[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 43 (Monday, March 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2335-S2336]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                           Government Funding

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on Friday, the Senate completed its 
work on annual appropriations for six major areas of the Federal 
Government: agriculture and rural development; commerce, justice, and 
science; energy and water development; interior and environment; 
military construction, veterans' affairs; and transportation, housing, 
and urban development.
  The Senate's vote was a major milestone in a process our colleagues 
on the Appropriations Committee began the better part of a year ago. 
Thanks to Senator Collins and Senator Murray's commitment to operating 
in good faith and adhering as much as possible to regular order, a 
significant portion of the Federal Government's discretionary budget is 
complete.
  As I mentioned last week, the agreement before the Senate includes a 
number of conservative accomplishments that Vice Chair Collins fought 
for upfront. I am especially pleased that it will advance priorities 
near and dear to the hearts of my fellow Kentuckians--from rural 
transportation to military readiness to stopping the flow of illegal 
drugs.
  I am proud to represent three military installations in Kentucky that 
are vital to America's national defense strategy. And the bill the 
Senate passed last week will fund critical construction projects at 
each of them. It green-lights the construction of top-of-the-line 
training and operational capabilities at Fort Knox and Fort Campbell, 
both home to a number of our Nation's most storied Army units. And it 
resurrects resources from a National Guard training range in 
Greenville, KY, a long-overdue project that has fallen by the wayside 
for nearly two decades.
  Hundreds of millions of dollars will also go toward helping rural 
Kentuckians and the rest of Middle America: urgent funding to overhaul 
aging roads, bridges, and river ports that hold back Main Street; 
investments for clean, reliable water infrastructure; funds to continue 
environmental cleanup efforts in Paducah; and resources to

[[Page S2336]]

expand broadband access to every corner of the Commonwealth. It also 
empowers law enforcement with new resources to combat the opioid crisis 
that has devastated my home State and remains a top killer of young 
Kentuckians.
  So I was glad the Senate finished the job on a major portion of our 
government funding responsibilities, and I was especially proud to 
deliver on some of my fellow Kentuckians' top priorities.