McConnell On Annual Appropriations
‘This first tranche of annual appropriations accounts for a serious portion of our overall discretionary funding responsibilities. And thanks to Senator Collins’ leadership, the bills the Appropriations Committee cleared last summer secured important Republican priorities up-front. By all reasonable measures, conference with our House colleagues has made the legislation we’ll take up this week even stronger.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding appropriations:
“Last week, Congress avoided a harmful and unnecessary government shutdown. And this week, we’ll take a major step forward on one of the most basic responsibilities of government.
“Our colleagues, Senator Collins and Senator Murray, have been working hard on Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations for the better part of a year.
“The Appropriations Committee advanced the bills we’ll consider this week back in June and July of last year, working in good faith through regular order. And in all but one case, they received unanimous support.
“This first tranche of annual appropriations accounts for a serious portion of our overall discretionary funding responsibilities. And thanks to Senator Collins’ leadership, the bills the Appropriations Committee cleared last summer secured important Republican priorities up-front.
“By all reasonable measures, conference with our House colleagues has made the legislation we’ll take up this week even stronger.
“The Senate has an opportunity to strengthen protections for America’s farmland by tightening oversight over foreign agricultural transactions and expand support for farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.
“We have a chance to strengthen protections for U.S. intellectual property and surge resources to state and local law enforcement agencies on the front lines of the fight to curb violent crime and bring the fentanyl crisis under control.
“We can increase support for VA rural health and opioid treatment, protect the Second Amendment rights of America’s veterans, and improve housing and facilities for active-duty servicemembers and their families, including thousands of Kentuckians stationed in harm’s way.
“We can fund urgent transportation and water infrastructure projects, support domestic enrichment of critical minerals and invest in the long-term safety, security, and superiority of our nuclear arsenal.
“And we can do it all this week.
“I’m grateful to our colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for pushing sensible annual funding legislation one step closer to the President’s desk. And I would urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it.”
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Related Issues: Appropriations
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