Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, this Congress and this President have delivered a historic series of achievements for the American people. We took an ax to the redtape holding back our economy. We used the Congressional Review Act a record 15 times to pave the way for job creation. After years of broken promises to our veterans, we delivered VA reform legislation to begin giving our heroes the more accessible care, greater choice, and workforce training they deserve. We confirmed outstanding judges to the Federal bench. We advanced efforts to address the opioid crisis. And, of course, we passed the most significant tax overhaul in a generation. Already, tax reform is increasing take-home pay for American workers. Already, businesses are investing more, expanding more, and creating more good-paying jobs right here at home. Over the past year, we have built a record of successes for middle-class families and a stronger, safer country. But among all the work that still remains, one critical piece of unfinished business is now really close to the finish line. If we act now, we can start rebuilding our military and provide our troops the training and equipment they need to defend the homeland and protect the American people. The crisis in our military is acute. Just this week, headlines revealed that two-thirds of the Navy's F/A-18 aircraft are not prepared to fly. The fleet, which must secure sea lines of communication across the globe and patrol the Persian Gulf and the South China Sea, has shrunk to the smallest ship count in nearly three decades. We have become too reliant on Special Operations forces and have radically drawn down our conventional force structure. This has not been lost on China or Russia. They are improving their conventional forces and intimidating their neighbors. Our force faces a complex collection of threats and challenges from Iran, China, Russia, and North Korea to ISIL, al-Qaida, and their affiliates. The need for our forward presence has not diminished in the Persian Gulf or in the South China Sea and the wider Pacific, neither has our responsibility to our NATO allies in Europe or to the Republic of Korea. No, we have not asked our all-volunteer military to do any less for our country. They have just been forced to make do with less. And all of these short-term funding bills have handicapped our military leaders' ability to make long-term plans and investments. In December, the Navy Secretary said the inefficiencies from continuing resolutions have cost his Department enough money to pay for an entire squadron of fighter planes or two destroyers. Let me say that again. The Secretary of the Navy said that the inefficiencies from continuing resolutions have cost his Department enough money to pay for an entire squadron of fighter planes or two destroyers. Here is how General Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, put it. He said: ``The U.S. military's competitive advantage against potential adversaries is eroding.'' Yesterday, I announced a bipartisan budget agreement that will finally bring this to a close. The agreement will allow for the funding levels recommended by the NDAA conference report--authorization levels secured by the stalwart leadership of Chairman John McCain and our colleagues on the Armed Services Committee. So what does this mean for our men and women in uniform? It means putting a stop to the decline in combat readiness. It means knowing that our weapons systems will be delivered, maintained, and kept on the cutting edge. Take it from Secretary Mattis. Yesterday, he explained just what this agreement will do. Here is how he put it: It will ``ensure our military can defend our way of life, preserve the promise of prosperity, and pass on the freedoms you and I enjoy to the next generation.'' Our volunteer servicemembers aren't the only Americans this agreement will help. It also builds on the progress we have made for veterans and military families by providing for better care and helping to cut the VA's maintenance backlog. It offers reinforcements to families on the front lines of our Nation's struggle with opioid addiction and substance abuse. According to the CDC, opioid overdose deaths increased fivefold just between 1999 and 2016. On average, this epidemic takes more than 100 American lives every single day. This agreement provides for new grants, prevention programs, and law enforcement initiatives to bolster existing national and State efforts. The legislation secures relief for families who are still struggling to rebuild in the wake of last year's spate of natural disasters. This provision was only made possible by tireless work from several of my colleagues. Thanks to the leadership of Senator Cornyn, to Senator Cruz's advocacy for Texas, and to Senator Rubio, who led on behalf of Florida and spoke up forcefully for the people of Puerto Rico, help will soon be on the way. The agreement also provides for new investment in our Nation's infrastructure, a shared bipartisan priority. Now, I am confident that no Senator on either side of the aisle believes this is a perfect bill, but I am also confident that this is our best chance to begin rebuilding our military and to make progress on issues directly affecting the American people. This is a bill for brave Americans serving our country, including the many servicemembers based in my home State of Kentucky. They deserve the pay raise we promised them and the confidence that when they leave our shores, they are combat-ready. This is a bill for our distinguished military commanders, who have sounded the alarm on sequestration more times than any of us can count. This is a bill for our heroes who have come home. They should be greeted by a better funded, streamlined Veterans' Administration that is equipped to meet their needs. This is a bill for American families who have been victimized by brutal storms or the scourge of drug addiction. They deserve the assistance this agreement secures. I hope each Senator will carefully review this bipartisan bill and support it. We need to build on our historic year, seize the opportunity, and keep moving forward.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move that the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany H.R. 1892.

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

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, here we are at a quarter to 6. Funding for the government expires in just a few hours. A bipartisan agreement before us funds our troops at the level requested by the Pentagon. It addresses the opioid crisis, which is extremely big in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and around the country. It funds our veterans and many other shared priorities. The Speaker of the House supports the bill. He is waiting for it to pass the Senate. The President of the United States supports the bill and is waiting to sign it into law. I understand my friend and colleague from Kentucky does not join with the President in supporting the bill. It is his right, of course, to vote against the bill, but I would argue that it is time to vote.

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I propose that we give the Senator from Kentucky an opportunity to make a budget point of order, which would give him a vote on the substance of the matter he is concerned about. Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, at 6 p.m. today, the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 1892 with a further amendment; further, that if cloture is invoked, all postcloture time be yielded back and Senator Paul be recognized to make a budget point of order; that the majority leader or his designee be recognized to make a motion to waive; and that following the disposition of the motion to waive, the Senate vote on the motion to concur with further amendment with no other intervening action or debate.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of and the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 385.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I am pleased to announce that our bipartisan, bicameral negotiations on defense spending and other priorities have yielded a significant agreement. I thank my friend the Democratic leader for joining me this afternoon and for the productive discussions that have generated this proposal. The compromise we have reached will ensure that, for the first time in years, our Armed Forces will have more of the resources they need to keep America safe. It will help us serve the veterans who bravely served us, and it will ensure funding for important efforts such as disaster relief, infrastructure, and building on our work to fight opioid abuse and drug addiction. This bill is the product of extensive negotiations among congressional leaders and the White House. No one would suggest it is perfect, but we worked hard to find common ground and stay focused on serving the American people. First and foremost, this bipartisan agreement will unwind the sequestration cuts that have hamstrung our Armed Forces and jeopardized our national security. Secretary Mattis said: ``No enemy in the field has done more harm to the . . . readiness of our military than sequestration.'' For years, my colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee, led by Chairman John McCain, have spoken out about these damaging cuts. In the face of continuing and emerging threats, these cuts have left us unable to realize the potential of our missile defense capabilities. They have whittled down our conventional forces, laying an undue burden on forward-deployed personnel and their families. And they have shrunk our fleet to its lowest ship count in nearly three decades. We haven't asked our men and women in uniform to do less for our country. We have just forced them to make do with less than they need. This agreement changes that. In addition, this bill will provide for our returning heroes. Too often, underfunded, overcomplicated bureaucracies fail to deliver the care our veterans deserve. The Trump administration and Congress-- thanks to the leadership of Chairman Isakson--have made important progress for veterans in the past year. This agreement will expand on those steps. This agreement will also bolster our ongoing national struggle against opioid addiction and substance abuse. It will fund new grants, prevention programs, and law enforcement efforts in vulnerable communities all across our country. It also provides funding for disaster relief efforts. Last year, powerful storms crippled Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and damaged mainland communities from Florida to Texas. Thanks to the efforts of Members such as Senators Cornyn, Cruz, Rubio, and others, this bill will get more help on the way. The agreement will clear the way for a new investment in our Nation's infrastructure--a bipartisan priority shared by the President and lawmakers of both parties. This bill does not conclude the serious work that remains before Congress. After we pass it, the Appropriations Committees will have 6 weeks to negotiate detailed appropriations and deliver full funding for the remainder of fiscal year 2018, but this bill represents a significant, bipartisan step forward. I urge every Senator to review this legislation and join us in voting to advance it. I particularly want to thank my friend the Democratic leader. I hope we can build on this bipartisan momentum and make 2018 a year of significant achievement for Congress, for our constituents, and for the country that we all love. Immigration Now, on one final matter, as I have said publicly many times, our upcoming debate on DACA, border security, and other issues will be a process that is fair to all sides. The bill I move to, which will not have underlying immigration text, will have an amendment process that will ensure a level playing field at the outset. The amendment process will be fair to all sides, allowing the sides to alternate proposals for consideration and for votes. While I obviously cannot guarantee the outcome, let alone supermajority support, I can ensure the process is fair to all sides, and that is what I intend to do. Recognition of the Minority Leader

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I understand that the Senate has received a message from the House to accompany H.R. 1892.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move that the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany H.R. 1892.

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

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call be waived.

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

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk on the motion to concur with further amendment.

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

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

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to refer the House message on H.R. 1892 to the Committee on Appropriations to report back forthwith with instructions.

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

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have an amendment to the instructions.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate resolutions which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 397, S. Res. 398, and S. Res. 399.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session for the en bloc consideration of the following nominations: Executive Calendar Nos. 599 and 602.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; that no further motions be in order; and that any statements relating to the nominations be printed in the Record.