This Week in the Senate

Floor Speech

THIS WEEK IN THE SENATE -- (Senate - May 17, 2007)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, if I can add briefly, I commend the majority leader for this week. I think we did have a good week. I am particularly pleased that we seem to be on a glidepath to completion of the important troop funding bill. There is a bipartisan agreement we need to have a signed bill providing funding for the troops before Memorial Day, and the distinguished majority leader and myself, and the President's representative, Chief of Staff Josh Bolten, have been working toward that end and will continue to do that tomorrow in an additional meeting with the Speaker and Leader Boehner from the House.

I, too, am pleased a bipartisan agreement on immigration appears to be coming together. On the day I was elected Republican leader, I said I hope this Congress will do two important things that will make a difference for our country. I thought the divided Government was uniquely situated to tackle both of these issues. One of them was Social Security. I am not as optimistic on that issue as I would like to be. And the other issue is immigration. There is reason for optimism today that the Senate, on a bipartisan basis, will come together and pass a landmark piece of legislation. We will find out next week, but I think the compromise announced today certainly gives room for optimism that might occur.

I did support the majority leader's decision to turn to that issue before Memorial Day. I thought it gave us the best chance of passing legislation, and with those kinds of deadlines, it gave us the best chance of coming together. Hopefully, that process of coming together was achieved earlier today.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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