Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, the Obama administration's so-called Clean Power Plan offered a typical story from that era, an innocent- seeming name, a pleasant-sounding objective, but underneath, an intrusive regulatory regime built not on effective policy but on far- left ideology. That is why I am so grateful today that the Trump administration is unveiling its plan to pare back this unfair, unworkable, and likely illegal policy.

Remember, the far left tried to push through radical legislation like an energy tax through the last Congress. Well, enough of us knew it would have hurt American competitiveness, victimized the poor, and done little to actually give the American people a cleaner environment, but instead of learning from those failures, the Obama administration tried to go it alone and impose their radical agenda unilaterally.

The so-called Clean Power Plan they dreamed up would have had no meaningful effect on global emissions. It would, however, have packed up middle-class American jobs and sent them right overseas. It would have piled a heavier burden onto the most vulnerable families. Lower income Americans are hit the hardest when energy costs take off, and this plan was projected to yield double-digit percentage increases in electricity costs of 40 States, of course, including Kentucky.

Unfair, ineffective, unaffordable, more than likely illegal. That is quite the pedigree.

That is why I fought the Obama administration's entire War on Coal, which was centered around this regulation, tooth and nail. I submitted an amicus brief to the courts when this was challenged for exceeding the scope and intent of the Clean Air Act. I championed legislation to cancel it entirely. On two occasions, I wrote to every Governor in the Nation asking them to not be complicit in implementing this outrageous overreach until the courts had ruled on its legality.

My colleagues and I have been at this for quite some time.

That is why the President's actions today are so encouraging. Today's proposed rule is the first step in the process. I look forward to engaging in this process as it moves forward toward a better outcome for Kentucky and for the entire country. Appropriations

Madam President, on another matter, the Senate is considering the eighth and ninth of 12 appropriations measure for fiscal year 2019. They will deliver on most of the important promises we make to the American people.

First and foremost is our promise to defend the Nation and to meet our obligation to the brave men and women who do so, to ensure that if we send them into battle, they will be prepared and equipped to prevail.

Secretary Mattis and our Nation's top military commanders have made their assessments perfectly clear. Our security and our interests are challenged every day across the globe by a wide array of threats, whether nation states or terrorist groups. They include the destabilizing influences of Iran in the Middle East and Russia in Eastern Europe, the challenges we face on the Korean Peninsula, the security of our allies, and the stability of international commerce in the Pacific. Our leaders have outlined the threats we face and the strategies it will take to check them, but they have also explained how the past decade's pattern of inconsistent and insufficient funding undermined readiness and borrowed from the future. This Congress and this President are determined to right the ship.

Earlier this year, we did away with the arbitrary spending caps that had cut our military readiness and modernization. We passed a defense bill that authorized the largest year-on-year increases in defense spending in 15 years. This week, we have the opportunity to follow through by appropriating the necessary resources.

The Defense appropriations measure before us will support American military installations at home and abroad. My fellow Kentuckians and I are more than proud to host installations like Fort Campbell, Fort Knox, and the Blue Grass Army Depot. This legislation supports the most important work that goes on at those facilities and the communities that revolve around them.

Each of my colleagues, I am sure, can offer similar reports of the resources directed to military operations in their States.

Whether they are serving at sea or training with the 101st Airborne Division in Kentucky, our Nation's men and women in uniform will receive some well-deserved benefits from the legislation we are considering today. That includes expanded access to onbase services for veterans, billions in new funding for housing, support infrastructure, child and health services, and the largest pay raise for our military personnel in nearly a decade.

It is impossible to put a price on the sacrifices warfighters--and their families--make in service to our Nation, but it is within our power to give them the support they deserve on behalf of a grateful nation, and that is precisely what this legislation will do.

I thank Senator Shelby and Senator Durbin, who led this bill through the subcommittee process. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bipartisan measure when the time comes to pass it. Economic Growth

Madam President, on one final matter, our servicemembers will not be the only Americans who will be receiving well-deserved pay increases. As Republicans' pro-opportunity agenda continues to take hold, our economy continues to steam ahead, and working families across the country are reaping the benefits.

By now, we are all familiar with the fact that millions of American workers have received special bonuses, wage increases, or other new benefits from their employers as a direct result of our Nation's new Tax Code. We are talking about nationwide employers from AT&T to Walmart, and local businesses from Glier's Meats in my home State of Kentucky to Stricks Ag in Montana, and New Hudson Facades in Pennsylvania. These are, in some cases, the multithousand-dollar bonuses that my friends, the Democratic leaders in the House and in the Senate, tried to shrug off as ``crumbs''--maybe in New York or San Francisco but not much anywhere else.

Remember, they persuaded every one of our Democratic colleagues to vote against tax cuts.

Well, the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently found the Employment Cost Index--that is everything American employers spend on employee wages and benefits--has increased 2.8 percent in the last 12 months alone. As CNBC reported, that is the strongest year-over-year growth since the autumn of 2008.

So let me say that again. By this measure, on Republicans' watch, worker pay and benefits has already logged a faster 12-month growth rate than we ever achieved in all of President Obama's time in office.

It is yet another data point: American workers, job creators, and middle-class families are enjoying one of their best economic moments in a long time, and it is thanks, in part, to Republicans' economic agenda, which is getting Washington's foot off the brake.

I am proud this week's appropriations bill will give American servicemembers a raise. I am also proud our healthy economy is giving a raise to millions more Americans, and Republican policies are helping to make that happen.

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