Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, it is my sad duty today to pay tribute to a fallen Kentucky hero, Louisville Metro Police Department Detective Deidre Mengedoht. Dee Dee, as her friends called her, was tragically killed in the line of duty on Christmas Eve. Her family and our community are left to mourn this painful loss and to recognize her incredible service to Louisville. A graduate of Eastern High School and the University of Louisville, Detective Mengedoht chose to dedicate her life to the service of her community. In 2011, she joined the LMPD's training academy. Since the day she took her oath, Detective Mengedoht proved herself worthy of the trust placed in her. With real love for the community under her protection, she worked as a beat officer before earning the rank of detective. For 7 and a half years, Detective Mengedoht served the department and the people of Louisville. She quickly gained the respect of her colleagues, who recognized a passion for law enforcement and for community engagement. According to those who had the privilege to know her, Detective Mengedoht displayed the attributes of a true public servant. Police Chief Steve Conrad said she ``would fight tirelessly to seek justice for victims whose cases she was investigating.'' In her important work for the city of Louisville, Detective Mengedoht would always give more of herself than was asked. While families throughout Kentucky and the Nation celebrated Christmas Eve, Detective Mengedoht was at her post, protecting the community. That afternoon, she conducted a traffic stop, a routine procedure for any member of law enforcement. Tragedy struck without warning as a semi-truck hit her police cruiser. Detective Mengedoht was killed at the scene, The heartbreaking incident left the community shaken. The LMPD lost a critical member of its force, and Detective Mengedoht's family-- especially her 9-year-old son, Preston, will never be the same. Almost immediately, expressions of condolences and support poured into the city. Downtown, the city hall clock shone with a blue light, in honor of the incredible sacrifice our men and women of law enforcement undertake each and every day to protect the public. The Louisville Metro Police Foundation also established a fund in Detective Mengedoht's name to support her family. At a funeral service filled with tributes to her character, bravery, and integrity, the Kentucky State Police volunteered to take over the shifts of her colleagues so they could attend. More than 3,000 law enforcement officers traveled from around the Commonwealth and the Nation to join the LMPD in saluting Detective Mengedoht. Even in the rain, hundreds of Kentuckians lined the streets to pay their respects. To Detective Mengedoht's family, including her brothers and sisters at the LMPD and her parents, her sister, and Preston, I would like to extend my sincere condolences. Her sacrifice bestows great honor onto all those who wear the LMPD uniform. During this difficult time, Elaine and I hope that the memories of Detective Mengedoht's life and her selfless service can provide much-needed comfort. It is my privilege to remember Detective Deidre Mengedoht's exemplary service to the people of Louisville, and I ask that my Senate colleagues join me in honoring this Kentucky hero.

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. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that H.J. Res. 28 be considered read a second time and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to and the joint resolution, as amended, be considered read a third time.

Mr. McCONNELL. I know of no further debate on the joint resolution, as amended.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 31, submitted earlier today.

Mr. McCONNELL. I further ask that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the majority leader be authorized to sign duly enrolled bills or joint resolutions today through Monday, January 28.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 3 p.m., Monday, January 28; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 1; finally, that notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, the motion to proceed to the motion to reconsider cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 1 on January 8 be agreed to, the motion to reconsider cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 1 be agreed to, and the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed, upon reconsideration.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the provisions of S. Res. 31 and do so as a further mark of respect for the late Harris Wofford, Jr., former Senator for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that H.J. Res. 31 be considered read a second time and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to and the joint resolution, as amended, be considered read a third time.

Mr. McCONNELL. I know of no further debate on the joint resolution, as amended.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order at this time for me to request a conference with the House on H.J. Res. 31.

Mr. McCONNELL. I move to insist upon the Senate amendment, request a conference with the House, and authorize the Presiding Officer to appoint conferees with respect to H.J. Res. 31. I know of no further debate on the motion.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to proceed to S. 1.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, later today--on day 34 of this partial government shutdown--the Senate will be voting on a proposal to finally end it. We will be voting on the one plan--the only one on the table-- that would reopen the shuttered portions of the Federal Government. It is a pragmatic compromise that could end this impasse right away. The choice is absolutely clear, and the Nation is watching. Members can vote to immediately reopen the entire government with a compromise package that the President will actually sign, or they can hold out for the Democratic leader's dead-end proposal that stands no chance of earning the President's signature and ending the partial shutdown. The President's compromise would accomplish three things. First, it ends the shutdown and resumes pay for Federal workers right away. Second, it strikes a bipartisan compromise on the issue of immigration and border security with ideas from both sides. Third, it provides stable, full-year funding for the Federal Government, not another short-term bandaid. First, ending the shutdown. We have heard from Federal workers whose lives are in disarray. We have heard about the family hardships caused by the Democrats' unwillingness to sit down and negotiate with the President. We have heard from those who have endured over a month without pay. We have heard from the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard, air traffic controllers, TSA agents, and other Federal employees. Every American deserves a fully operational government. Taxpayers aren't getting special tax refunds for these weeks when services and Agencies have been diminished or are unavailable. The President has been at the negotiating table, ready to talk and to fix it. Democrats have made the opposite political calculation, and our Nation is paying the price. The way forward is simple. We all know the ground rules. We need a compromise that can pass both Chambers and earn the Presidential signature. That is the way you make a law in this country. The first proposal we will vote on today is the only legislation that exists with any chance of checking those boxes--getting the President's signature and making a law. On immigration and border security, this legislation provides the resources the men and women who risk their own safety to defend our border tell us are necessary. In the past year, we have watched as apprehensions of family units at the borders have risen--more young people brought into danger. They have seen more interdiction of illicit substances like heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl and higher rates of attempted crossings by gang members and criminals. The need for more security on our border is not a partisan invention. It is a fact. It is a reality most Senate Democrats readily admit. One Senate Democrat said: ``I'm willing to support more border security.'' Another said: ``Certainly, you need barriers. And we support barriers.'' Not to be outdone, a third said: ``I'm a huge advocate of border security.'' If they agree with the need, they should agree with this modest proposal. It would fund new enforcement and surveillance technologies, recruiting and training hundreds of new Border Patrol agents, and it would direct about one one-thousandth of Federal discretionary spending for physical barriers along the highest priority sections of the border--barriers like the ones that the current Democratic leader joined then-Senators Obama, Biden, and Clinton in supporting back in 2006; like the barriers constructed by President Obama's own administration; like the barriers in which many of my Democratic colleagues happily voted to invest billions of dollars during the last Congress. These commonsense physical barriers were a bipartisan point of agreement until about 5 minutes ago, but the President went even further to win Democrats' support. For example, his proposal also provides for a 3-year legal status for certain individuals currently covered by DACA and TPS. That is what this law provides: the border security we need, plus actual statutory authorization for DACA recipients, written into law, for the first time--not the unilateral hand-waving of the Obama administration. Finally, this bill would complete the full-year appropriations that both parties worked very hard on last year. The last thing we need is another temporary measure. Last year's appropriations process left stable, bipartisan funding measures on the 1-yard line. We don't need to punt from the 1-yard line and set up another crisis just like this a couple of weeks from now. We need to finish our work and run these seven full-year bipartisan funding bills into the end zone--into the end zone--and finish last year's work. Let me conclude by simply stating what will be on display in this Chamber today. The American people will see plainly which Senators want to make a law and clean up this mess and which Senators are content to continue making political points and nothing else. Making law versus making points, that is a choice. Any one of my Democratic colleagues who rejects the compromise offer but votes for the Democratic leader's partisan showmanship will be saying the following: They will be saying that political fights with the President matter more--more--than Federal workers and their families, border security, DACA and TPS recipients, as well as government funding. Let me say that again. If my Democratic colleagues reverse their voting records on border security, if they decide that spending one one-thousandth of Federal spending on Obama-style steel barriers has become totally impermissible just because President Trump is in the White House, then, they will be saying that political games outrank Federal workers, the Coast Guard, DACA recipients, TPS recipients, and all their constituents, as far as this Democratic Party is concerned. Deep down, my friends across the aisle know this is not a reasonable reaction to a President of the other party. They know the Speaker of the House is unreasonable on these subjects, with her own Members and her own House majority leader openly contradicting her on national television, and that Senate Democrats are not obligated to go down with her ship. They know that denying the President one-tenth of 1 percent for spending on needed border security is not worth hurting this many people. It is obvious what the Senate needs to do. Today, we will decide whether we turn a new corner and begin putting the last month behind us or whether we will all continue to show up for work, stuck in exactly the same situation. Only one bill does all the bipartisan things I discussed. Only one bill has any chance whatsoever of becoming law. So we ought to vote for it. Recognition of the Minority Leader

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to instruct the Sergeant at Arms to request the presence of absent Senators, and I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I withdraw my motion to proceed to S. 1.

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, what is the pending business?

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I move to proceed to S. 1.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. I send a cloture motion to the desk for Senate amendment No. 5.

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I send a cloture motion to the desk for Senate amendment No. 6.