[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6223]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     GOVERNMENT FUNDING LEGISLATION

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the funding bill announced last night 
will allow us to make critical advances to rebuild our military, 
strengthen our border, and continue providing relief to communities 
that have struggled for too long against the opioid epidemic. These are 
important priorities for Congress and for the President. They reflect a 
lot of hard work. They promise to positively and meaningfully impact 
the lives of the men and women we represent. The funding bill also 
includes another critical priority I have long fought for: protecting 
healthcare for thousands of retired coal miners.
  This legislation would allow us to take the initial step needed to 
begin rebuilding our military. It contains a downpayment on defense 
that will support forward-deployed forces in places like the Korean 
Peninsula and Eastern Europe and operations against adversaries like 
ISIL and the Taliban as we work to secure the funds that will be 
necessary to improve readiness and restore munitions and ammunition.
  We know that more must be done to meet our global commitments, and by 
providing some of the resources that will be necessary for a sustained 
rebuilding campaign--one we can hope will earn bipartisan support--we 
can take an important step forward.
  This legislation will also allow us to substantially strengthen the 
border. It contains the largest increase in border security resources 
in a decade, allowing us to address high-priority security needs, crack 
down on illegal border crossings, and strengthen the border with 
everything from upgraded physical infrastructure to high-tech biometric 
and surveillance technology. We know more must be done to secure the 
border, and by finally delivering more of the resources and tools 
necessary to secure it, we can take an important step forward.
  This legislation will also allow us to fight back against the opioid 
and heroin crisis while bolstering medical innovation and treatments at 
the same time. It contains funding for programs Congress authorized 
last year in the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, continued 
funding for the 21st Century Cures Act--also passed last year--to 
attack opioid abuse, plus additional funds to combat the prescription 
opioid and heroin crisis that has devastated communities across the 
Nation.
  We know more must be done to heal the communities that are hurting, 
and by funding the fight against today's epidemic, along with a fight 
for tomorrow's medical solutions, we can take an important step in the 
right direction. My home State of Kentucky has been particularly hard-
hit by this epidemic, and helping our families and communities overcome 
this assault remains a top priority for me.
  On another priority of mine addressed in the funding bill, I am 
particularly proud to announce that through this legislation, we have 
secured a permanent extension of healthcare benefits for thousands of 
retired coal miners and their families in States like Kentucky. Over 
the past few years, I have met with numerous Kentucky miners about this 
important issue, and I have been proud to lead efforts to help these 
families keep their healthcare. Now I am pleased to report that this 
spending legislation incorporates language from a bill I introduced 
earlier this year and will enact a permanent extension of miner 
healthcare benefits. I am proud to have secured this important 
provision as we put together the final package, and I will continue to 
fight to provide relief for coal communities going forward.
  Moreover, this funding bill also includes additional assistance for 
troubled coal-mining communities and dislocated coal workers, and it 
promotes an ``all of the above'' energy policy that prioritizes coal, 
natural gas, and nuclear research.
  It is disappointing that our Democratic colleagues blocked last 
year's efforts to move individual appropriations bills under the 
regular order, but I am pleased that they have now agreed to a solution 
that will advance many of the priorities of the American people, 
Congress, and the President.
  The funding legislation announced last night, which incorporates the 
11 regular appropriations bills remaining from last year, is the 
product of a great deal of work in committee last year and subsequent 
bipartisan, bicameral discussions this year. I want to thank all of 
those who put in long hours and continued to negotiate in good faith so 
that we could arrive at this strong agreement.
  In particular, I wish to recognize Chairman Cochran, the leadership 
of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, and their staffs. 
They worked to ensure that the process was bipartisan and bicameral 
every step of the way. Because of their efforts, we now have an 
agreement that both sides should support.
  Before we take up the bill later this week, I encourage all Senators 
to review the full text, which includes more information on the 
priorities I just mentioned, and then let's keep working together to 
pass it later this week.

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