[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 175 (Tuesday, October 24, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5128-S5129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                             Appropriations

  Madam President, we are now moving forward after many weeks delay on 
the omnibus--no, not the omnibus but the three appropriations bills--
Agriculture, MILCON and T-HUD--as one package, as one minibus.
  We have pledged as Democrats to try and go through regular order. It 
has been a long and arduous process. As you can see, there are 46 
amendments here and, in fact, even though there was a pledge there 
would be no poison pills, there were many poison pills that were 
offered by the other side. However, instead of just saying, ``Well, we 
didn't have an agreement; let the bill go down the drain,'' we want to 
get this bill done. It is important to move the appropriations bills. 
We worked long and hard. It took a while to work through the vagaries 
and negotiations on many poison pill amendments that, in my judgment, 
shouldn't have been offered to begin with. But here we are; we are 
moving forward.
  I want to thank Appropriations Chair Murray. She has done an amazing,

[[Page S5129]]

amazing job here. I want to thank Leader Collins and thank all of our 
colleagues for working this out. Under the old days, regular order 
would have been a lot different than it is today. We are still moving 
forward, and I am glad for it.
  I yield to the distinguished and hard-working chair of the 
Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, after many discussions with Members on 
both sides of the aisle about ensuring a robust amendment process and a 
final vote on this strong bipartisan package of appropriations bills, I 
am pleased to say we have reached an agreement to finally get voting on 
the amendments and passage of this minibus.
  I want to thank everyone who has worked with me and the senior 
Senator from Maine so we can get this process moving again to show the 
American people this place can actually work.
  This is so important, especially right now because over the last few 
weeks, the American people have seen a lot of chaos and dysfunction in 
Congress. It has come at a time when the world needs to see U.S. 
leadership is still strong because it is not just the American people 
who are watching Congress right now. Our allies are watching. Our 
adversaries are watching. We need to show them that we are still able 
to work together and solve problems and respond effectively to the 
pressing challenges of this moment. And this is an important 
opportunity to do just that.
  By passing this package, we can continue moving on our appropriations 
process and we can show that, by working together in a bipartisan way, 
you can actually get things done in a divided Congress. And that is 
important because there is a lot we absolutely have to get done. There 
is this first package of appropriations bills. There is the rest of our 
appropriations bills and the pressing need to address all sorts of 
urgent priorities, including supplemental funding to support our allies 
in Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan; to deliver additional disaster relief; 
address the worsening childcare crisis; and more. Getting all of this 
done is going to require us to put aside our differences and work 
together.
  By passing this minibus, we can show that Congress is still capable 
of doing that, because this spending package is a prime example of what 
it looks like when Democrats and Republicans come together and focus on 
solving problems and helping people. It follows the bipartisan debt 
limit deal. It includes input from members across the country and 
across the political spectrum. And the bills in this package passed the 
Appropriations Committee unanimously.
  In other words, this is a serious bipartisan legislation that can be 
signed into law; and it provides crucial resources to care for our 
veterans, to fund military construction, to keep our food supply safe, 
to support our farmers, keep our travelers safe, invest in 
infrastructure, and a lot more.
  We should pass this bill, show we can still focus on solutions, find 
common ground, and help people, like we were all sent here to do. And 
we can get our appropriations process back on track and continue our 
return to regular order, which, I know, so many Senators across the 
aisle and on this side have asked for.
  To every one of my colleagues who has said we need to move away from 
massive end-of-year omnibuses, I agree. This is your chance to avoid 
one. If we don't get this passed, we are giving up a crucial 
opportunity to make sure the Senate has its voice heard on our Nation's 
spending priorities and make sure we don't find ourselves at the end of 
the year, once again, staring down another omnibus.
  Madam President, just a few weeks ago, we were on the brink of a 
completely unnecessary government shutdown before cooler heads 
prevailed. The lesson from the near-shutdown should be clear: Letting 
the loudest voices on the far right push for damaging cuts, extreme 
partisan policies, is a road to disaster. Bipartisanship is the only 
way to get the job done in a divided government.
  Now, we need to remember the lessons as we continue working to pass 
our full appropriations bills; support our allies in Ukraine, Israel, 
and the Indo-Pacific region; shore up our disaster relief funds; and 
address the childcare crisis; and more. So let's send a message that 
Congress can actually work and that we can actually work together. 
Let's get things on track so we can avoid an omnibus and address the 
urgent challenges we face.
  The American people are watching. The world is watching. And let's be 
clear: Our adversaries are cheering for dysfunction. Let's show them 
unity. Let's show them the strength of our democracy. Let's get this 
done and then let's work together and get absolutely vital aid to our 
allies.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.