Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act of 2019--Motion

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, the longest shutdown in American history will finally end today. The President has agreed to our request to open the government and then debate border security, which is great news for 800,000 Federal workers and millions of Americans who depend upon government services. I thank President Trump and Leader McConnell.

As just outlined, we have agreed to pass a clean 3-week continuing resolution to reopen the government. Also, we will pass legislation in the Senate that will be related to the Department of Homeland Security so the House and Senate can participate in a conference committee on that legislation. In the conference, Democrats and Republicans will have the opportunity to negotiate the details of the Homeland Security bill, which will include issues of border security, humanitarian aid, drug inspection technology, and many others. We expect the continuing resolution to clear the House and be signed by the President today.

As soon as the President signs the legislation to open the government, we in Congress will roll up our sleeves. I genuinely hope this process will produce something that is good for the country and acceptable to both sides. We don't agree on some of the specifics of border security--the Democrats are against the wall--but we agree on many things, such as the need for new technology and the need to strengthen security at our ports of entry, and that bodes well for our coming to an eventual agreement.

I believe there is good faith on both sides to reach an agreement, and we will work diligently to achieve one. Because we have set this up as a conference, Democratic and Republican leadership from the House and Senate will be involved, as will the appropriators from those committees.

Most importantly, this agreement means the government will reopen and that 800,000 Federal employees will finally get paid. After over a month of increasing desperation, our dedicated public servants will get the relief and paychecks they are entitled to, including backpay.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank the Federal workers who have worked so selflessly this past month. They should never have to go through this again. We will do everything we can to make sure they will not have to.

The past month has proven just how vital government services are to the American people, whether they be air traffic control, food safety inspections, the Coast Guard, national parks, and so many others. With this agreement, the TSA, the Border Patrol, and FBI agents will all be paid again for protecting our country. Our airports will get back on track, and we will resume the maintenance of our cherished national parks. The IRS will be able to issue tax refunds in a timely manner-- all critical for the well-being of the American people.

As Democrats have said all along, the solution to this impasse was to separate funding the government from our disagreements over border security. This agreement endorses that position. It reopens the government without preconditions, and it gives Democrats and Republicans an opportunity to discuss border security without holding hundreds of thousands of American workers hostage.

Hopefully, it means a lesson has been learned--shutting down the government over a policy difference is self-defeating. It accomplishes nothing but pain and suffering for the country and the American people. That is a lesson we all must bear in mind when this next continuing resolution expires, which will make its success more likely. We can never hold American workers hostage again.

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