Richard Shelby

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the Honorable T. Michael Putnam, who is formally stepping down from his 32- year term as a U.S. magistrate judge, effective on June 7, 2019. Judge Putnam served the Northern District of Alabama as a magistrate and chief magistrate judge during his many years of service to the court. He is the longest serving magistrate judge in the history of the Northern District of Alabama, and I certainly commend him for this accomplishment. At the time of his appointment, Judge Putnam was the youngest magistrate judge in the country at age 32. Instrumental in the expansion of the role of magistrate judges, Judge Putnam worked to highlight their value in the judicial process. He acted as the chair and vice chair of the Northern District's Criminal Justice Act Administrative Committee, playing a significant role in ensuring the highest quality of representation of indigent criminal defendants in the Northern District under the Criminal Justice Act. Judge Putnam is widely known for his volunteer work at the Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, AL. He has taught a pretrial practice and procedure class since 2006 and directed many trial advocacy and moot court programs. The Cumberland School of Law named Judge Putnam the 2019 recipient of the Friend of the Law School Award in recognition of his time and dedication to the betterment of students at Cumberland. The Young Lawyers Section of the Birmingham Bar Association also selected him for the Judge Drayton Nobles James Award in 2016, where they honored his spirit of volunteerism. As an advocate for the Northern District, Judge Putnam played an active role in using technology to improve efficiency. He has been a judicial resource for the Office of the Clerk while implementing procedural changes to the electronic filing system. Judge Putnam led the Court in establishing the eVoucher system, making it easier for attorneys and courts to process vouchers for appointed counsel in criminal cases. Judge Putnam received his bachelor of arts from the University of Alabama and his juris doctorate from the University of Alabama School of Law. He graduated in the top 5 percent of his class and was a Hugo L. Black Scholar. Judge Putnam's contributions to Alabama's judicial system are truly remarkable and will have an impact for generations to come. I am proud to take this time to recognize and thank him for his service to the people of our great State and his unwavering commitment to the rule of law. I join Judge Putnam's friends, family, and colleagues in wishing him the best of luck as he transitions into a new chapter of his life.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, today I wish to commend Dr. Robert Altenkirch for his leadership at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Dr. Altenkirch led the university as president from 2011 to 2019. While serving in this capacity, he implemented many strategic growth initiatives and promoted economic development throughout the campus and the city of Huntsville, AL. Under Dr. Altenkirch's leadership, UAH provided assistance in recruiting numerous corporations to north Alabama. Those corporations include Blue Origin, Aerojet, Rocketdyne, GE Aviation, and Polaris. He also spearheaded the purchase of a 58-acre business park that is adjacent to the campus and serves as a town center for the students and faculty. Continuing to add to his legacy, Dr. Altenkirch established the D.S. Davidson Invention to Innovation business incubator. This regional initiative fosters, promotes, and accelerates the commercialization of technology-based ventures through incubation, co-working, mentorship, funding, and strategic support. Not only did Dr. Altenkirch expand the university physically and economically, but he also contributed to the university's growth in total enrollment over the past 5 years. By the fall of 2019, the enrollment at UAH skyrocketed by more than 10,000 students. The average ACT score for incoming freshman reached an alltime record high at the university under Dr. Altenkirch. By fall 2018, the average score was 28.5, which is the highest among the State of Alabama's public universities. Studying mechanical engineering, Dr. Altenkirch earned a B.S. from Purdue University, an M.S. from the University of California, Berkley, and a Ph.D. from Purdue. He was recognized as one of the 101 Most Influential People in the State of New Jersey in 2009, as Dr. Altenkirch served as the president of New Jersey Institute of Technology for 9 years prior to his tenure at UAH. Dr. Altenkirch deserves the highest recognition for his outstanding leadership at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He helped shape a more prosperous future for the university, the city of Huntsville, and the State of Alabama. The impact he has made on UAH and the entire north Alabama community will not be forgotten.

Mr. SHELBY

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

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I rise this afternoon in honor of my good friend from South Carolina, the late Senator Fritz Hollings, who spent many, many years right here in this Chamber. As we mourn his passing today, we remember the great impact Fritz Hollings had both in the Senate and in his home State of South Carolina, where he served as Governor, as Lieutenant Governor, as a member of the State legislature, and so forth. From 1966 to 2005, which was nearly four decades, he also represented South Carolina in Washington--right here in this body. Born and raised in Charleston, SC, Fritz Hollings was a distinguished graduate of the Citadel and served as an Army artillery officer during World War II, for which he was awarded, among other things, the Bronze Star. For 36 years, Fritz Hollings served alongside Strom Thurmond in the Senate, whom the Presiding Officer will remember. He was the junior Senator of his State for six terms, which made him the longest serving junior Senator in the history of the Senate. Throughout his tenure, Fritz served as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, where I served with him. He was also the chairman of the Budget Committee and the chairman of the Commerce Committee. He was a skilled legislator and statesman. In terms of influential policy, Fritz made quite a mark. He was instrumental in the creation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which we know as NOAA. When he was chairman of the Commerce Committee, he also helped to enact laws to alleviate childhood hunger and to expand competition in telecommunications during the early stages of the internet. He may have spent nearly 39 years in the Senate, but his time in Washington was not all that made up his career. Fritz Hollings served three terms in the South Carolina House of Representatives. He won his first election in 1948 at the age of 26. He went on to serve as South Carolina's Lieutenant Governor and then as its Governor at the age of 36. In 1984, while he was a sitting Senator here, he ran for President of the United States. He was a true public servant. He devoted his entire life to the betterment of his country, to his State, and to his people. As we honor his lasting impact and achievements throughout his career, we are reminded that Fritz was what we would call a southern gentleman. With a distinguished Charlestonian southern drawl and a quick wit, Fritz was courteous and well mannered. He built his seniority with patience and respect. I am grateful for his friendship and camaraderie over the last 40 years. Annette and I join his family as we mourn his passing and celebrate his life and the legacy he leaves behind in the U.S. Senate. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, these unanimous consent requests are political and, I believe, are not productive at the moment. We know that for two reasons. First, earlier this week, my Democratic colleagues rejected a disaster assistance package that contained assistance for the Midwest. Instead, they supported a different version that did nothing for folks in Iowa, in Nebraska, and in other States who have been the victims of catastrophic flooding. In fact, if the Democrats had gotten their way the other night, their bill would have gone straight to the President's desk. That brings me to the second reason these procedural requests are empty gestures. My Democratic colleagues know that the measure they raise today does not have the President's support, not unlike the bill they supported earlier this week. Those measures cannot secure the President's signature. My Democratic colleagues have regrouped today and have decided to provide assistance to the folks in the Midwest--the same folks they left stranded earlier in the week. Yet they are willing to help the Midwest only if Puerto Rico gets billions more in Federal assistance-- billions more they cannot justify right now. Look, we all want to help the people of Puerto Rico, and I know the Presiding Officer has been deeply involved in this. Congress, in its recognition of those needs, has already committed significant resources to the island. In fact, Puerto Rico is eligible for more than $90 billion in funding from the previous supplemental. For example, FEMA estimates that Puerto Rico will be eligible to receive more than $60 billion from the Disaster Relief Fund as a result of the 2017 storms; yet Puerto Rico has only spent approximately $10 billion of this amount thus far. Another example is Congress has approved $20 billion in Community Development Block Grant--or CDBG--funding for Puerto Rico--$20 billion. In February 2018, the Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated $1.5 billion of this amount to the island; yet more than a year later, it has spent only $42,000 out of the $1.5 billion allocation. Still, HUD allocated another $8.2 billion just over a month ago. In addition, Puerto Rico has been granted an enormous amount of flexibility to expend these resources. FEMA used its administrative authority to extend the 100-percent Federal cost share for emergency work in Puerto Rico longer than it has for any other disaster in more than 10 years, and not once has FEMA denied Puerto Rico access to funding on the basis of its ability to provide its own share of the costs when required. More importantly, even if cost share were an issue, which I don't believe it is, Puerto Rico could use its ample CDBG funding to meet any cost share requirement. However, it does not appear that access to resources for cost share is actually an issue in Puerto Rico. According to the Treasury Department, Puerto Rico has billions of dollars in unrestricted cash on hand. In fact, the Treasury Department reports it has $5.6 billion in unrestricted cash, to be precise. What is more, the land of Puerto Rico continues to collect tens--if not hundreds--of millions of dollars a month because revenues are exceeding costs on the island, which only adds to that $5.6 billion balance. Despite all of these resources, we have agreed that the Government of Puerto Rico needs additional funding for nutrition assistance. My Democratic colleagues have been in the forefront. The question is, Why? It is that this money is actually being spent. In fact, it is running out. So not only did my Democratic colleagues leave folks in the Midwest behind when they rejected the Shelby amendment earlier this week, but they also passed up an opportunity to help the people of Puerto Rico immediately. Where do we go from here? I think we need to find areas of agreement, which we have before in my working with Senator Leahy, Senator Schumer, and Senator McConnell. I am pleased that my Democratic colleagues have discovered a newfound concern for the people in the Midwest. We want to stay on that too. It is promising that we not only agree on that but also that we should provide funding for nutrition assistance for the people of Puerto Rico now. Yet, when it comes to additional funding beyond nutrition assistance for Puerto Rico, I believe that our constituents--the American taxpayers--deserve a detailed explanation of exactly why existing funding is insufficient and why the resources that we have provided have not been spent. How do we know Puerto Rico needs more when it hasn't come close to spending what we have already provided it? Communities, meanwhile, that experienced disasters in 2018 are truly suffering because Congress has provided them with nothing. Unless my Democratic colleagues can demonstrate this urgency, I believe they should stop holding hostage those who are suffering in the Midwest and those who have been impacted by disasters all over the United States. These people are in urgent need of funding so they can begin the rebuilding process, and many of them have been waiting for months and months for relief. I hope we can come together and work this out in a deliberate and fact-based manner. Until then, I will continue to object to these haphazard unanimous consent requests that will get us nowhere. I yield the floor.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the retirement of Whit Armstrong, a native of Montgomery, AL, from the Alabama Power Company board of directors, effective on April 26, 2019. Whit is an acknowledged leader in the financial and investment arena with over 30 years in the banking industry, including service as a member of the Alabama State Banking Board. He has provided decades of service to improve the quality of life in his community and across the State of Alabama with numerous civic, economic development, educational, and business organizations. Mr. Whit Armstrong previously served as president, chief executive officer, and chairman of the board of The Citizens Bank in Enterprise, AL, and of its holding company, Enterprise Capital Corporation, Inc. He currently serves as managing member of Creeke Capital Investments, LLC, also located in Enterprise, AL. Whit has earned many recognitions for his contributions, among them a Silver Beaver Award for Outstanding Service to the Boy Scouts and the 1975 Alabama Jaycees' Outstanding Young Man of Alabama Award. He earned his bachelor's degree and master of science in finance with a focus in banking from the University of Alabama. At home in the Wiregrass, Whit is married to Dr. Rebecca Brown Armstrong. They have a son, Whit Junior, and four grandchildren, Whit III, Charlotte, James, and Katrina Armstrong. An engaged resident in his community, Whit is an active member of First United Methodist Church of Enterprise. His extensive experience in business and civic life, along with his seasoned judgment and knowledge of the Alabama Power Company, have provided great value to Alabama Power's board of directors. What is truly remarkable are Whit Armstrong's many accomplishments and contributions to the State. I am proud to take this time to recognize him for his service on the Alabama Power Company board of directors, which has benefitted the customers of Alabama Power, the people of Alabama, and the State. His achievements and dedication to advancing the industry have not gone unnoticed. I join Whit Armstrong's friends, family, and colleagues in wishing him the best of luck as he transitions into a new chapter of his life, and I thank him for his commitment to Alabama.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. I want to follow the distinguished Senator from Georgia. I also reserve the right to object here, and in the proper time, I will object. If my colleagues are interested in supporting legislation here today that helps the people who are impacted by the 2019 storms and legislation that can actually be signed into law, then, I would say they should vote to invoke cloture on my amendment No. 201 today. I am afraid they are not going to do that, but I will speak on my amendment in greater detail shortly, if I am permitted to. At the moment, I object to the unanimous consent request offered by the distinguished Senator from Vermont.

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I reserve the right to object. I will object.

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

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, this afternoon I rise to urge my colleagues to vote for cloture on the pending Shelby amendment on the floor. My amendment provides critical resources to those impacted by a wide range of natural disasters in 2018--fires, earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, and tornadoes, among others. It also includes funding to begin to address some of the 2019 disaster damage. This funding, I believe, is essential to aid our fellow Americans who are working to pick up the pieces and move on. There is a broad agreement, basically, on both sides of the aisle--Democrat and Republican--that this legislation should address 2019 disasters, and, both, my amendment and the underlying bill, do this. There are, however, two glaring differences that I would like to discuss briefly. First, the Shelby amendment provides assistance to those affected by the 2019 disasters. The underlying bill does not. Secondly, the Shelby amendment has the support of the President. The underlying bill does not. This assistance is not just for those whose lives were destroyed by the tornado that recently hit my home State of Alabama. It is also for those whose homes, crops, and livestock have been swept away by catastrophic flooding in the Midwest that we all witnessed recently. Thus far, my Democratic colleagues have been unwilling to help these people unless their demands are met. What are their demands? Not more resources for 2018 or 2019 disasters, which is what the thrust of this bill is about. No, instead they demand nearly $1 billion more for Puerto Rico. We all agree that Puerto Rico was devastated in 2017 by Hurricane Maria. That is why Congress provided Puerto Rico billions of dollars in aid in a supplemental last March right here in the Congress. Yet much of the funding that we provided has not been spent yet-- billions of dollars. In fact, the Department of Housing and Urban Development recently reported that Puerto Rico has $1.5 billion in community development block grant funding available but has only spent $42,000. Think about that. Why, then, are my Democratic colleagues seeking to include $431 million more for community development block grants for Puerto Rico but not $1 for folks in the Midwest who continue to watch the floodwaters rise as we speak? The one piece of Puerto Rican funding we agree is essential--in fact, it is urgent--is nutrition assistance. They need it, and they need it now. That is why my amendment includes $600 million to provide the people of Puerto Rico the food safety net they need now. I believe we need to move forward with this disaster package so that those who have thus far received nothing from this Congress and those in desperate need of assistance can move on with their lives. We should not further delay, I believe, this assistance. Those in need must not be forced to wait any longer. I also wholeheartedly agree with my colleagues who said in a recent letter to Senate and House leadership: ``Providing desperately needed relief to impacted communities should be a bipartisan, bicameral priority and continued inaction is unacceptable.'' I hope we will all join together to provide assistance to those who urgently need it today, regardless of whether the State we represent has been struck by disasters covered in this bill. Only one of the two options before the Senate seeks to help everyone impacted by disasters and can be signed into law, and that is the Shelby amendment. Again, I urge my colleagues to vote yes on cloture. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Madam President, I call up my amendment No. 201.

Mr. SHELBY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading be dispensed with.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, consistent with Standing Rule XXVI, I ask unanimous consent that the rules of procedure of the Committee on Appropriations be printed in the Record.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I will be brief. First of all, I thank Senator Leahy, the vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee, who worked diligently for the past year to get to where we are today in a bipartisan way and also, recently, in the conference committee, which we thought last week had broken down. I also thank Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, and Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader. I thank everybody else who has contributed to get us to this point. Nothing is perfect, but we think this is a good bill for the American people. It opens up all of the government--the 25 percent that we had not addressed. The conference report includes a robust and comprehensive investment in border security, providing funding for personnel, technology, and infrastructure that is critical to keeping our nation secure and our people safe. Critically, the bill provides nearly $1,400,000,000 to further construction of a barrier along the southwest border. But that is only a down payment. More resources are required. Fortunately, the President has at his disposal both constitutional and existing statutory authorities that allow him to supplement the congressional investment in border security that was made today. This bill preserves those authorities, and I support action by the President to use them to the fullest extent permissible to secure our border. In particular, this bill does not restrict the President's ability to declare a national emergency or to exercise emergency authorities under such a declaration. Nor does this bill further restrict the Administration's ability, previously granted by the Congress, to transfer funds in support of efforts to gain operational control of our southwest border and to cease the trafficking of persons and drugs across it. I am going to get on with the vote. I want to say thank you to everybody, including Shannon Hines on our staff and everybody else who contributed to this. At this point, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the cloture vote on the conference report to accompany H.J. Res. 31.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Judge Hardy McCollum, probate judge and chairman of the Tuscaloosa County Commission, who retired earlier this month after 42 years of honorable service. Judge McCollum will be long remembered for his remarkable career and his dedication to the rule of law. A native of Tuscaloosa, Hardy grew up selling peanuts, popcorn, and programs at Denny Stadium, which is now known as Bryant-Denny Stadium. Following graduation from Tuscaloosa High School, Hardy married his high school sweetheart, Juanita. They both went on to earn their degrees from the University of Alabama. Following college, Hardy began working in Tuscaloosa and serving as an active member of the the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce, commonly known as the Jaycees. He has always told me that his first political experience was campaigning for me in the 1970 Alabama State Senate race. In his first run for office in 1976, Hardy was elected to the position of probate judge. Following his initial election, he was reelected to six more 6-year terms, serving in the esteemed role from 1977 to 2019, a total of 42 years. During his time as probate judge and chairman of the Tuscaloosa County Commission, Hardy also served as president of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama, the National Association of Counties Transportation Steering Committee, and the National College of Probate Judges. Additionally, he held the role of chairman of the West Alabama Planning and Development Council, the Governor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped, and the University of Alabama Commerce and Business Administration Executive Society. Outside of his professional career, Hardy has volunteered over the years with the Boys and Girls Club of America, Boy Scouts of America, and United Way. He also served as chairman of the Heart Association and the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind Foundation. Another noteworthy accomplishment in Hardy's career is that he has been the longest serving probate judge in the State of Alabama, and at the time of his first election in 1976, he was the youngest probate judge in the State. His dedication and service have been immensely valued in the State and will be greatly missed. It is with great pleasure that I join Hardy's family and friends in recognizing his accomplishments. Our State and community have been fortunate to have a leader like Hardy McCollum, and I wish Hardy the very best as he transitions into the next chapter of his life.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Madam President, today I wish to call attention to the special significance of the year 2019 in our great State of Alabama. This year we celebrate the 200th anniversary of our State and my hometown, the city of Tuscaloosa. Tuscaloosa was incorporated on December 13, 1819, which was one day before the State of Alabama was admitted to the Union. Beginning in 1826 and extending for more than two decades, Tuscaloosa was the State capital of Alabama. This period marked the historic opening of the University of Alabama, the construction of a stately capitol building, and the city's transformation as a center for education, healthcare, and industry. Strategically situated on the banks of the Black Warrior River, Tuscaloosa became a thriving hub for foundries, cotton mills, forestry, and marine commerce. Founded in Tuscaloosa in 1831, the University of Alabama, which is the beloved alma mater of my family along with countless others, has become one of America's premier public research universities. The Capstone of education, the University serves the citizens of Alabama as well as students, faculty, and staff who come from throughout the United States and around the globe to pursue a world-class education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The university proudly partners with Stillman College and Shelton State Community College, as well as an abundant community of K-12 schools, to hold stature as a major center for educational excellence. Today Tuscaloosa is recognized as one of the region's most economically prosperous cities. International corporations join homegrown industries and businesses to provide a robust climate for job creation, industrial expansion, and a quality of life that is envied and admired by one and all. Recreational amenities, cultural gems, and championship athletic teams are legendary. On December 13, 2018, the Tuscaloosa Bicentennial Commission dedicated Bicentennial Square in Government Plaza, located in the heart of the city's burgeoning downtown district. Over the next 12 months, citizens will join together in a diverse calendar of events and programs that will educate, celebrate, and feature 2019 as a year to remember. I share in the Record a schedule of events for ``Tuscaloosa 200,'' together with the names of the bicentennial commission members who, along with dozens of other volunteers, have devoted countless hours to planning and organizing the bicentennial commemoration, as well as the companies whose generosity made possible the extensive, yearlong celebration: dedication of Bicentennial Square at Government Plaza, December 13, 2018; ringing in Tuscaloosa 200 bicentennial fireworks, December 31, 2018, at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheatre; Tuscaloosa 200 bicentennial launch ceremony, January 31, 2019, at the Tuscaloosa RiverMarket; the Bicentennial Bash Family Activities and Music Saturday, March 30, 2019, at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheatre; ``Tuscaloosa Through Time'' history expo, April 24-27, 2019, at the Bryant Conference Center; ``Welcome Back to T-Town Celebration'' in conjunction with the Druid City Music Festival, Friday and Saturday, August 23-24, 2019; community book experience, ``the History of Tuscaloosa,'' by Dr. Guy Hubbs, September 22, 2019, Federal courthouse; and Tuscaloosa 200 birthday party and holiday parade, Friday, December 13, 2019, preceded by ``200 Voices for Tuscaloosa,'' December 12, 2019, Moody Concert Hall. Members of the Tuscaloosa Bicentennial Commission: Lyda Black, Robert Ennis, Kari Frederickson, Sarah Elizabeth Heggem, Shelley Jones, Elizabeth McGiffert, Pam Parker, Tim Parker, Cathy Randall, Kellee Reinhart, Don Staley, and Harrison Taylor. Bicentennial Sponsors and Donors: Presenting Sponsors--Mercedes Benz USI, Coca Cola, DCH Health System; Capital Donor--city of Tuscaloosa, the University of Alabama; Chief Tuskaloosa Donor--Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports; Druid Oaks Donor--Harrison Family Foundation, Hunt Refining Company, Nucor Steel, Parker Towing Company, PECO Foods, Inc., Reese Phifer Memorial Foundation, Randall-Reilly, TotalCom; Black Warrior Donor--Bryant Bank, College Station Properties, Harrison Construction Company, Industrial Warehouse Services, Inc., McAbee Family Foundation, McGiffert and Associates, LLC/Price McGiffert Construction Co. Inc., Regions, Synovus, Westervelt; City Champion Donor--Cadence Bank, Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, BF Goodrich, Jamison Money Farmer, PC, Junior League of Tuscaloosa, R.L. Zeigler Company, Inc., Tuscaloosa County Parks and Recreation, Tuscaloosa Rotary Memorial Foundation.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Madam President, just a few months ago, we stood here on the Senate floor celebrating the progress we had made together in the appropriations process, as Senator Leahy has just alluded to. I believe we are all tired of lurching from crisis to crisis amid partisan bickering. Both sides resolved then to put aside partisan differences and work together for the good of the American people, and it worked. Together, we funded 75 percent of the government on time. While we would have preferred to have funded 100 percent, it was considerably more progress than we had made in decades. Yet we find ourselves here today more than 1 month into the longest partial shutdown of the government in American history. It is enough to give you whiplash. Funding the remaining 25 percent of government is a task before us here today. Homeland security, border security, is the linchpin. We know that. Are our differences really as insurmountable as they seem? They should not be, and I want to discuss why. Last May, the Appropriations Committee considered the fiscal year 2019 Homeland Security bill. That bill included money for a physical barrier at the southern border. In fact, it included an increase in funding over the 2018 level for a physical barrier. Our Democratic colleagues made no attempt to strike this funding, just as Republicans made no effort to strike funding for Democratic priorities in the bill. The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in the committee--a vote of 26 to 5. There were no fireworks or histrionics in the hearing room that day. There was no demand to delay the Homeland Security bill until the rest of the Federal Government was funded. Rather, the committee simply decided together, on a bipartisan basis, to increase funding for a project that Congress funded the previous year. The fireworks and demands for delayed consideration came later. It boggles the mind at times how we return so quickly to a standoff mode--to a zero-sum mentality--after making so much progress together. It is particularly perplexing to me considering bipartisan support is exactly what underpinned the very thing that now divides us so bitterly. Just a few months ago, funding for a physical barrier in the southern border was part of a bipartisan deal, and now we cannot even really discuss it. That was then. I understand that. But where do we go from here? Who is offering real solutions, comprehensive solutions to end this impasse? The President, for his part, has proposed a serious and, I think, a reasonable compromise--a comprehensive solution. I commend him for that. He is doing what the American people expect, I think, showing a willingness to work together to find common ground. I encourage my Democratic colleagues to reciprocate here. We have in the past. If this proposal today is unacceptable, I ask my colleagues on the other side to put something on the table that could help move us off the dime. Work with us. Propose a comprehensive solution to get us moving in the right direction. But simply saying no, demanding that we deal with border security later, is not going to cut it today. What do we do about solving our crisis? This is a real crisis. If not now, when? When will be the time to secure the border? What good will more time or talking do? The American people have been promised that border security will come later since the Simpson-Mazzoli amnesty in 1986. Look at where we are today--still waiting, still talking. The drug smuggling, the human trafficking, and the chaos are a real crisis. We know what must be done. It is a question of what will be done. I say this afternoon in the Senate, let's come together. Let's put the bitterness behind us and do what is right for the American people-- end the shut-down and secure the border. The real question before us today is this: Is this the beginning of the end or is it just the end of the beginning? We shall find out.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I wish to start here this morning by thanking my good friend, Senator Orrin Hatch, who happens to be in the Chamber, for his more than four decades of service in the U.S. Senate. We have served together in the Senate for 32 years; he was here before then. I remember that Senator Hatch was first elected to the Senate in 1976 when I was still serving in the Alabama State Senate. This was his first run for public office but more to come. Senator Hatch, as we know, is the longest serving Republican Senator in U.S. history. He is one of only two sitting U.S. Senators to have served during the Presidency of Gerald Ford. He is one of only two remaining Republican U.S. Senators who served during the Presidency of Jimmy Carter. Senator Hatch, as we all know, serves currently as the President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate--one of the highest honors in the Senate. He has chaired three Senate class A committees during his tenure in the Senate, including the Finance Committee, of which he is currently the chairman. He has chaired with distinction the Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Some of his major accomplishments--these are just a few--include passage of the historic progrowth, middle-class tax reform, the most significant tax reform in a generation. His accomplishments also include confirmation right here in the Senate of conservative judges to the Federal bench--hundreds and hundreds--including playing an instrumental role in the confirmation of Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh, as well as, as I said, scores, if not hundreds, of district and circuit court judges. One of Senator Hatch's particularly noteworthy achievements, among others, on the Judiciary Committee is the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, a bill he authored and cosponsored with the late Senator Ted Kennedy. It was landmark legislation allowing Americans to live, to work, and to worship in accordance with their beliefs. Senator Hatch's reputation as a statesman and his record of fiscal responsibility even earned him the nickname ``Mr. Balanced Budget'' from President Reagan. Senator Hatch is also widely known for his musical career and film appearances. He plays the violin, the piano, and the organ. Think of the talent this man has. Senator Hatch and his wife, Elaine, have been married for more than 50 years. They have 6 children, 23 grandchildren, and many great- grandchildren. Think of a lifetime achievement, and he has, I believe, many years left. He will be truly missed here in the Senate, and I wish him all the best in the next chapter of his life. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I want to thank my colleagues, particularly Leaders McConnell and Schumer and Vice Chairman Leahy for their help in moving this package. The conference report before the Senate accelerates the rebuilding of America's military and provides our men and women in uniform with the largest pay increase in nearly a decade. It also increases NIH's budget by $2 billion and provides critical resources to combat the opioid epidemic. And, it contains no poison pill riders. On the whole, the conference report tracks very closely with the Senate version of this package, which passed by a vote of 85 to 7. I hope it will receive the same level of support today and urge my colleagues to vote yes. If this conference report is signed into law next week when the House returns, we will have funded 75 percent of the Federal Government before the end of the fiscal year. And it will be the first time in a decade that our military will not be operating under a continuing resolution at the beginning of a new fiscal year. What a remarkable turn of events from just 6 months ago, when the entire government was funded in one omnibus spending package--6 months behind schedule. I think it is important to give the President some credit here for the progress we are making. He has been adamant about the need to rebuild our military and fund the government in a deliberate manner. Not only do I agree with him, but I believe most Americans agree with him, and with this package we are taking an important step in that direction. I say to my colleagues, this is the most significant step we have taken yet, but we still have work to do. This conference report contains a continuing resolution to account for the appropriations bills not yet signed into law. I want to stress that my colleagues should not read this as a sign that we have reached an impasse with the House on the remaining bills in conference. To the contrary, we are very close to an agreement on four additional bills: Interior, Financial Services, Transportation, and Agriculture. While we still have differences to resolve on each of the bills, none of them are insurmountable, in my judgement. So we will continue to work diligently and hopefully return to the floor soon with yet another conference report in hand. In closing, I want to thank my colleagues once again for their help on this conference report. This is a big deal. Let's keep working together to accomplish even more. Mr. President, I want to take a few minutes and briefly explain to the Senate where we are on appropriations, where we have come from, and where we hope to go. Thanks to the work of my colleague on the Appropriations Committee-- and many others but especially Senator Leahy--we have hung together, as the Presiding Officer knows, to make the Appropriations Committee work again. It hasn't worked by regular order in years and years. But today, if we pass this minibus dealing with Defense and HHS, that will be 74.9 percent of all appropriations money in these five bills, including the three we passed and the two we hope to pass in a few minutes. It is 75 percent, if you want to round it up, that we have pending. As the Presiding Officer knows, we have another minibus consisting of four bills, and if we are able to move those bills, and we hope we will--dealing with the House now--that will be 87 percent of the whole appropriations. We know that is progress, but it didn't happen by itself; it happened because people worked together. We worked to bring regular order. Back in the spring, I talked to Senator Leahy about bringing the Appropriations Committee back to where it used to be, and he said: Let's work together to do it. The only way we can do it is to do it together. I talked to Senator McConnell, Senator Schumer, and Senator Durbin. I talked to everybody, including the Presiding Officer and everybody on our committee. We made great progress, and I want to again thank the people-- starting with Senator Leahy, Senator McConnell, Senator Schumer, and Senator Durbin--who really helped this come about. I want to take a second to thank some of the staff of the Defense Subcommittee, headed by Brian Potts and Eric Raven, along with Senators Durbin, Blunt, and Murray, for their work on these bills that are imminent here today. This is a good start for us. We are not there yet, but we are getting there. If we keep on the road and keep the trains running, we are going to make the Appropriations Committee work again. Thank you very much.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I will try to be brief. It is getting late. A few months ago, I came to the floor and urged my colleagues to set aside partisan disputes so that we could focus on our most basic constitutional responsibility: funding the government in a deliberate and timely manner. Most observers deemed the prospect dubious at best. Who could blame them? Like so much in Washington, the appropriations process was broken, but at the urging of Leaders McConnell and Schumer and with the help of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle--Vice Chairman Leahy, in particular--we began to put the pieces back together. Steadily, methodically, we passed 9 of the 12 annual appropriations bills in the Senate by overwhelming bipartisan margins. Today, I am pleased to present my colleagues with the first dividends of their cooperation. The conference report before the Senate tonight contains the 2019 appropriations bills for Energy and Water Development, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and the Legislative Branch. It contains very critical funding to help transition our veterans to the new healthcare program they deserve and have earned under the VA Mission Act. It funds nearly 200 construction projects that are very important to America's military. It does a lot of other things, but I can say that this is an important package, and it is very important in what this package does not contain. It contains no poison pills--none of the partisan riders that have taken down appropriations bills in recent years in this package. As a result, the conference report looks a lot like the package that passed the Senate a few months ago by a vote of 86 to 5. We have a long way to go, but we are getting there with this first batch of appropriations bills. I want to take a second and thank the leaders of both sides, Vice Chairman Leahy, the members of the Appropriations Committee, and all of my colleagues for their cooperation in this effort. I look forward to continuing to work together and urge you to vote for the conference report.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be given 2 minutes before the vote and that Senator Leahy, from Vermont, be given 2 minutes if he so desires.

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I will be brief here. I just want to mark what we have accomplished here today and thank the many folks--Senators and staff--who made it possible. Mr. President, 1999--nearly 20 years ago--was the last time the Senate passed nine appropriations bills by the end of August--1999. Some of us are still here. This is the milestone here today that we are about to mark with the passage of two appropriations bills and with the most moneys than in any appropriations bill. Earlier this year, we collectively called for a return to regular order in the appropriations process because it was broken. The leaders on both sides, Senator McConnell and Senator Schumer, provided us with the opportunity to follow through. So I take a moment to thank both of them for their leadership. I believe that we, together in the Senate, are demonstrating that they made the right call. I also recognize the vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Leahy, for his work in this regard. I can't say enough about the importance of his role in passing appropriations bills in a bipartisan manner, because that is the only way we are going to get them done. I thank Senator Leahy, the vice chairman. Senator Durbin, Senator Blunt, and Senator Murray also played vital roles in what we have been doing here today. Their diligence and commitment to work in a bipartisan manner have been essential in passing the bills that are currently before the Senate. I thank all of them for their work. Last but not least, I thank my staff on the Defense Subcommittee. I thank the majority clerk, Brian Potts, and his team: Jacqui Russell, Katy Hagan, Colleen Gaydos, Mike Clementi, Chris Hall, Hanz Heinrichs, Kate Kaufer, Will Todd, Carlos Elias, and Marisa Rhode. All of them worked day and night to make this happen. Without their dedication and expertise--and they have a lot of it--we would not be in a position today to send a Defense spending bill, on time, to the President's desk. I thank them for their work. Finally, I thank all of my colleagues here on both sides of the aisle for their cooperation in passing these appropriations bills. I think it shows what the Senate can do when it works together, and I hope we will continue to do this. We all know it is not easy, but it works. I believe it is the right thing for the American people. Thank you.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I object.