[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 186 (Wednesday, November 20, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S6696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                             Appropriations

  Mr. President, on another matter, I come to the floor as we approach 
another government funding deadline. The fact is, it is already past 
time to fund the government, especially our military.
  Republicans have worked all year to complete the annual 
appropriations process and to get it done on time. Here is the problem: 
Republicans can't pass the annual funding bills alone. We need 
cooperation from the Democrats. We need the House Democrats' 
cooperation, and here in the Senate, we need to clear the 60-vote 
hurdle. So we need Senate Democrats to be involved in the process as 
well. But Democrats prefer impeachment grandstanding rather than 
governing. That is what we are facing here today.
  We are nearly 2 months into fiscal year 2020, and we have yet to pass 
any of the 2020 funding bills. The government has been running under 
what is called a short-term continuing resolution. This current 
continuing resolution is set to expire Thursday--tomorrow. We will, 
undoubtedly, pass another stopgap continuing resolution this week, but 
these are only a temporary fix. They are needed to keep the 
government's lights on but at last year's funding levels. Meanwhile, 
there is no end in sight to Democrats' 3-year-long impeachment 
obsession. Their impeachment fever rages on.
  They are so consumed by this bitterly partisan process that they 
cannot focus on the priorities of the American people. They are too 
consumed to fix our aging roads and bridges, too obsessed to pass 
``America First'' trade deals, and too fixated to fund the government 
on time. Above all, people expect us to fully fund defense--the defense 
of our Nation. Yet the Democrats continue to stonewall.
  Republicans are fighting to fully fund the military; Democrats are 
waging war on the Commander in Chief. Remember, both parties came to 
the table and completed a bipartisan budget deal this past summer. The 
deal meant that we could fund the government on time. The deal 
supported critical defense funding to keep our Nation safe, and it 
included a major pay raise for our troops.
  So what happened? It is pretty clear. The Democrats went back on 
their word. And in so doing, they broke faith with the American people 
and broke faith with our troops--those in harm's way today.
  Back at home in Wyoming, a deal is a deal. Your word means something. 
A handshake means something. You never go back on your word, certainly 
not when you make promises to our men and women in uniform. 
Nevertheless, the Democrats have since poisoned the well with 
unreasonable partisan demands. They are tying our Americans' hands, 
repeatedly blocking key defense votes. Democrats filibuster and 
Democrats impeach while neglecting the troops.
  U.S. forces, meanwhile, are facing heightened threats with last 
year's funding levels. The fact is, while necessary, these continuing 
resolutions take a real toll on our military. The current CR means a 
$22 billion cut from this summer's bipartisan budget deal when it comes 
to our troops. It is harming military readiness and harming military 
training.
  The CR has also delayed new weapons programs, and it has suspended 
existing weapons programs. These include hypersonic strike weapons, 
missile defense systems, and new fighters and ships.
  Our adversaries--most notably Iran, China, and Russia--pose a grave, 
growing threat to our Nation. That hasn't stopped House and Senate 
Democrats from blocking both the Defense authorization and funding 
bills. Right now they are blocking both.
  The National Defense Authorization Act, which is the authorizing 
bill, has passed and been signed every year since 1961. That is when 
John Kennedy was President of the United States--1961.
  The NDAA has a long history of strong bipartisan support. Yet, right 
now, House Democrats are delaying final passage of our National Defense 
Authorization Act. Again, they are blocking the House's spending bill 
for our military, even though it gives our troops a well-earned pay 
raise.

  Like the Presiding Officer, I frequently visit our troops overseas. I 
did so last month. We have a number of Wyoming National Guard members 
deployed around the world, and it is always an honor to spend time with 
them.
  Most recently, I visited Wyoming troops deployed in the Middle East 
and in Kosovo. The Wyoming guard is about 400 members overseas. It is 
our State's largest deployment in a decade. As I noted at this year's 
American Legion Post 6 Veterans Day celebration in Cheyenne, WY, these 
troops will be away from home for Thanksgiving; they will be away from 
home for Christmas; and they will be away from home for New Year's as 
well.
  Both my dad and my father-in-law served overseas. My dad fought in 
Europe in World War II in the pivotal Battle of the Bulge, the 75th 
anniversary of which is coming up next month. My father-in-law fought 
in both theaters during World War II and also served in the Korean war.
  The U.S. Armed Forces are on the frontlines. They are defending our 
freedoms, and they are doing it every single day. They make this 
sacrifice 365 days a year, and they do it to protect us, to protect our 
freedom, and to protect our Nation. U.S. servicemembers never quit. 
They don't complain, and we don't quit on them when they need us the 
most.
  Our troops deserve our full support right now, and, clearly, that 
support must be bipartisan. Yet Democrats remain too obsessed to do the 
work of the Nation. People elected them to do a job, and those people 
are nowhere to be found.
  Think about it. Democrats are fast-tracking impeachment and 
filibustering the defense funding bill. How can they do that in good 
conscience? Instead of funding certainty, we have an impeachment 
circus.
  Republicans are committed to work on policy priorities for the people 
who elected us. It is time for Democrats to stop the stonewalling. 
Let's give our troops the state-of-the-art tools they need and the 
raise they deserve and have earned.
  Democrats need to get their priorities in order. Defense should be 
top of the list. It is past time to keep our promises to the military. 
It is past time to give the troops a well-earned and well-deserved pay 
raise, and it is past time to fund the defense of our Nation and to 
fund our government.
  Thank you.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.