[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 18323]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 TRANSPORTATION-HUD APPROPRIATIONS BILL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, from the outset, the new Senate has 
worked to realize a smarter and more inclusive appropriations process. 
That is why we passed a budget, moving past 6 years of inaction. That 
is why we passed all 12 appropriations bills through committee, moving 
past 6 years of inaction. Nearly all of those bills passed on a 
bipartisan basis. That is why it is so disappointing to see voices on 
the other side try to tie them up in gridlock.
  We never lost sight of the goal. We never stopped trying to move the 
Senate forward and our country ahead. Because we kept pushing, we are 
steadily overcoming the partisan gridlock of the past and steadily 
moving back to regular order on appropriations. Last week we passed one 
bipartisan appropriations bill--the bill that funds America's veterans. 
Today we will begin to advance another--the bill that funds America's 
transportation and housing infrastructure.
  I would like to recognize the Senator from Maine, Ms. Collins, for 
her work in crafting a bipartisan bill that makes smart investments in 
critical transportation and infrastructure priorities. This is a 
bipartisan bill that will help ensure our transportation systems are 
reliable, efficient, and safe. This is a bipartisan bill that will 
increase the efficiency and affordability of Federal housing programs.
  For example, the expanded Moving to Work Program it contains will 
offer a helping hand to lower income Americans. Moving to Work is one 
of the many success stories of the bipartisan welfare reform effort of 
the 1990s, and by expanding it from 39 to 339 housing authorities, we 
can help more Americans achieve the self-sufficiency that is at the 
core of our national dream.
  Americans who strive for a better life deserve real opportunity. They 
deserve serious policies that can make positive differences in their 
lives. That is what Moving to Work aims to achieve. It is just one more 
reason to pass the bipartisan transportation infrastructure bill before 
us.
  Again, I want to thank our colleague from Maine for her important 
work across the aisle to craft it. We look forward to debating the bill 
today.

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