Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015 - Motion to Proceed

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, the Senate's passage of the Keystone jobs bill is great news for the American people. The Senate will soon turn its attention to a few different matters.

First, we will be voting on a bipartisan measure that has been championed by the Chairs of the Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services Committees.

We lose thousands of our heroes every year to suicide. It is a tragic situation. Senators McCain and Isakson are leading efforts to do something about it. Their legislation would provide more of the mental health and suicide prevention support our Veterans deserve. The measure already passed unanimously through the House of Representatives. Now we hope for a bipartisan outcome on the Senate floor.

The same should also be said of a second piece of legislation we will consider. It is a debate that will challenge our colleagues on the other side with a simple proposition. Do they think Presidents of either party should have the power to simply ignore laws they don't like? Will our Democratic colleagues work with us to defend key democratic ideals such as the separation of powers and the rule of law or will they stand tall with the idea that partisan exercises of raw power are good things?

The House-passed bill we will consider would do two things. It would fund the Department of Homeland Security and rein in Executive overreach.

That is it. It is simple, and there is no reason for Democrats to block it.
Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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