The following post is from an email sent to Grassfire staff by the Office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Thursday, November 7, 2019 at 9:49 a.m. ET:

Democrats Prioritize Impeachment Over Bipartisan Priorities Like Defense Funding and USMCA

“While Senate Democrats block defense funding, House Democrats continue to hold up the USMCA and the 176,000 new American jobs it would create. All their time and energy seems to go into House Democrats’ three-year-old impeachment journey and the unfair, precedent-breaking process by which the House has conducted its inquiry so far."

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the Senate’s legislative agenda:

“Yesterday, the Senate confirmed David Tapp of Kentucky to serve on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Today we will turn to more of President Trump’s impressive nominees for the federal judiciary.

“Last week, Senate Republicans had hoped to proceed to the urgent priority of funding our national defense. But for the second time in two months, Senate Democrats filibustered defense funding.

“They blocked the Senate from funding our armed forces.

“Over the summer, the Speaker of the House and my colleague the Democratic Leader both signed on to a bipartisan, bicameral budget deal that Democrats hammered out with President Trump’s team.

“In order to avoid exactly the kind of partisan stalemate that we are now experiencing, and avoid a 12-bill omnibus, that agreement laid out specific topline numbers and ruled out poison pills.

“With respect to presidential transfer authorities, the agreement specifically stated, quote, “current transfer funding levels and authorities shall be maintained.

“The President’s transfer authorities, as they relate to border funding or anything else, were to remain exactly as they existed in current law. The deal just preserved the status quo that was established by bipartisan legislation last fiscal year.

“The same transfer authorities, by the way, would also be preserved if Democrats tank the appropriations process and we end up with a continuing resolution.

“So that was the deal. Democrats were on board. I entered the terms into the Congressional Record and both the Speaker and the Senate Democratic Leader posted the terms of the deal in their press release.

“But now, our Democratic counterparts have gone back on their word. Contrary to the agreement, Democrats are now insisting on poison pills and thus blocking the resources and certainty our men and women in uniform need.

“And while Senate Democrats block defense funding, House Democrats continue to hold up the USMCA and the 176,000 new American jobs it would create. All their time and energy seems to go into House Democrats’ three-year-old impeachment journey and the unfair, precedent-breaking process by which the House has conducted its inquiry so far.

“Last week, House Democrats cast their first votes on impeachment and codified their irregular process. They passed a resolution that fails to provide President Trump the same rights and due process that past presidents of both parties have received.

“Here’s what Democrats’ resolution effectively says: No due process now, maybe some later, but only if we feel like it.

“While we wait for our Democratic counterparts to come back to the table and allow this body to complete urgent bipartisan legislation, we’re going to continue confirming more of President Trump’s impressive nominees and giving the American people the government they voted for.”

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