‘I think this Senate ought to honor our veterans and the brave men and women who serve under our country’s flag by sending the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs and Defense appropriations bills to the president’s desk by Veterans Day without any gimmicks or games’



Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the following remarks Tuesday on the Senate floor regarding the Democrats’ failure to pass appropriations bills five weeks into the fiscal year:



“A lot of the business of the Senate involves numbers.



“There are 100 Senators. The majority has 51, this side of the aisle 49. It takes 60 votes to pass most significant legislation. Senators are always thinking about many different numbers.



“But today’s number is real simple. The number is five.



“Yes, just five.



“Five because this is the fifth week of the new fiscal year. But our friends on the other side of the aisle have yet to fulfill, as the Majority Whip puts it, ‘the most fundamental job Congress is expected to do,’ and send a single appropriations bill to the President’s desk.



“Let me give just one example. This Senate passed the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs appropriations bill, which provides critical funds for our wounded warriors, deserving veterans and the base installations that house our service members and their families, in a bipartisan 92 to 1 vote—nearly two months ago. Yet that bill now sits idle, as we wait for the majority to call it up to conference.



“Meanwhile, as early as today the majority could proceed to take up valuable floor time on another version of the SCHIP bill, which is certain to be vetoed, again, by the President.



“Republicans want to strengthen and secure the SCHIP program. And the exact wrong way to do that is to lose focus on the low-income children it was designed to protect.



“So let’s work together on a compromise that will keep the focus where it belongs, on low-income children.



“But I suspect I’m going to have plenty of chances to come back to the floor and debate this issue very soon.



“The point is, working on a bill we know will be vetoed is not the best use of precious legislative time.



“So why do they insist we go through with it?



“Further, Mr. President, I think we can all agree that we should do everything in our power to provide for our veterans and for our troops.



“November 11 is Veterans Day. I think this Senate ought to honor our veterans and the brave men and women who serve under our country’s flag by sending the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs and Defense appropriations bills to the president’s desk by Veterans Day without any gimmicks or games.



“It’s the least this Congress can do for those who’ve worn the uniform. And it’s the least this Congress can do to meet the minimum threshold of conducting the government’s important business.



“Five weeks and counting, Mr. President. I yield the floor.”



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