Legislation Before the Senate

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. President, the continuing resolution was filed in the House yesterday. As we wait for the House to take the next step, I encourage all Members to continue reviewing the legislative text, which has been available for some time.

The Water Resources Development Act legislation has been filed in the House as well. This is bipartisan legislation that will strengthen our Nation's infrastructure and commerce while investing in the safety and reliability of our drinking water. As colleagues know, it includes, let me repeat, aid for families in Flint.
As we wait for final passage in the House, I encourage Senators to keep doing our part to ensure that we can bring WRDA and its assistance for Flint over the finish line as soon as possible.

On another matter, I am pleased the 21st Century Cures Act bill will pass this afternoon with significant support from both sides of the aisle. This medical innovation bill will help foster solutions when it comes to heartbreaking illnesses such as Alzheimer's, opioid addiction, mental health disorders, and cancer--heartbreaking illnesses that affect our families, friends, and constituents. This is one of the most meaningful bills we will pass this year, and it would not have been possible without the hard work of colleagues such as Chairman Alexander, Senators Cornyn, Hatch and Cassidy, and of course along with Ranking Member Murray.

Let us also again recognize Vice President Biden for his work on the Cancer Moonshot initiatives, which have fittingly been renamed for Beau Biden in this legislation. I will have more to say about the Vice President when he joins us again this afternoon, but for now I look forward to passing the 21st Century Cures Act today.
On another matter, we will have another important vote this afternoon. It is a vote to move forward on the national defense authorization conference report.

We all know the world the next administration will inherit is a difficult and dangerous one. There are many threats. There are numerous national security challenges, and there is much to be done to better prepare our military and the next administration to deal with them.

That is what this bipartisan national defense legislation aims to do.

It will help strengthen our military posture. It will send clear messages to both our allies and our adversaries, and it will provide more of the tools our servicemembers need to be successful. It makes clear that we must also pass the continuing resolution that includes funding for the war against ISIL and for our forces in Afghanistan.

We have already seen the consequences of failing to take the necessary steps to confront our national security challenges. It is another reason we need to move forward and pass this defense legislation so we can take forward-looking steps now to help take on these challenges and support our men and women in uniform.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source