Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill

Floor Speech

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Mr. President, ask most Americans to name two of the most basic duties of a Senator, and you are likely to hear some combination of the following: No. 1, protect the country. That means working with us to pass the National Defense Authorization Act. No. 2, fund the government. That means working with us to pass the 12 appropriations bills that fund it.

But some of our Democratic colleagues don't seem all that interested in these things. It is not just that their words tell us this story, their actions do as well. The Democratic leader has used the phrase ``waste of time'' to refer to a bill that protects our country. Passing that bill usually inspires bipartisan cooperation, but this year it required overcoming senseless resistance from the other side before we finally witnessed that cooperation yesterday with the bill's passage.

Democratic Senators have used phrases such as ``kind of a waste of time,'' and ``a huge waste of time,'' to refer to the bills that fund our government.

Passing these bills used to be routine, and the new majority has worked hard to ensure that it does again after 6 years of inaction. That is why we passed the budget. That is why we passed the 12 appropriations bills through committee in a bipartisan way. But now Democrats have decided as part of some arbitrary political strategy to indiscriminately filibuster every last funding bill.

Now Democrats may no longer be interested in passing these bipartisan bills, but it doesn't mean they aren't interested in taking credit for the same legislation they are now blocking. Take the bill that funds veterans. Democrats voted with us to support it in committee, then they issued press releases bragging about its contents, and then they filibustered it. Take the bill that funds defense. Democrats voted with us to support it in committee, then they issued press releases bragging about its content, and then they filibustered it, repeatedly.

Today we will consider the bill that funds America's energy security and its water infrastructure. Democrats voted with us to support this bill in committee, too. In fact, over 70 percent of the Democrats in committee supported the bill that is before us today. Democrats issued press releases with nice things to say about the bill's contents. One lauded the bill for funding important energy efficiency advances in our military and for low-income families. Another reminded us the bill provides ``robust funding'' for vital programs that deserve to be funded. Today we will see if Democrats are seriously prepared to filibuster this bill as well.
This bill would strengthen our national security. The bill would enhance our energy security. The bill would root out waste with smart targeted reductions so we can put that money to better use, funding more important infrastructure projects, more innovative energy research, and more critical safety improvements for our dams and waterways.

This bill is also critically important to our home States. Kentuckians would benefit from initiatives to protect the Ohio River shoreline, from cleanup work in Paducah, and from construction of the Olmstead Lock and Dam and other vital inland waterway projects.

Mr. President, this is a good bill. It deserves our support on the merits. It is good for our constituents and good for our country. That should be reason enough to support this funding bill. I would also remind my Democratic colleagues that 70 percent--70 percent--of the Democrats in committee did support the bill before us today.

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