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[Pages S6411-S6412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, yesterday, the Senate confirmed David
Tapp of Kentucky to serve on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Today,
we will turn to more of President Trump's impressive nominees for the
Federal Judiciary.
Last week, Senate Republicans had hoped to proceed to the urgent
priority of funding our national defense, but for the second time in 2
months, Senate Democrats filibustered defense funding. They blocked the
Senate from funding our Armed Forces.
Over the summer, the Speaker of the House and my colleague the
Democratic leader both signed onto a bipartisan, bicameral budget deal
that Democrats hammered out with President Trump's team in order to
avoid
[[Page S6412]]
exactly--exactly--the kind of partisan stalemate that we are now
experiencing and avoid a 12-bill omnibus. The agreement laid out
specific top-line numbers and ruled out poison pills--the agreement we
all reached just a couple of months ago.
With respect to Presidential transfer authorities, the agreement that
we all agreed to 2 months ago specifically stated that ``current
transfer funding levels and authorities shall be maintained.'' The
President's transfers authorities as they relate to border funding, or
anything else, were to remain exactly as they existed in current law.
This is the deal we signed off on just 2 months ago. The deal just
simply preserves the status quo that was established by bipartisan
legislation last fiscal year. The same transfer authorities, by the
way, would also be preserved if Democrats tank the appropriations
process and we end up with a continuing resolution. That was the deal.
Democrats were onboard. I entered the terms into the Congressional
Record and both the Speaker and the Senate Democratic leader posted the
terms of the deal in their press release, but now our Democratic
counterparts have gone back on their word.
Contrary to the agreement, Democrats are now insisting on poison
pills and, thus, blocking the resources and certainty our men and women
in uniform need.
While Senate Democrats block defense funding, House Democrats
continue to hold up USMCA and the 176,000 new American jobs it would
create. All their time and energy seems to go to House Democrats' 3-
year-old impeachment journey and the unfair, precedent-breaking process
by which the House has conducted its inquiry so far.
Last week, House Democrats passed their first votes on impeachment
and codified their irregular process. They passed a resolution that
fails--fails--to provide President Trump the same rights and due
process that past Presidents of both parties have received.
Here is what the Democrats' resolution effectively says: No due
process now, maybe some later, but only if we feel like it. I repeat:
No due process now, maybe some later, but only if we feel like it.
Well, while we wait for our Democratic counterparts to come back to
the table and allow this body to complete urgent bipartisan
legislation, we are going to continue confirming more of President
Trump's impressive nominees and giving the American people the
government they actually voted for.
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