Making the Senate Work

Floor Speech

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Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, first let me thank the Senator from Arkansas and the Senator from Tennessee for their usual courtesies but also for organizing this colloquy on the Senate floor this evening. I am very pleased to join my colleagues as we talk about the goal of taking up the fiscal year 2013 appropriations bills in what we in the Senate call the regular order.

What does that mean? As the Presiding Officer is well aware, that means we would bring up each of the individual bills, they would be open to full and fair debate, they would be amended, they would be voted on, and we would avoid having some colossal bill at the end of the year that combines all the appropriations bills. Those bills are often thousands of pages in length. A lot of times some of the provisions have not had the opportunity to be thoroughly vetted. They really are not very transparent. They contribute to the public's concern about the way we do business here in Washington.

I too join in commending the majority leader, the Republican leader, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, and the vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee for their commitment to try to work together in a bipartisan fashion so each and every one of the appropriations bills can be brought before the full Senate so that we can work our will on each of these bills. I suggest that it is important to the Senate as an institution that we achieve this goal. It is also important for the American people to see that we can carry out our constitutional responsibility. Most of all, it is important for restoring trust in government that we work together in an open and bipartisan manner to establish priorities, to make the tough spending decisions that will be required, and to complete on time the work the Constitution requires of us.

I believe it is important to remember that these bills make important investments in research, economic development, infrastructure, our national defense, education, and health care, and that these bills not only create jobs now when they are needed most but also establish the foundations for future growth.

Just as important to our economic future is the need to rein in Federal spending. Our work must continue toward the goal of getting our national debt under control.

The best way for us to achieve these goals is for each and every one of the appropriations bills to come before the full Senate and for us to work our will on those bills. That is the way the Senate should operate. It is the way we must operate in order to restore the faith of the American people in this institution.

Let me conclude my remarks by thanking Senator Alexander and Senator Pryor for initiating this colloquy tonight. This is the way we can come together, and America will be better for it.

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