[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 144 (Tuesday, September 17, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S6072]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                           Government Funding

  Now, Mr. President, on the CR, the clock is ticking for Congress to 
reach an agreement to keep the government open beyond the September 30 
deadline. That is 13 days away. At this point in the process, the only 
way we can prevent a harmful government shutdown is by both sides 
working together to reach a bipartisan agreement. That is the only way.
  Speaker Johnson is reportedly going to hold a vote on a 6-month CR 
tomorrow, but the only thing that will accomplish is to make clear that 
he is running into a dead end. We must have a bipartisan--a 
bipartisan--plan instead.
  Now, I will say this: For all of its faults, I am heartened about one 
thing that Speaker Johnson is doing. Speaker Johnson's plan preserves 
the essence of the Schumer-Johnson agreement that set top-line funding 
levels for the current fiscal year, 2024. It is encouraging to see that 
Speaker Johnson, at least for now, is resisting the hard-right choices 
in his party and not pushing across-the-board cuts that would be so 
harmful to the American people. I hope it is a sign that the Speaker 
realizes that these bipartisan funding levels must be part of any 
solution moving forward.
  But, beyond that, the Speaker's CR is too unworkable. I urge him to 
drop his plan and to work together to reach a bipartisan agreement with 
the other leaders: Leader McConnell, Leader Jeffries, and myself as 
well as the White House. We do not have time to spare.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.