On the recordDecember 16, 2011
I, therefore, urge all of my colleagues to support this bill. Yes, it will keep government open, which is essential; but it will also do the most fundamental job that this Congress has to do every year, and that is to fund appropriately the priorities that this Congress puts before the country. In closing, let me congratulate my friend, Hal Rogers from Kentucky, with whom I served on the Appropriations Committee for over two decades, and Mr. Dicks, with whom I have served every day of my congressional career. Both are decent, hardworking, conscientious Representatives. They and their subcommittee chairs and ranking members have come together to present this product. It is time to act. It is time to act positively. I will, when the roll is called, be supporting this piece of legislation.
