Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I come before the Senate to express my strong support for proceeding to the fiscal year 2016 Defense appropriations bill. This bill provides vital funding for the men and women of our armed services at a time of serious and growing threats to our own national security and at a time of troubling instability and violent conflicts in many countries around the world. Proceeding would allow the Senate an opportunity to debate defense funding in an open and transparent manner and to meet our constitutional obligations. I am truly perplexed to hear some of my dear friends and colleagues on the other side of the aisle suggest that there is a Republican plan to enact only the Defense appropriations bill and then proceed to a continuing resolution for all of the other vital appropriations bills. It would be an understatement to say that continuing resolutions are certainly not the preferred option of the Appropriations Committee, and I say that as a proud member of that committee. Continuing resolutions create uncertainty, they lock in last year's priorities, and they continue to fund programs that should be eliminated. They are not effective ways to govern. I want to be clear. Supporting an individual appropriations bill in no way suggests that the Senate is somehow giving up on passing the other 11 subcommittee appropriations bills, whether they are brought to the floor individually or as an omnibus package.…”