Long List of Bipartisan Accomplishments
‘It’s made life better for the American people in tangible ways. We should all take real pride in this. And we’ll need to keep up this momentum for the remainder of this year, as we consider more legislation and confirm more nominees. And we will need it throughout the next Congress. We’ll need to work across the aisle within this body, and this Republican Senate and a Democratic House will need to collaborate as well. This long list of accomplishments offers just the blueprint we will need.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the nomination of Michelle Bowman for the Federal Reserve Board and the recent bipartisan accomplishments in the Senate:
“The Senate’s final order of business this week will be to confirm Michelle Bowman, the president’s choice to serve on the Federal Reserve Board. As I’ve highlighted in recent days, we have before us a nominee whose skills and background are tailor-made for the responsibilities of the office. Ms. Bowman has extensive experience in community banking, and the seat to be filled is intended for an expert in that very field.
“My colleagues hardly need me to illustrate any further the role small, community banks play in the lives of family farms, small businesses, and communities across the country. It is time to take an important step for them and confirm this well-qualified nominee. Yesterday, we passed legislation to reauthorize the Coast Guard by an overwhelming bipartisan majority. The Senate took action to reaffirm the critical security, interdiction, and rescue missions that keep Americans safe, and to streamline duplicative regulations at the same time.
“The provision to clarify the regulation of vessel incidental discharge delivered a much-needed victory for the communities and small maritime businesses, including so many in my state of Kentucky, that rely on America’s inland waterways for livelihood. And the reauthorization delivered some well-earned certainty to the brave men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard, whose commitment to service should make all Americans proud.
“Of course, the Coast Guard legislation was just the very latest installment in a long list of bipartisan successes passed by this Senate, in this Congress, on behalf of the American people. The big battles may be what captivate the press. And Republicans are certainly proud of our signature accomplishments like historic tax reform and confirming nominees like Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh. But at the same time, it’s frequently been overlooked how many of this Congress’s other major achievements have been thoroughly bipartisan.
“Republicans and Democrats together passed landmark legislation that marshaled more resources to the front lines of communities’ fight against the opioid crisis. More specialized training and resources for first responders. Greater access to grant support for state and local authorities. More support for treatment, recovery, and workforce reentry programs to heal the wounds of this devastating epidemic.
“Together we reformed some of the excesses of Dodd-Frank and lightened the load on the local lenders. Together we ended the cycle of chronic continuing resolutions for defense funding that denied certainty to our armed forces and eroded readiness. We rebuilt a regular appropriations process. It featured the largest year-on-year defense funding increase in 15 years and the biggest pay raise for servicemembers in nearly a decade.
“Together we made new investments to start rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure. Together we brought new resources and new reforms to the systems that serve our veterans. Together we approved comprehensive sanctions to target malign behavior throughout the international system. We passed major bills to combat sex trafficking, improve school safety, expand opportunities for vocational and technical training, and extend the 'right to try' new medical treatments to those with terminal illnesses. And this isn’t even an exhaustive list.
“So clearly, the Senate has proven to be fertile soil for bipartisan work. It’s made life better for the American people in tangible ways. We should all take real pride in this. And we’ll need to keep up this momentum for the remainder of this year, as we consider more legislation and confirm more nominees. And we will need it throughout the next Congress. We’ll need to work across the aisle within this body, and this Republican Senate and a Democratic House will need to collaborate as well. This long list of accomplishments offers just the blueprint we will need.”
Related Issues: America's Military, Small Business, Senate Democrats, Opioid Abuse, Nominations, Judicial Nominations, Infrastructure
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