to the various agencies, to 
move forward on bills like Homeland Security and Health and Human 
Services, Military Construction, and Defense. That negotiation, to 
succeed, must be bipartisan. That is what the history of this Chamber 
shows. That is what commonsense and logic shows. House leaders have 
suggested a conference--Democrats and Republicans, House and Senate--on 
these 302(b)s. That is a good idea. If Republicans are willing to 
engage with us on 302(b)s, we get negotiations back on track to fund 
the government.
  In the meantime, Democrats want to move forward on the 
noncontroversial appropriation bills--the bills that have had 
bipartisan agreement--and we hope Leader McConnell will allow a fair 
and robust amendment process. It would be nice to consider something on 
the floor besides an endless parade of rightwing judges--who side with 
a special powerful interest, time and time again, not working 
Americans--and Executive appointments.