Political Quotes

“I know that Senator Shelby has spoken before and is going to speak again. I also know we are coming up on the time for some votes. Let me speak in my capacity as vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Today, as you know, the Senate begins consideration of the Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies minibus appropriations bill. This will actually be the third appropriations package brought to the Senate floor this year. Once we complete action, the Senate will have passed 9 of the 12 committee- reported appropriations bills for the fiscal year 2019. It is certainly much faster than has been done in years. I want to thank Chairman Shelby for his commitment to a bipartisan process. That and the fact we have been friends for decades have made this progress possible. I also want to thank Senators Blunt, Murray, and Durbin for their work on these bills--again, a bipartisan effort. I think the bipartisan progress is due to the Shelby-Leahy-McConnell- Schumer commitment to move forward on appropriations bills that have bipartisan support, are at spending levels agreed to in the bipartisan budget deal, and reject poison pill riders and controversial authorizing language. The two bills in this package meet this test. The minibus before us represents 65 percent of all discretionary spending, but it also demonstrates the importance of the bipartisan budget agreement reached earlier this year.…”