Political Quotes

“Madam President, for the first time in a long time, we are bringing appropriations bill to the floor, debating amendments, and voting on legislation. Shortly, the Senate will be voting on the first fiscal year 2019 spending bills. I am pleased the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and related agencies appropriations bills are part of this package. This is a bipartisan bill that funds the critical infrastructure for our Nation's servicemembers, their families, and takes care of America's 20 million veterans. This is a good step in returning to regular order, with the Senate considering appropriations legislation in a timely fashion. We owe thanks to Chairman Shelby and Ranking Member Leahy for providing leadership for the transparent, bipartisan process. This bill was crafted in a truly open and collegial way. The subcommittee made thoughtful decisions about how to provide maximum readiness for the warfighter and prioritize investments to the VA so they can take care of our veterans. We took into account the request and preferences of all Members on both sides of the aisle and balanced it with the administration's budget submission. Within this framework, we have created a thoughtful and responsible path forward for both Departments and our related agencies. The bill provides $97.1 billion in discretionary spending, which is $5.1 billion over last year's level.…”