Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, the conference report that we are considering today is good news for our country. Along with providing funding for our veterans and supporting critical energy and infrastructure projects, it also includes $4.8 billion for the agencies in the legislative branch.

The legislative branch portion of the conference report allocates funding in an appropriate manner. It promotes government transparency, as well as increasing security here at the Capitol Complex. This is very important.

In support of good government, this agreement includes a provision known as e-file, requiring U.S. Senate candidates to file campaign finance reports electronically, directly with the Federal Election Commission, as every other Federal candidate must do. Not only does this provision increase transparency, it will reduce bureaucratic inefficiency and will save about $1 million in taxpayer dollars.

This agreement also provides $589.7 million for the Government Accountability Office to hire additional staff to bolster oversight of government programs and spending. Having spent most of my career in the private sector, accountability is a good thing. There is not enough of it here in Washington, DC. In fact, according to a report issued by the GAO, the GAO returns $128 for every dollar invested in its budget. That is a good example of accountability and getting results for the American taxpayer. In fact, the resulting benefit of this oversight by GAO was approximately $74 billion in documented savings for the taxpayers in 2017. That is where you get the $128 return for every dollar invested in the agency.

The Capitol Police is fully funded at the requested level of $456.3 million, allowing for the continued protection of visitors coming to the Capitol campus every year, as well as the Members and their staff.

These are just a few highlights of the bill, which allocates resources in a responsible way to maintain existing services, as well as providing critical investments across the U.S. Capitol campus.

Lastly, and importantly, I want to thank Senator Chris Murphy, my ranking member, for working with me in a bipartisan manner throughout this process. This is my first year as chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee. I would also like to thank Chairman Shelby and Vice Chairman Leahy for their leadership and efforts to return to regular order on a Senate appropriations bill. This is quite remarkable, but it shouldn't be. The bar has been set so low in Washington, DC, that Congress can't get their appropriations bills or spending bills passed before the end of the current fiscal year going into next year. Well, guess what. The fiscal year ends on September 30, and here we are on September 12, moving forward now on appropriations. That is a good thing for our country.

I urge my colleagues to support this conference report as we continue to move these bills forward to fund the government on time and in the right way.

I see my distinguished colleague, Senator Murphy from Connecticut, is here as well, and it has truly been an honor to serve with Senator Murphy to move this forward on behalf of the American people.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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