Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of Senator Franken.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume legislative session.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call with respect to the cloture motion on the House message to accompany H.R. 2266 be waived.

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, reserving the right to object, I would say to my good friend from Florida that I hope he knows that the Senate remains committed to doing its part to support the ongoing hurricane relief efforts. We all see this as a multistaged process in providing needed relief. There will be additional rounds, and we are all fully committed to meeting the needs that have arisen as a result of these devastating hurricanes. For the moment, I object.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum calls for the cloture motions be waived.

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, last week, the Senate took an important step for the fiscal and economic future of our country with passage of the budget for fiscal year 2018. The comprehensive, responsible budget we passed marks out a clear vision for the future. It will put the Federal Government on a path to balance, and it sets out a new course after the long years of the Obama economy, when paychecks stagnated, steady work became harder to find, and retirement for many slipped further away. The budget we passed isn't just about getting our fiscal house in order--though it is certainly about that--it is also about getting our economy going again and growing again. Perhaps the most important way it does so is by authorizing legislative tools to advance tax reform, and passing tax reform is the most important thing we can do today to get our economy reaching for its true potential. Tax reform is all about helping the middle class succeed. It is about making it easier to create jobs in America and keep them right here. To summarize the effort in one phrase, it is this: Tax reform is about taking more money out of Washington's pocket and putting more in yours--more for workers, more for small businesses, and more for the middle class. After all, as the President wrote over the weekend, ``we are not talking about the government's money--we are talking about your money, your hard work.'' If you look back a few months, many doubted our ability to get a budget done or to advance tax reform. They didn't see the path forward. Those skeptics underestimated our resolve. The Senate has delivered on the budget, and we will soon have the tools to deliver on tax reform. We now look forward to our House colleagues' continued consideration and passage of the budget. Once they do so, we can move forward with tax reform for American families. For Americans who have suffered through years of uncertainty-- everything from a recession to outsourcing to unemployment--we are ready to deliver for you. For those who watched opportunity recede while the personal wealth of coastal elites grew beyond comprehension, help is on the way. We want to put more money in your pocket, we want to make retirement a reality for you, we want to get this economy moving the way it should, and tax reform is the key to helping us get there. I would like once again to thank Chairman Enzi and the members of the Budget Committee for their important work to get this budget resolution passed. I also would like to thank the cloakroom staff, the Parliamentarians, the clerks, the pages, and the officers of the U.S. Capitol Police who worked into the evening to make sure, as they always do, that the Senate runs smoothly. Thanks also to Chairman Hatch and the members of the Finance Committee. We now look forward to their continued good work on development of the kind of tax relief that will get our economy truly moving again. Mr. President, on another matter, the Senate remains committed to doing its part to support the ongoing hurricane relief efforts, and, to that end, today we will take a vote to advance the administration's most recent supplemental funding request. These resources will ensure that FEMA and the rest of the administration have the ability to continue their crucial support to help those impacted by devastating storms. Like many colleagues, I have been engaged on this issue from the very start. Through several meetings with leaders from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, I have had the opportunity to hear firsthand how the government can support their relief efforts. I met with Puerto Rico's Governor last week to get another update on the funding request and to hear about the continuing recovery. In addition, I have continued working with the administration as it responds to these storms. For instance, after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, I met with the Department of Homeland Security's Acting Secretary to learn more about what would be needed. I also met with President Trump's eminently qualified nominee to lead that Department. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a supplemental funding request with strong bipartisan support, and now it is our turn to act. As we all know, the administration will continue to actively review hurricane relief and recovery needs. As it does, we can expect the transmittal of additional supplemental requests for our consideration in the near future. The victims of these hurricanes continue to count on our support, and I look forward to the Senate continuing to do its part to help.

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 179, Trevor McFadden.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 117, Scott Palk.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. I have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

Mr. McCONNELL. I move to refer the House message on H.R. 2266 to the Committee on Appropriations with instructions to report back forthwith with an amendment numbered 1570.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask that the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany H.R. 2266. The Presiding Officer laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives: Resolved, That the House agree to the amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 2266) entitled ``An Act to amend title 28 of the United States Code to authorize the appointment of additional bankruptcy judges; and for other purposes.'', with an amendment. Motion to Concur

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 2266. Cloture Motion I send a cloture motion to the desk on the motion to concur.

Mr. McCONNELL. I move to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 2266, with a further amendment.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask for the yeas and nays on the motion to concur with amendment.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask for the yeas and nays on my motion.

Mr. McCONNELL. I have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, tonight we completed the first step toward replacing our broken Tax Code by passing a comprehensive, fiscally responsible budget that will help put the Federal Government on a path to balance. The budget also gives us the tools we need to strengthen our economy after years of stagnation under the previous administration. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to replace a failing tax code that holds Americans back with one that actually works for them. To middle-class families across America, we have a very simple message. We want to take more money out of Washington's pockets and put more in yours. With this budget, we are on a path to delivering much needed relief to American individuals and families who have borne the burdens of an unfair tax code for entirely too long. I want to particularly thank Chairman Mike Enzi and the members of the Budget Committee and the staff for their extraordinary work on this budget.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I say to colleagues, the consent agreement that was just entered allows us to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If Senators will stay in the Chamber, we will do these 10-minute rollcall votes and wrap it up.