On the recordSeptember 30, 2023
the bill that we will be voting on shortly reflects intense bipartisan collaboration here in the Senate, the type of collaboration that we need to see a lot more of in this institution. I share a lot of credit--let me put it differently. I thank the coleads, Senator Murray and Senator Collins, for working so hard to get all the appropriation bills out of committee and finding a path forward for us to make sure that, with the CR, we can keep the government open. It doesn't have things in it that I would like--a lot more disaster aid for folks around the country, a lot more support for Ukraine. But I think it represents exactly the type of modest package that is appropriate at this moment, while, as the chair of Appropriations pointed out, we will continue to work together in the month to come to pass the actual appropriation bills. The issue that I am very concerned about on the House side right now is that they are taking and putting together a package that has no support for Ukraine and that bans the administration from moving funds throughout the Defense Department and the State Department to be able to support Ukraine. If you want China and Russia being No. 1 and No. 2 in the world, then that would be the path to go. If you want to have dictatorships, authoritarian governments crush democracy, then that would be the way to go.…





