[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 212 (Tuesday, December 15, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7477]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Business before the Senate

  Mr. President, on another matter, this week is set to be the final 
week for the 116th Congress, and the American people are counting on us 
to do our job. We have until this Friday to fund the government, and I 
hope we can pass legislation that provides more certainty than the 
stopgap bills that have become the norm in recent years.
  It is simply impossible for government Agencies and Departments like 
the Defense Department to plan with short-term continuing resolutions. 
They need a longer term so they can plan and actually spend taxpayer 
dollars far more efficiently.
  This is also a final opportunity to reach an agreement on another 
coronavirus bill, something that has been on our to-do list since this 
summer.
  There is no reason why we shouldn't be able to send a stack of 
bipartisan bills to the President's desk for his signature. These may 
seem like small ball compared to some of the big issues like keeping 
the lights on for the government or another COVID-19 relief bill, but 
they are very important bipartisan pieces of legislation.