[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 204 (Tuesday, December 17, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7060-S7061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on an entirely different matter, there 
remains a great deal of outstanding legislation the Senate must 
complete for the American people before we adjourn for the holidays.
  I was glad to see yesterday's overwhelming bipartisan vote to advance 
the conference report to the 59th consecutive National Defense 
Authorization Act. We moved it in the Senate by a vote of 76 to 6.
  For months, unprecedented partisan delays threatened a nearly six-
decade

[[Page S7061]]

tradition of expressing Congress's bipartisan commitment to our 
national defense, but with the Senate's final vote later today, we will 
finally put this vital legislation on the President's desk. I look 
forward to voting to pass the NDAA today by another overwhelming 
bipartisan vote for our servicemembers and the critical missions they 
carry out.
  Of course, the Senate needs to follow up the Defense authorization 
bill with appropriations measures and funding our national defense and 
domestic priorities. Ensuring the Federal Government makes careful use 
of taxpayer dollars is an uphill battle by definition. So it is 
critical that we plan in advance and deliver clarity for the full year 
ahead, rather than careen from one short-term stopgap to another. This 
point is especially crucial for our Armed Forces. Underwriting the 
commitments we make to the security of America's interests and our 
allies are the investments we make in a 21st century fighting force.
  Our Nation's top military commanders have been crystal clear: This 
requires stable and predictable annual funding. It is as simple as 
that. As the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Milley, put it 
recently, continuing resolutions are ``a very ineffective and 
inefficient use of the taxpayers' dollars.''
  The Secretary of Defense hasn't minced words either: ``Every day that 
a CR continues is one less day that we can invest in future 
capabilities and future technologies.''
  As a simple matter of good governance, avoiding another stopgap CR is 
an important step. So I am encouraged that the House is preparing to 
advance full-year appropriations bills this week. Obviously, what is 
actually in these bills certainly matters. So I am glad to say the 
efforts of Chairman Shelby, Senator Leahy, and their counterparts in 
the House and White House negotiators have produced a bipartisan 
package of full-year funding measures that will make needed investments 
in our Nation's top priorities.
  First is a topline increase in funding that our national defense 
requires. For the third consecutive year, President Trump and 
Republicans in Congress will deliver on our commitment to continue 
rebuilding America's military after nearly a decade of forced belt-
tightening.
  As threats to the United States, our allies, and our interests 
continue to emerge and evolve, this work is more important than ever. 
America no longer stands unchallenged in the international system.
  As Russia tests the reach of its meddling influence in Europe and the 
Middle East, as China invests heavily in reshaping the order of the 
Asia-Pacific region in its image, a new era of great power competition 
demands our attention and our action.
  The defense funding measure the House will consider today answers 
these realities with a significant increase in defense funding. Our 
commanders will have more resources to modernize force structure, 
develop cutting-edge weapon capabilities, and ensure that American 
servicemembers receive the best training, equipment, and support 
available. It includes much needed upgrades to the nuclear force that 
backs up America's strategic posture, investments in hypersonic 
technologies to keep pace with our biggest adversaries, and renewed 
commitments to our servicemembers and their families here at home.
  But our efforts are about more than equipping the U.S. military to 
win a fight. The funding bill takes a comprehensive approach to the 
security of the United States and our allies. It will unlock targeted 
resources for countering the creeping influence of authoritarian powers 
so military engagements become less likely in the first place.

  I am particularly proud that, thanks to my own efforts, the 
legislation modernizes the reporting requirements of the Hong Kong 
Policy Act I sponsored back in 1992. It expands our support for 
democracy in Hong Kong, including legal support to Hong Kong activists, 
and increases the Countering Russian Influence Fund.
  Of course, our work goes beyond defense and foreign affairs. We are 
talking about full-year funding for the Federal Government's domestic 
work as well, for example, big wins for the President's agenda to bring 
more security to the southern border. This year's funding bills provide 
another $1.4 billion for the border wall system plus more flexibility 
on location than last year's funding. Despite the efforts of some House 
Democrats during this process, Presidential authorities to transfer 
necessary funds remain intact.
  The bills also fund critical transportation infrastructure grants and 
inland waterways projects. They provide for our Nation's continuing 
fight against the opioid epidemic and help equip local authorities and 
first responders combating the scourge of addiction nationwide.
  I am very proud and pleased that this legislation also includes 
Tobacco 21 legislation that I introduced with my friend from Virginia, 
Senator Kaine, this year. Raising the age of purchasing vaping devices 
and other tobacco products to 21 years old nationwide will take bold, 
direct action to stem the tide of early nicotine addiction upon our 
Nation's youth.
  In another provision I fought to include in this legislation, we will 
secure the pension benefits of nearly 100,000 coal miners and their 
dependents in Kentucky and across the country.
  Another key section provides hundreds of millions of dollars more for 
election security, another step in the work by Congress and this 
administration to make sure the lapses that took place on the Obama 
administration's watch in 2016 are not repeated.
  The list goes on and on. All manner of important priorities will 
benefit this bipartisan legislation. It is not just about what these 
bills will continue, it is also about what this legislation will end.
  It will take several more big bites out of the failures of ObamaCare 
by repealing more of its burdensome taxes. Already Republicans have 
repealed the board that ObamaCare set up to micromanage healthcare and 
zeroed out the individual mandate penalty. We have already done that. 
Now this legislation the House will pass today will repeal even more of 
ObamaCare's misguided measures such as the medical device tax and the 
Cadillac tax.
  So there are two timeless truths about the appropriations process in 
divided government. First, neither side will ever get what they would 
consider to be perfect bills, but, second, full-year funding definitely 
beats drifting endlessly from CR to CR. This legislation we expect the 
House to send us today satisfies the important priorities for the White 
House, for each of my colleagues, and for the American people. I look 
forward to supporting it, and I hope Senators on both sides of the 
aisle will do the same.
  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.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. 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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