[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 185 (Tuesday, November 19, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S6633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             INFRASTRUCTURE

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, finally, on infrastructure, as the 
impeachment inquiry continues, the Democrats in both Chambers continue 
to do the work of the American people. Just last week, my colleagues in 
the House discussed a proposal for a very significant investment in 
infrastructure. At the very beginning of the Trump administration, the 
Senate Democrats proposed a trillion-dollar infrastructure plan that 
would create 15 million jobs.
  At our meeting at the White House, I mentioned this to President 
Trump and asked him to join us in either supporting our bill or in 
working to modify it in a way that he might be able to support it. At 
the time, after promising over and over again in his campaign that he 
would pursue a major overhaul of our Nation's infrastructure, we had 
hoped President Trump would have worked with us on specific 
legislation. Unfortunately and typically, after 3 years into the Trump 
administration, instead of working with the Democrats, President Trump 
has done next to nothing. Earlier this year, the President walked out 
of a meeting on infrastructure that was held between him, Speaker 
Pelosi, me, and some other Congressmen and Senators. We haven't heard 
from him on the issue since.
  Meanwhile, Leader McConnell has turned the Senate into a legislative 
graveyard and seems uninterested in any bipartisan, bicameral 
legislation. It is so typical of this administration--of President 
Trump. He campaigns on infrastructure and has commercials running right 
now that say the Democrats are not doing anything on infrastructure 
when he is the one who is doing nothing. He has an amazing penchant for 
looking at his own faults and then of pointing the finger at others and 
saying those faults are theirs. It is glaring on infrastructure.
  The idea that the House impeachment inquiry is some sort of 
distraction from other issues is plain wrong.
  President Trump, we are doing nothing here in the Senate. Come talk 
to us about infrastructure, and we can get something done.
  The Democrats in the House and the Democrats in the Senate are 
willing to work with our Republican colleagues right now. We have over 
200 House-passed bills we could consider here on the floor and have 
plenty of bipartisan Senate bills besides--from bills to lower the cost 
of prescription drugs to election security, to the Violence Against 
Women Act. We would like to work on a large infrastructure bill as 
well. It is entirely up to President Trump and Leader McConnell to 
decide if we are going to make progress on a topic like infrastructure 
or if the Senate, under McConnell's leadership, will continue to be a 
graveyard for commonsense ideas to help so many millions of Americans.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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