Amy Klobuchar: “today I wish to discuss votes on final passage of H.R. 5895 and the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to…”

“today I wish to discuss votes on final passage of H.R. 5895 and the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 2. I was not in Washington on Monday because I was visiting Senator John McCain at his ranch in Arizona. The Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act of 2019, H.R. 5895, is the result of a commendable bipartisan negotiation process led by Chairman Shelby and Ranking Member Leahy of the Appropriations Committee. The bill includes strong funding for ongoing work on Bureau of Reclamation rural water projects like the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System that will benefit approximately 300,000 people in the southwest Minnesota, southeast South Dakota, and northwest Iowa regions. The bill also includes legislation I led with Senator Tillis to create a center of excellence within the Department of Veterans Affairs to address the health conditions relating to exposure to burn pits. Had I been in Washington, I would have voted in favor of its passage. The Agriculture and Nutrition Act, H.R. 2, passed the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee by a vote of 20 to 1. The bill will provide critical investments in communities in Minnesota and will provide much-needed certainty for our farmers and ranchers.…”