Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the Senate’s bipartisan progress on appropriations legislation. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:
Democrat and Republican appropriators continue making progress on an agreement to move forward on three bipartisan funding bills here on the floor. We worked all last week to clear the objections from some of our Republican colleagues, and we kept talking over the weekend in good faith.
We are not there yet, but it is my hope we can reach an agreement to begin voting on amendments very soon, in all likelihood by tomorrow morning. But, again, we need a little more time to keep working.
Here in the Senate, unlike the chaos of the House, most members on both sides want to see bipartisanship, because we know that is the only way things move forward in a divided government. A clean Senate appropriations process—without poison pills or dilatory tactics—is one of the best ways we can show our desire for bipartisanship is serious. And I’m optimistic we are nearly, nearly there.
I thank the Senate appropriators, Chair Murray, Vice Chair Collins, and all the other members on both sides, for bringing us close to an agreement. I hope to see one very soon.
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