Floor Statements

Mr. President, for more than a week, the Senate has carefully considered a set of four appropriations bills.

Together, they will account for about one-eighth of the discretionary spending for the next fiscal year. They allocate funds for a variety of pressing needs in communities around the country, and they represent four more steps toward the goal this Senate has set to fund the government through regular appropriations and to steer clear of another omnibus.

A lot of attention has rightly been paid to huge priorities where this legislation will bring major progress: our mission to renew America's infrastructure and the ongoing fight against opioid addiction and abuse.

Both are urgent challenges. In one survey last year, 81 percent of Americans said the opioid epidemic is either a major problem or a full- blown emergency, and more than half said infrastructure investment was a ``very important'' or ``extremely important'' priority. These are two priorities we share throughout this Congress--both parties, both Houses, and with the President.

Here are just a few of the provisions in this legislation: billions of dollars of investment in rural communities for everything from electric and telephone infrastructure to water infrastructure, to broadband internet, to small business loans; a $10 billion overall increase from 2017 for infrastructure needs; and tens of millions for opioid prevention, including grants for distance learning and telemedicine so rural America is better equipped to strike back against the scourge of addiction.

Of course, infrastructure and fighting opioids are only part of what these bills encompass.

They will fully fund the Federal Government's efforts in agriculture, transportation, housing and urban development, the interior, environment, financial services, and general government. That includes essential routine services, from the Forest Service to food safety inspections. It includes many targeted programs that have an outsized impact on local communities.

My fellow Kentuckians and I are glad this legislation will help us expand rural internet access, invest in new highways and bridges, reclaim abandoned mines, and contain the invasive

Asian carp that threaten our waterways. The list goes on and on. I know every community and every State could write its own list. This legislation matters to every Senator. It matters to all Americans.

I am grateful to Chairman Shelby, Senator Leahy, and subcommittee Chairmen Murkowski, Collins, Hoeven, and Lankford for all of their hard work. We have considered these bills carefully. We have voted on a number of amendments. This morning, we will consider more amendments and then pass this bill.

Now, this appropriations package is not the only important business the Senate has been working on this week.

Yesterday, we passed an important extension of the National Flood Insurance Program and sent it to the White House for the President's signature. We confirmed the 24th circuit court nominee already in this Congress, and we voted to proceed to conference with the House on the farm bill.

I understand this year marks the earliest, since at least 1965, that both the House and the Senate have passed a farm bill. Here in the Senate, it passed with the widest margin of any recorded vote in the history of this legislation. So Chairman Roberts and Senator Stabenow deserve our congratulations and appreciation. I look forward to serving as a conferee myself and to finishing up the farm bill prior to its expiration.

Mr. President, before we adjourn this week, the Senate will also finalize the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. Once we pass the conference report this week, this important legislation will head to the President's desk to become law, and we will have fulfilled one of this body's most solemn responsibilities.

The NDAA builds on the progress we made earlier this year in the bipartisan budget agreement, which provided for the largest year-on- year increase in funding for American Armed Forces in 15 years. This legislation authorizes programs that will contribute to the combat readiness of America's military to meet emerging and persistent global threats. It helps to ensure that our servicemembers and their families will receive the full support of a grateful Nation. When we pass the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Appropriations Act, which funds these programs, we will have gone yet further in meeting our commitments to an all-volunteer force.

The NDAA has global and nationwide significance, but it also has tremendous local importance. In representing the Commonwealth of Kentucky, I know just how significant an impact this legislation will have on some of our Nation's finest.

At Fort Campbell, members of the 101st Airborne Division and a number of Special Operations units will benefit from the authorization of new investments in their training facilities.

At Fort Knox, the Army's Human Resources Command and Recruiting Command will receive the support they need to modernize officer personnel management, and the post will receive much needed certainty and authority for its energy savings program.

At the Blue Grass Army Depot, critical work to support chemical weapons demilitarization will continue because this bill authorizes the resources necessary to conduct safe operations.

Servicemembers will benefit from a well-deserved raise in military pay and expanded authority for military family housing and education.

So none of my colleagues need to look far to find examples of how the needs of our servicemembers will be met by the legislation before us.

Our colleagues on the Armed Services Committee carefully developed it. It reflects more than 300 amendments, and it rightly bears the name of our colleague and friend John McCain. I know he is proud of all this legislation accomplishes for our men and women in uniform.

I also thank the senior Senator from Oklahoma and the ranking member from Rhode Island for steering this bill through conference. I look forward to sending it to the President's desk this week.

Mr. President, on one final matter, the U.S. economy continues to receive a lot of attention.

In June, from the New York Times: ``New milestones in jobs report signal a bustling economy.''

In July: ``Sales of small businesses are going through the roof.''

Just yesterday, in the Wall Street Journal: ``U.S. workers get biggest pay increase in nearly a decade.''

Let's explore the last headline.

According to data from the Department of Labor, employee compensation grew by 2.8 percent over the past 12 months. That is the fastest employers have increased what they spend on employee pay and benefits in any 12-month period since the one that ended in September of 2008. Given what we know about the labor market, this is hardly surprising. From Main Street businesses to manufacturers, job creators are faced with heightened demand. That means more Americans can come off the sidelines and find a quality job, and that means that businesses compete to hire and retain workers.

Every week--practically every day--yields more impressive headlines, more testimony from middle-class families and small businesses about how this economy has improved their lives.

It has been little more than 7 months since a united Republican government passed historic tax reform, and it has been about as long since the House Democratic leader predicted our policies would bring about ``Armageddon,'' and about 7 months since my friend the Democratic leader, here in the Senate, predicted that no part of tax reform would turn out to suit the needs of the American worker--none of it.

But Republicans saw past the scare tactics and did what we knew to be right for the country. We pursued a pro-growth agenda to get Washington's foot off the brakes that were restraining job creators, to take Washington's hand out of the pockets of working families, and to help create the conditions for communities across the country to succeed. Any one of these goals could have been a bipartisan priority, just like all of the other good work I have discussed this morning.

Tax reform, historically, had been bipartisan, but this time, our colleagues listened to the far left and decided to stand in complete partisan opposition to letting Americans keep more of their own money. Now the American people are reaping the benefits of a pro-growth, pro- opportunity agenda. Now they see whose policies benefit them.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, following disposition of H.R. 6147, the Senate proceed to the consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 5515; that the cloture motion on the conference report be withdrawn; that there be up to 1 hour of debate on the conference report, with 30 minutes under the control of Senator Rubio and 30 minutes under the control of the managers; and that following the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate vote on the adoption of the conference report without intervening action or debate.

Madam President, very briefly, on another point, I want to take a moment, as we wrap up this appropriations package, to recognize the distinguished tenure and leadership of our chairman, Richard Shelby.

Earlier this year, Senator Shelby cast vote No. 10,000 right here on the Senate floor. Like so many of his accomplishments, that landmark seemed to slip by without a whole lot of fuss, but what a remarkable milepost in a very distinguished career.

I imagine this year's appropriations process holds special significance for our chairman. As he took the reins of the committee, he made clear that in working with Senator Leahy, regular order would be the name of the game. He set his sights on restoring the kind of collaborative process that has historically made our institutions so unique. As we all know, that is a little bit easier said than actually done. Yet, the committee completed a markup process that reported out all 12 spending bills faster than it had in any year since 1988. That was three decades ago. When we close out this package, the Senate will have passed a majority of its annual appropriations measures by the beginning of August for the first time since 2000--18 years ago.

I am sure my fellow members of the Appropriations Committee would agree with me that this productivity is due, in large part, to the leadership of our chairman, Richard Shelby.

So on behalf of the whole Senate, I want to thank him for the work he has done so far and for the accomplishments on behalf of the American people that are yet to come. I want to thank Senator Leahy, as well, and all of our other colleagues on the committee for their contributions.

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

Mr. President, before we wrap up, I would be remiss if I let the day pass without calling our attention to two veteran Senate staff members who are concluding their distinguished service this week.

Patrick Renzi has served the U.S. Senate for 27 years, rising to chief reporter in the Office of Official Reporters of Debates.

Patrick is a native of Silver Spring, MD. His mother Eileen also worked in transcription, including here in the very same office, but, as my colleagues know well, no route to the Senate is a straight line. After completing his studies at the University of Maryland and Strayer College, Patrick moved furniture, tried freelance court reporting, and recorded a brief, forgivable stint working over in the House of Representatives. But by 1991, he had returned to where it all began.

Over the next 27 years, Patrick became a key staff member, updating the technology and team that keep the Office of Official Reporters running smoothly. His staff describe him as a stalwart chief with great respect for the Senate and those with whom he has served.

Mr. President, Scott Sanborn currently serves as the Senate Journal clerk. He arrived in this body back in 1979 as a page for Lowell Weicker, our former colleague from Connecticut.

Scott wound up serving the Secretary's legislative staff as an assistant bill clerk. I am told he impressed so many colleagues so quickly that in short order he was asked to serve as assistant editor, deputy chief reporter, and coordinator of the Congressional Record.

By 2001, Scott had become the 20th Journal clerk of the U.S. Senate. Along the way, he has helped revolutionize the way the Senate records and reviews its transcripts. He found ways to increase efficiency and cost-savings, and he served as a go-to technical liaison, connecting the official reporters with the Members' offices.

These two gentlemen have combined to contribute, literally, decades of service to this body. To see them both embark on well-earned retirements in the same week serves as a useful reminder of just how many incredibly talented men and women there are who may seldom find themselves in the spotlight but who are absolutely essential to the smooth functioning of the Senate in a thousand ways that we all get to take for granted every single day.

We don't say thank you nearly enough around here. I am honored to be able to say it today.

Thank you, Patrick.

Thank you, Scott.

We are sorry to see them go, but I know that Patrick's wife Germaine and their nine children--nine children--and Scott's wife Kim and their two kids must be happy to see what this next chapter has in store.

So we bid them farewell with gratitude for their time here and best wishes for the times ahead.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 1008.

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

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

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 1009.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum calls with respect to the cloture motions be waived.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 604, submitted earlier today.

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 with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 2345, which was received from the House.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 369, S. 1668.

I further ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.