Heidi Alexander: “tomorrow the distinguished Senator from Alabama, Mr. Shelby, and the distinguished Senator from Vermont, Mr. Leahy, will…”

“tomorrow the distinguished Senator from Alabama, Mr. Shelby, and the distinguished Senator from Vermont, Mr. Leahy, will lead us in the beginning of the Senate's appropriations process for the year that begins this October 2018. This is also the best opportunity we have had in a long time to do the appropriations process properly. For the last several years, we have finished and reported our 12 bills out of the Appropriations Committee on which about one-third of the Senate sits. We have reported those bills to the Senate floor. We have usually done that with bipartisan support and often unanimously. This is no small task. For example, in our Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, which I chair and which the Senator from California, Mrs. Feinstein, is the vice chair, this year we have had three hearings. We have received comments from 83 Members of the Senate. We have considered their comments. We considered our bill in a subcommittee markup, and then we approved the bill 30 to 1 in the Appropriations Committee on May 24. We are on pace this year, thanks to the leadership of Senator Shelby and Senator Leahy, to take those same steps with all 12 appropriations bills. The Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which has not been able to get bipartisan agreement since fiscal year 2010, was able to reach an agreement this year.…”