[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 19, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2423-S2424]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                           Government Funding

  Mr. President, now on approps, Congress has less than a week to 
finish the job of fully funding the government for the remainder of the 
fiscal year. We all know it has been a difficult, drawn-out 
appropriations process for everyone in Congress. Appropriators in both 
Chambers, their staff, my staff, and I have kept at this for months.
  But today we have good news. Earlier this morning, I announced that 
negotiators from both parties reached an agreement last night on the 
final six appropriations bills. We now have a bipartisan agreement for 
Defense, Financial Services, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education, 
the legislative branch, and State and Foreign Operations.
  The Senate and House appropriators are now working swiftly to turn 
this agreement into legislative text as soon as possible so Members can 
review, finalize, and ultimately take a vote in the coming days. Once 
the House sends us a funding package, I will put it on the floor of the 
Senate without delay.

[[Page S2424]]

  Now, it is a very good sign that we begin the week by announcing this 
agreement, but I want to be clear, there is a lot of work to do in the 
coming days. If both parties proceed in the same manner we did 2 weeks 
ago--quickly, constructively, and without unnecessary partisan 
dithering--then I am hopeful we can finish the appropriations process 
without causing a lapse in government services.
  We haven't had a government shutdown since 2019. There is no good 
reason for us to have one this week now that we are getting very close 
to finishing the job.