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Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. President, shortly we will be voting on final passage of the MILCON-VA appropriations bill. I would like to thank Leaders Reid and McConnell and Chairman Inouye and Vice Chairman COCHRAN for their leadership and support in getting us to this point.
I would especially like to thank my ranking member, Senator Kirk, for his cooperation and support in crafting this bill and steering it through the Senate. I am confident we would not be where we are today without his help and hard work on this bill.
I also thank my colleagues for helping us to move this bill forward by rejecting dilatory amendments and by showing restraint in offering amendments to this bill. A number of Senators have filed amendments that are very important to them but are also controversial or not relevant to the bill. I appreciate their willingness to postpone debate on some of these issues so as not to bog down this bill.
For example, I know Senators WEBB and WARNER feel very strongly about their amendments regarding the homeporting of a Navy carrier on the east coast, and I know the Florida Senators have equally strong feelings on this subject. I understand the Defense authorization bill includes a provision mandating a GAO report on this issue, and I appreciate the willingness of both delegations to postpone the debate on the carrier issue so we can focus on timely passage of this appropriations bill.
Mr. President, I also thank the subcommittee staff who do the heavy lifting in the drafting and managing of the bill on the Senate floor.
As I have said many times, this is a good bill. It is bipartisan, and it is responsible. I urge all of my colleagues to support it.
Mr. KIRK. If the Senator would yield?
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Yes.
Mr. KIRK. I also thank Dave Schiappa, Laura Dove, and Ashley Messick on the Senate floor for guiding this bill through; Chairman Inouye and especially his staff director, Charlie Houy; Vice Chairman COCHRAN and his staff director, Bruce Evans.
I thank Chairman Johnson and especially Tina Evans, Chad Schulken, Andy Vanlandingham, Dennis Balkham, D'Ann Lettieri, and Patrick Magnuson who have brought this first appropriations bill of this Congress through.
With that, I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill having been read the third time, the question is, Shall the bill pass?
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. I ask for the yeas and nays on passage of the bill. Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. President, shortly we will be voting on final passage of the MILCON-VA appropriations bill. I would like to thank Leaders Reid and McConnell and Chairman Inouye and Vice Chairman COCHRAN for their leadership and support in getting us to this point.
I would especially like to thank my ranking member, Senator Kirk, for his cooperation and support in crafting this bill and steering it through the Senate. I am confident we would not be where we are today without his help and hard work on this bill.
I also thank my colleagues for helping us to move this bill forward by rejecting dilatory amendments and by showing restraint in offering amendments to this bill. A number of Senators have filed amendments that are very important to them but are also controversial or not relevant to the bill. I appreciate their willingness to postpone debate on some of these issues so as not to bog down this bill.
For example, I know Senators WEBB and WARNER feel very strongly about their amendments regarding the homeporting of a Navy carrier on the east coast, and I know the Florida Senators have equally strong feelings on this subject. I understand the Defense authorization bill includes a provision mandating a GAO report on this issue, and I appreciate the willingness of both delegations to postpone the debate on the carrier issue so we can focus on timely passage of this appropriations bill.
Mr. President, I also thank the subcommittee staff who do the heavy lifting in the drafting and managing of the bill on the Senate floor.
As I have said many times, this is a good bill. It is bipartisan, and it is responsible. I urge all of my colleagues to support it.
Mr. KIRK. If the Senator would yield?
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Yes.
Mr. KIRK. I also thank Dave Schiappa, Laura Dove, and Ashley Messick on the Senate floor for guiding this bill through; Chairman Inouye and especially his staff director, Charlie Houy; Vice Chairman COCHRAN and his staff director, Bruce Evans.
I thank Chairman Johnson and especially Tina Evans, Chad Schulken, Andy Vanlandingham, Dennis Balkham, D'Ann Lettieri, and Patrick Magnuson who have brought this first appropriations bill of this Congress through.
With that, I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill having been read the third time, the question is, Shall the bill pass?
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. I ask for the yeas and nays on passage of the bill.
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