[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 43 (Thursday, March 10, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S1071]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           GOVERNMENT FUNDING

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on another matter, yesterday, the 
House passed a bipartisan, bicameral government funding agreement that 
will enable crucial investments in our national defense. Putin's war on 
Ukraine is just one manifestation of the major long-term threats to 
American security and American interests posed by major competing 
powers like Russia and China.
  So, absolutely, we must rapidly fund the urgent assistance that 
Ukraine and our allies along NATO's eastern flank need right now, but 
we must also make the investments in military modernization that will 
equip America to achieve peace through strength for years and decades 
to come.
  Our military commanders have clearly and consistently told us they 
cannot rebuild and modernize our military to meet the growing threats 
if Congress lets defense funding sleepwalk from one continuing 
resolution to another. The world is a dangerous place. It is growing 
more dangerous every day. The road to peace runs through American 
power. We all know it is true, so we have to budget accordingly.
  Our recent negotiations put us Republicans in the surreal position of 
having to push a Commander in Chief's party into giving his own 
commanders the funding they need. But, over many Democrats' objections, 
Republicans made sure this deal gets the job done for our Armed Forces.
  The compromise product provides significantly more money than the 
Biden administration had requested for defense and significantly less 
than they requested for nondefense.
  Until 24 hours ago, this compromise was also going to reprogram money 
away from Democrats' wasteful spending spree that neglected COVID needs 
and reallocate it to vaccines and treatment for the American people, 
but House Democrats mutinied against Speaker Pelosi. The far left would 
rather preserve State and local bureaucrats' giant slush funds than 
fund vaccines and therapeutics for our citizens, so the COVID component 
has fallen out.
  Overall, this agreement checks the three boxes I laid out months ago. 
The bill maintains parity between defense and nondefense spending 
growth. It maintains longstanding bipartisan policies, such as 
protecting taxpayers against funding abortions and being politically 
targeted by the IRS. And new far-left poison pills were cut out. But 
more urgently, amidst this war in Europe, this agreement delivers aid 
the Ukrainians need right now and a downpayment on our commitment to 
keep defending America and global peace in the years to come.

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