[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 20, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2455-S2456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Unanimous Consent Request

  Mr. LEE. Mr. President, it is a familiar headline: ``Congress 
announces a deal to avoid a shutdown.''
  It is currently midday on Wednesday, March 20, and, on Friday at 
midnight, just the day after tomorrow, the government will run out of 
funding for more than half of the 12 budget categories, and most of the 
government's funding is found within this section that will shut down, 
absent legislation by Congress.

  We are told that the only way we can avoid a shutdown is to vote for 
what we expect to be a monstrous spending plan, a bill written in 
secret by a small handful of appropriators and ultimately given the 
blessing of the ``Law Firm of Schumer, McConnell, Johnson & Jeffries.''
  It should be noted that not one Member of this body has had the 
opportunity to fully review the legislative text or, in the case of 
nearly all Members of Congress, to see any of it. We have not seen it. 
We can't see it. We are not allowed to see it.
  We don't know much about the particular details of the bill, what 
will be in it and what won't be in it. But if history is any indicator, 
as it has been proven to be reliably in the past, there are a few 
things about the bill of which we can now be certain, even before 
laying eyes on it.
  It will, among other things, be full of earmarks, these special-
interest giveaways handed out as sweeteners, as if to make the medicine 
go down. It won't force President Biden to secure the border. It will 
perpetuate massive deficits, approaching or possibly even exceeding $2 
trillion. To add insult to injury, we can be sure that, when the text 
is finally released, there will be, alas, insufficient time to read, 
comprehend the text, air it with the public, debate the bill, and offer 
and consider amendments.
  You see, these bills--massive legislative undertakings that, in many 
instances, bundle all Federal spending or, in this instance, most 
Federal spending into one single package--have become synonymous with 
legislative excess and manipulation.
  You see, the firm's modus operandi involves drafting these omnibus 
bills behind closed doors, with only a select group of appropriators 
contributing to their formulation. By design, and not by any 
coincidence, these bills are unveiled to the public and most Members of 
Congress with barely any time to spare before a potential government 
shutdown.
  This strategic timing, which often unfolds strategically right before 
a long, scheduled recess, ensures that the bill passes, with minimal 
scrutiny and little or no opportunity for debate--any meaningful 
debate, certainly--or for amendments.
  In other words, it becomes a ``take it or leave it'' package. It is a 
charade, occasionally softened by allowing a few votes on just a few 
amendments. But make no mistake, the firm wields its influence to make 
sure that no substantial changes are made--certainly, nothing that 
could threaten the supposed sanctity of their original draft.
  Members are thus cornered into a false dichotomy in which their votes 
for the measure are extracted--extorted, if you will. We are told to 
pass the bill unread, not understood, undebated, or, alternatively, 
face the chaos and inevitable public vitriol associated with a 
government shutdown.
  Thus, the individual voices of our elected representatives--our 
elected lawmakers here in Congress, in both Houses, of both political 
parties--and, by extension, the will of the American people are diluted 
in a process dominated by a few at the expense of the many.
  It is not that these bills are bad in every circumstance. There are a 
lot of things that are within them that the government needs, that 
most--perhaps all--of this body, in some cases, would find 
unobjectionable. The problem is not that the bill is rotten from one 
end to the other. It is, instead, that it has been written by a select 
few, and the many are not allowed to have any say in it.
  And when it is brought forward without any timely, meaningful, 
fulsome opportunity for debate, discussion, public airing, and 
amendment, Congress, as a whole, becomes a rubberstamp to the firm.
  The will of the people is thwarted, and, ultimately, millions--
hundreds of millions--of Americans are effectively disenfranchised from 
the entire process.
  Tonight, with just a few days before the government runs out of 
funding in these areas covered by this bill, this body, once more, 
throws American taxpayers under the bus and forsakes fiscal 
responsibility, if, in fact, we pursue this course once again.
  In so doing, they oppose measures that the vast majority of Americans 
would support--measures like stopping an invasion happening right now 
at our southern border, resulting in a wave of crime, death, and 
destruction that we haven't seen in the past.
  This is, rather, entirely the result of the whole system of 
government funding being designed not to benefit the vast majority of 
Americans but, rather, to benefit the very architects of these bills: 
the appropriators, earmarks, lobbyists, and special interests--and, of 
course, all at the direction of the firm.
  These entities thrive in the shadows of this process, influencing 
legislation in ways that serve the architects themselves, often at the 
expense of the general public.
  Americans are bearing the cost of decisions made without their 
consent or their knowledge, manifesting in, among other things, 
skyrocketing costs of living and staggering national debt, now 
exceeding $34 trillion.
  It is time to dismantle this corrupt process and restore transparency 
and accountability to the way we fund our government. The process 
behind what we fully expect to be a wasteful, insulting, minibus bill 
is a disgrace. And let history show that a few of us stood up and said 
so.
  This is not the way. Once we get this bill, we shouldn't be forced to 
rush to judgment on it without debate, discussion, or amendment. We 
should, instead, adopt a short-term continuing resolution that would 
take us to April 12, to give lawmakers adequate time to review and 
understand the bill, to air it to the public, to offer amendments to 
the bill to improve it, and, finally, vote on it. That is the order in 
which it should occur, not the opposite.
  Instead, the firm would take us down yet another road of ``fire, 
ready, aim.''
  Voting for this minibus is voting in favor of massive deficits, 
corrupting earmarks, and funding Joe Biden's border invasion. So I 
invite my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join us in fighting 
for fiscal responsibility, for the best interests of American 
families--the same families we are supposed to represent in Washington.
  This proposal, this short-term continuing resolution, is neither 
Democratic nor Republican. It is neither liberal nor conservative. This 
is just common sense. Give people's elected lawmakers the chance to be 
involved in the lawmaking process because we are certainly not doing 
that now.
  To that end, Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask 
unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate 
consideration of my bill, which is at the desk. I further ask that the 
bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Washington.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, we have a 
clear and straightforward path ahead of us. We have at long last a 
bicameral, bipartisan agreement on all of our full-year bills. It is 
time to get them passed and close out fiscal year 2024. After all, we 
are now 6 months into the fiscal year. We have to get a move on.
  So let's stay focused on the deadline in front of us right now. We 
are working as fast as possible to release the bill, the text of the 
minibus, as soon as

[[Page S2456]]

possible, and if there is bipartisan cooperation, we can get this 
package passed by the deadline.
  This minibus is a carefully negotiated, bipartisan package that 
reflects the input of nearly every Senator and the priorities of every 
State in America. We need to turn the page on fiscal year 2024, take 
the government off of autopilot, and focus on passing these bills 
before Friday at midnight.
  I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.
  The Senator from Utah.
  Mr. LEE. Mr. President, in wrapping up my remarks, I just want to say 
this is unfortunate. We owe it to each other and we owe it to those we 
represent to actually discuss and debate the merits of legislation 
before being forced to pass it.
  The fact that there is bipartisan agreement as to final numbers 
doesn't mean that most Senators have even seen the bill. They have not. 
They have kept it secret from us and from those we represent. It is 
simply disingenuous to suggest that this has been agreed upon long ago.
  We need at least a few days to do this. That is why I am asking that 
we extend the spending period out to April 12. That would give us time 
to do that. It is unfortunate we didn't get that agreement today. We 
will be back.
  Thank you.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.