Mr. President, I rise to discuss President Trump's ongoing shutdown of the Federal Government--how we got here, the impact on the people of my State, and how we can make some progress. It is past time for the President to stop holding the American people for ransom through this government shutdown. It is past time to stop the misinformation campaign and to stop making unwarranted demands for the ill use of American taxpayers' dollars. The President needs to open the government. The Senate did its work on the budget. We have bipartisan, compromise bills that are ready for the President's signature. Chairman Collins and I worked together, on a bipartisan basis, to develop the fiscal year 2019 Transportation-HUD bill, which was reported out of committee unanimously. Our bill was then approved by the full Senate as part of a package that included three other bipartisan appropriations bills-- Agriculture, Financial Services, and the Interior. Together, these bills passed by a veto-proof margin of 92 to 6. I am very proud of the work that Chairman Collins did and that I was able to assist with during this process to provide an additional $10 billion to rebuild our roads, our bridges, and our airports and to develop new affordable housing opportunities to more than 5 million low-income Americans who strive to make ends meet. These investments will grow our economy, spur job creation, and improve communities across America.…
On the recordJanuary 9, 2019
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