Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and

Floor Speech

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Mr. DAINES. That is $90 million above the fiscal year 2018 enacted level of $4.7 billion.

This bill provides just over $1 billion for Senate-only items, which is an increase of $5 million from last year; $1.4 billion is included for House only items, and $2.3 billion is provided for joint Senate and House items, which in total meets the $4.79 billion legislative branch allocation for fiscal year 2019.

We have made thoughtful decisions about how to prioritize investments for this fiscal year. Resources are allocated in a responsible way to maintain existing services and allow for critical investments in numerous needed areas. For example, this bill will strengthen security on the Capitol campus and ensure that the men and women who protect our visitors, our staff, and Members have the support and resources they need to do their jobs. And $453 million is included for the Capitol Police, which is a $26.5 million increase from last year.

In fact, just 1 year ago last Thursday, we witnessed tragedy strike on a baseball field in Alexandria, where the lives of our colleagues and their family and friends were put in imminent danger. Last week's Congressional Baseball Game was a reminder of the bravery demonstrated by my friend, Representative Steve Scalise, our Capitol Police officers, and all those tragically affected that day. The unfortunate reality remains that the Capitol Complex and its occupants face an evolving and growing threat environment, and this bill will help address these needs.

This bill also addresses cyber security threats by providing funding for the Sergeant at Arms Senate network cyber security initiatives. Further, this bill demands a rigorous review before any telecommunications equipment from companies linked to Russia, China, Iran, or North Korea can be acquired by legislative branch agencies.

This bill also promotes transparency for the American people by including a provision called e-file, which streamlines the process for Senate campaign filings, requiring Senate candidates to follow the same standard of transparency required by all other Federal candidates. This provision enhances government transparency, reduces unnecessary bureaucratic redtape, and would save hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars by having candidates--Senate candidates--file directly with the Federal Election Commission, instead of the current paper-based practice.

This bill provides $933 million for the Senate, which is $13 million above last year. I want to specifically note that $5 million is designated for the sole purpose of voluntary compensation of Senate interns by Senate offices. This additional funding will help ensure that the broadest possible pool of intern candidates have the opportunity to serve. Washington, DC, is a very expensive place, and it is good to see this provision in the bill.

There is also $1 million provided to support ongoing Congressional Accountability Act reform efforts to increase compliance and support training of legislative branch offices and agencies on harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

These are just a few of the many highlights of the bill. I want to thank my ranking member, Senator Murphy, for working with me to craft this bipartisan legislation. I also appreciate the support of the Committee on Appropriations in favorably reporting the Legislative Branch appropriations bill unanimously for consideration by the full U.S. Senate.

I respect Chairman Shelby and Vice Chairman Leahy for their efforts to work in a bipartisan manner to bring bills to the Senate floor and end this path of yet another year-end omnibus and more CRS. It was good to see a couple of amendment votes just before I started speaking. That is a healthy sign of stronger bipartisanship and getting the Senate back to regular order--executing, blocking, and tackling, as we should, for the American people.

It has been almost a decade--listen to this--it has been almost a decade since a Legislative Branch appropriations bill has received consideration on the floor outside of a large year-end spending bill. It is important for us as a body to return to regular order on appropriations bills and fund the government in a timely and more transparent manner.

I urge my colleagues to support the adoption of the package of appropriations bills before the U.S. Senate. I look forward to working with Senators on any amendments they may have to the legislative branch division.

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