Making the Senate Work

Floor Speech

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Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam President, I am also here tonight to compliment my Senate colleagues, Senators INOUYE and COCHRAN, and the members of the Appropriations Committee as well as Majority Leader Reid and Republican Leader McConnell as they commit to do their best to pass all 13 appropriations bills. I also thank the senior Senator from Tennessee and my senior Senator from Arkansas for making this possible.

I do think it is very important. Each one of us in this Chamber owes it to the American people to work together to help our country today and build a path for success in the future. Our Founding Fathers laid the foundation that allows the Senate to function effectively and efficiently, but it requires working together. The American people are tired of the finger-pointing that has stalled much of the work they sent us here to do, but today I am hopeful that we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel which starts with trying to enact all 13 appropriations bills through a regular process this year.

I again applaud Majority Leader Reid, Republican Leader MCCONNELL, Senators INOUYE and COCHRAN, and also the members of the Appropriations Committee for agreeing to do their very best to move the appropriations bills forward.

Determining how we spend our hard-earned taxpayer dollars is the basic responsibility for Congress. We know tough choices will have to be made on the appropriations bills, but moving forward is the right decision. This is an important step to reducing government spending and helping to balance our budget while investing in programs upon which Americans have come to rely. Moving forward on these bills returns the Senate to its proper function and provides a framework of spending so the American people can see and understand where their hard-earned money is going, as the Senator from Georgia alluded to earlier.

In recent days Members of Congress have worked together to find solutions to the troubles Americans are facing. This level of cooperation was evident in headlines. One newspaper reported that ``Washington is talking again.'' This should not be the exception. This needs to be the rule.

I am hopeful that the agreement on moving forward with the appropriations bills through our regular process sets a new trend that will become a standard. I can see from the people who have spoken before me tonight and those who are waiting to talk that there is widespread bipartisan support for these efforts to continue.

Our leaders' efforts show the proper way for the Senate to function, and I encourage all of my colleagues to come together, not only to help move forward on these bills, but also, as we work through regular order of the Senate, that will help us get our economy and our country back on track.

I again thank our senior Senator from Tennessee and my senior Senator from Arkansas.

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