[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 63 (Monday, April 17, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1122-S1123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Senate Legislative Agenda

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, it is good to be back.
  I want to thank all of my colleagues for their warm wishes shared 
over the past few weeks. Suffice it to say, this wasn't the first time 
that being hardheaded has served me very well.
  We are truly lucky and blessed to get to serve in this remarkable 
institution, represent our home States, and serve our country. Needless 
to say, I am very happy to be back.
  There is important business for Congress to tackle. We should be 
working to undo this administration's mistakes. We need to secure the 
border, reduce crime, fight inflation, and invest in America's strength 
and our security.
  On an even more basic level, President Biden and his administration 
are literally ``on the clock'' to negotiate a debt ceiling solution 
with Speaker McCarthy and the Republican majority over in the House. 
The President's economic advisers say the deadline for a solution is 
not far off, but his political advisers apparently think the White 
House's position should be--listen to this--no talks and no reforms.
  This extreme position is not even holding up in their own party. Even 
Washington Democrats are breaking

[[Page S1123]]

ranks from the administration's position of no talks and no reforms.
  One of our Senate Democratic colleagues wrote an entire Washington 
Post op-ed calling on the President to sit down with Congress and 
reform spending. Reports indicate that a whole group of House Democrats 
are already talking about negotiations and about compromise.
  Just a few years ago, the Democratic leader, Leader Schumer, said 
this about the debt ceiling:

       [It] gives another ample opportunity for bipartisanship, 
     not for one party jamming its choices down the throats of the 
     other.

  So President Biden does not get to stick his fingers in his ears and 
refuse to listen, talk, or negotiate, and the American people know 
that. The White House needs to stop wasting time and start negotiating 
with the Speaker of the House.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Illinois.