[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15930]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS BILL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, ask most Americans to name two of the 
most basic duties of a Senator, and you are likely to hear some 
combination of the following: No. 1, protect the country. That means 
working with us to pass the National Defense Authorization Act. No. 2, 
fund the government. That means working with us to pass the 12 
appropriations bills that fund it.
  But some of our Democratic colleagues don't seem all that interested 
in these things. It is not just that their words tell us this story, 
their actions do as well. The Democratic leader has used the phrase 
``waste of time'' to refer to a bill that protects our country. Passing 
that bill usually inspires bipartisan cooperation, but this year it 
required overcoming senseless resistance from the other side before we 
finally witnessed that cooperation yesterday with the bill's passage.
  Democratic Senators have used phrases such as ``kind of a waste of 
time,'' and ``a huge waste of time,'' to refer to the bills that fund 
our government.
  Passing these bills used to be routine, and the new majority has 
worked hard to ensure that it does again after 6 years of inaction. 
That is why we passed the budget. That is why we passed the 12 
appropriations bills through committee in a bipartisan way. But now 
Democrats have decided as part of some arbitrary political strategy to 
indiscriminately filibuster every last funding bill.
  Now Democrats may no longer be interested in passing these bipartisan 
bills, but it doesn't mean they aren't interested in taking credit for 
the same legislation they are now blocking. Take the bill that funds 
veterans. Democrats voted with us to support it in committee, then they 
issued press releases bragging about its contents, and then they 
filibustered it. Take the bill that funds defense. Democrats voted with 
us to support it in committee, then they issued press releases bragging 
about its content, and then they filibustered it, repeatedly.
  Today we will consider the bill that funds America's energy security 
and its water infrastructure. Democrats voted with us to support this 
bill in committee, too. In fact, over 70 percent of the Democrats in 
committee supported the bill that is before us today. Democrats issued 
press releases with nice things to say about the bill's contents. One 
lauded the bill for funding important energy efficiency advances in our 
military and for low-income families. Another reminded us the bill 
provides ``robust funding'' for vital programs that deserve to be 
funded. Today we will see if Democrats are seriously prepared to 
filibuster this bill as well.
  This bill would strengthen our national security. The bill would 
enhance our energy security. The bill would root out waste with smart 
targeted reductions so we can put that money to better use, funding 
more important infrastructure projects, more innovative energy 
research, and more critical safety improvements for our dams and 
waterways.
  This bill is also critically important to our home States. 
Kentuckians would benefit from initiatives to protect the Ohio River 
shoreline, from cleanup work in Paducah, and from construction of the 
Olmstead Lock and Dam and other vital inland waterway projects.
  Mr. President, this is a good bill. It deserves our support on the 
merits. It is good for our constituents and good for our country. That 
should be reason enough to support this funding bill. I would also 
remind my Democratic colleagues that 70 percent--70 percent--of the 
Democrats in committee did support the bill before us today.

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