On the recordDecember 9, 2016
as we approach the end of the 114th Congress, many here in the Senate have been taking the time to reflect on what we have been able to accomplish and, more importantly, plan for what we hope to be able to accomplish in the near future. This was a tumultuous 2 years for our country, punctuated by a fierce and unpredictable political campaign and results that were, to some, beyond surprising. Before the start of the 114th Congress, the Senate had for years been languishing in partisan gridlock. Very little got done around here, and far too often, we spent our time fighting out the political sound bites of the day and voting on whatever partisan issue happened to be grabbing headlines. While some of my friends on the other side of the aisle have attempted to argue otherwise, the Senate has been remarkably productive during the 114th Congress. And that goes far beyond just a list of bills we have been available to pass. The Senate has changed in ways that numbers really can't quantify. For example, committees in the Senate have functioned more effectively than in the past. The debates on the Senate floor have been fuller and fairer than they were before. And, of course, the focus has returned to actually governing rather than simply adding more noise to the political echo chamber. Most astonishingly, given the tone of the country's overall political discourse, most of the Senate's accomplishments have been bipartisan.…
