On the recordFebruary 14, 2019
later today we will vote on the agreement by the conference committee to keep the government open, as well as provide additional border security. Once again, I applaud the members of the conference committee and their staffs. They were the nub here, and they did outstanding work, nights and weekends, to reach an agreement. We knew that if the conference committee were allowed to work, they could bring this together. The agreement is a validation of the idea that when you put Members of both parties in a room to negotiate in good faith, when everyone is willing to give and take, progress is never out of reach. So, again, I thank the members of the committee. The agreement is a reasonable compromise. It provides additional funding for smart, effective border security. It does not fund the President's wall, but it does fund smart border security initiatives that both parties have always supported, including increased security at our ports of entry and humanitarian assistance at our border. Most importantly, it will keep our government open. Everyone, I believe, including the President, wants to avoid a repeat of what happened before Christmas. Everyone wants to avoid another senseless government shutdown. I expect Congress will pass this bill sometime this afternoon, and President Trump should sign it immediately.
