Appropriations

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we will then turn back to appropriations. This week we will vote to approve the conference report that will fund energy and water, military construction and the VA, and the legislative branch.

This week's bills contain $147 billion for projects ranging from waterways infrastructure to military family housing, to nuclear security and much more. This legislation equips the Army Corps of Engineers to carry out harbor maintenance, inland waterways restoration, and critical flood damage reduction efforts. It enables the Department of Energy to support groundbreaking research in computing systems and energy efficiency and to step up the security of our Nation's nuclear arsenal.

The Military Construction and VA title funds overdue maintenance to operational facilities, as well as nearly $2 billion in support for military family and personnel housing, and it expands resources for in- house VA medical services and broadens community options for veterans seeking vital treatment through funding of the VA MISSION Act.

These are national priorities with local impacts that will be felt in every one of our States.

In my home State of Kentucky, hundreds of millions of dollars will go toward training facilities at Fort Campbell and Fort Knox, infrastructure improvements in Appalachia, and environmental cleanup efforts in Paducah.

I know all Senators can tell similar stories for their own States. So we are looking forward to taking another step forward on regular appropriations and passing this conference report this week.

I want to thank Chairman Shelby and Senator Leahy for all they have done to keep this process going forward.

Thanks also to the subcommittee chairmen, Senator Boozman and Senator Daines; Senator Alexander, who chaired the conference; and all of my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee.

So let's pass this legislation and keep making progress together.

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