[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 3 (Monday, January 8, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5-S6]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   Recognition of the Majority Leader

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


                    congratulating the buffalo bills

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, first, let me start out today by saying 
it is a great day to be a Buffalo Bills fan. For the fourth year in a 
row, the Buffalo Bills have won the AFC East championship, squishing 
the fish last night by defeating the Miami Dolphins 21 to 14. What an 
incredible night. What an incredible win. What an incredible team. 
Buffalo is truly the Beast of the East.
  It hasn't been the easiest season for the Bills, but this team can be 
summed up in one word: perseverance. They never gave up. They never 
threw in the towel. And last night, it began to pay off because they 
are on their way to the playoffs.
  In true Buffalo fashion, Bills Mafia showed up in the early hours of 
the morning at the Buffalo Airport to welcome their team home. And, of 
course, it seemed like half of the people at the Miami stadium were 
Bills fans as well.
  Congratulations to Buffalo. Congratulations to Coach Sean McDermott 
and the whole team as well. Let's keep going. And, as always, go Bills.


                       business before the senate

  Madam President, now on the new year, I would like to begin the 2nd 
session of the 118th Congress by wishing you and all of my colleagues a 
happy new year. I hope everyone was able to spend time with family, 
with friends, and meet constituents.

[[Page S6]]

  This past Christmas-New Year's recess, however, was a busy, 
consequential, and most of all a productive time for the U.S. Senate. 
Senators and staff worked straight through Christmas and straight 
through the new year on avoiding a government shutdown, on protecting 
America's security, even protecting the future of Western democracy, 
and we made some real progress.
  First, I have excellent news on government funding. Yesterday, I 
announced with Speaker Johnson that congressional leaders have reached 
a top-line agreement for government funding for the 2024 fiscal year. 
When we began our negotiations, our goal was to preserve a nondefense 
funding level of $772 billion--the same level agreed to in our debt 
ceiling deal last June. That $772 billion was precisely the number we 
reached. Not a nickel was cut. Again, our goal was $772 billion, and 
that is precisely the number we reached in this bipartisan agreement.
  The agreement now clears the way for Congress to act in the coming 
weeks to avoid a government shutdown, while also preserving key 
domestic programs that benefit millions of Americans. The framework 
agreement will enable the appropriators to address many of the major 
challenges Americans face at home and abroad. It also allows us to keep 
the investments for hard-working American families that congressional 
Democrats and President Biden secured through our legislative agenda.
  Both parties reached this agreement without resorting to the painful 
and draconian cuts that the hard right--particularly those in the 
Freedom Caucus--clamored for. The hard right wanted to put a chopping 
block on programs that help millions of Americans. So I am happy to say 
that Democrats protected vital priorities like housing programs, 
veterans' benefits, healthcare, nutrition programs, small business 
support, the National Health Service--the NHS--and funding for Federal 
law enforcement.
  I am particularly pleased that we will protect the historic climate 
investment Democrats passed in the Inflation Reduction Act. The hard 
right wanted to use the appropriations process to undo our climate 
investments. Democrats said no, and we held the line.
  The hard right also wanted to make cuts to the IRS so that the 
ultrarich tax cheats could weasel their way out of paying their fair 
share. By keeping the cuts at $20 billion, I am happy to say this 
agreement will not affect the IRS's ability to keep holding the richest 
tax cheats accountable. Remember, when Democrats passed the Inflation 
Reduction Act, we gave the IRS new tools to audit the richest of the 
rich who don't pay their fair share. All these tools will remain in 
place.
  So this top-line agreement is an excellent start to the year because 
it is a huge step towards avoiding a government shutdown. Of course, 
our work must continue. Producing 12 appropriations bills will not be 
easy. It is going to require agreement from the four corners and a lot 
more compromise between the parties.
  And make no mistake--Democrats have made clear to Speaker Johnson 
that we will not support the inclusion of any poison pills in any of 
the 12 appropriations bills before the Congress. In a statement that 
Leader Jeffries and I put out yesterday, we made it clear that we will 
not accept poison pills. If the hard right chooses to spoil this 
agreement with poison pills, they will be to blame if we start 
careening towards a shutdown. I know Speaker Johnson has said that 
nobody wants to see a shutdown happen.
  Finally, thank you to my colleagues on both sides in both Chambers 
who made this agreement possible. I want to particularly thank my 
staff, who worked morning, noon, and night over the past few weeks. I 
must have spoken to them 10, 12 times a day every day and even several 
times on Christmas Day because getting this done was so important.
  The next few weeks are not going to be easy, but the Democrats--we 
Democrats--are committed to working as hard as we can to avoid a 
government shutdown.
  I hope our Republican colleagues, particularly in the House--we have 
good cooperation here in the Senate--are ready to do the same.