[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 143 (Wednesday, September 6, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4211-S4212]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 
Senate will proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the 
following nomination.
  The clerk will report the nomination.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read the nomination of Philip 
Nathan Jefferson, of North Carolina, to be Vice Chairman of the Board 
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for a term of four years.


                   recognition of the majority leader

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader is recognized.


                                 budget

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now, over the past few months, the Senate 
appropriations process has been a shining example of how things should 
work in Washington.
  These are divided times, in a closely divided Chamber, but, 
nevertheless, we can summarize the Senate's work of funding the 
government down to one word, bipartisan--one word, bipartisan.
  Thanks to the outstanding work of Appropriations Chair Patty Murray 
and Vice Chair Susan Collins and many other colleagues from both sides, 
all 12 appropriations bills have been reported out of the committee 
with bipartisan support.
  Some of them--many of them were with unanimous bipartisan support. 
That doesn't mean everyone agreed on everything. It means something 
more important. It means that disagreements haven't paralyzed the 
process.
  This month, one of the Senate's top priorities will be to keep the 
government open beyond the September 30 deadline. Both parties in both 
Chambers will have to work together if we are to avoid a shutdown. So 
when the House returns next week, I implore--I implore--my Republican 
colleagues in the House to recognize that time is short to keep the 
government open and

[[Page S4212]]

the only way to avoid a shutdown is through bipartisanship. House 
Republicans should follow the Senate's example and work with Democrats 
to pass strong, bipartisan appropriations bills. They will have their 
first chance to show their commitment to bipartisanship when they 
return next week.
  The last thing Americans need right now is a pointless government 
shutdown. Our economy has come a very long way since the darkest days 
of the COVID pandemic. Inflation is slowing down, job growth remains 
strong, the investments we have made through the infrastructure law, 
the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act are paying 
off with new projects and new good-paying jobs. We shouldn't squander 
all of that now.
  A shutdown is unnecessary and would harm so many American families 
and businesses. But if both sides work in good faith, embrace 
bipartisanship as we have done in the Senate, and avoid all-or-nothing 
tactics, then there will be no shutdown, and that will be very good 
news for the American people because it is the American people who 
suffer most when there is a shutdown.