snarled this congress and hampered our middle class. . this budget deal will benefit our country in so many ways. our men and women in uniform represent the very best of america. this budget gives our fighting forces the resources they need to keep our country safe. i want to join the republican leader in saluting senator mccain. we wish he were here because he s fought so valiantly and so long for a good agreement for the armed forces. folks caught in the grip of opioid addiction, veterans waiting in line to get health care, students shouldering, crippling college debt, middle-class families drowning under the cost of child care, rural americans lack iing acces
together with an agreement that is very good for the american people, and recognizes needs that both sides of the aisle proffered. i m pleased to announce that we have reached a two-year budget deal to lift the spending caps for defense and urgent domestic priorities far above current spending levels. . there are a few details to work out, pu all the principles of the agreements are in place. but the deal doesn t have everything the democrats want. it doesn t have everything republicans. want. but it has a great deal of what the american people want. after months of legislative log jams, this budget deal is a genuine breakthrough. after months of fiscal brinkmanship, this is the first real sprout of bipartisanship. it should break the cycle of spending crises that have
important efforts such as disaster relief, infrastructure, and building on our work to fight opioid abuse and drug addiction. this bill is the product of extensive negotiations. among congressional leaders, and the white house. no one would suggest it is perfect but we worked hard to find common ground and stay focused on serving the american people. first and foremost, this bipartisan agreement will unwind the sequestration cuts that have hamstrung our armed forces and jeopardized our national security. secretary mattis said, quote, no enemy in the field has done more harm to the readiness of our military than sequestration. for years my colleagues on the senate armed services committee, led by chairman john mccain,
have made important progress for veterans in the past year. this agreement will expand on those steps. this agreement will also bolster our ongoing national struggle against opioid addiction and substance abuse. it will fund new prevention programs, and law enforcement efforts in vulnerable communities all across our country. it also provides funding for disaster relief efforts. last year powerful storms crippled puerto rico and the u.s. virgin islands, and damaged mainland communities from florida to texas. thanks to the efforts of members such as senator cornyn, cruz, rubio, and others, this bill will get more help on the way. and the agreement will clear the were a for a new investment in our nation s infrastructure. a bipartisan priority shared by the president, and lawmakers of both parties.
helping thousands, millions of seniors afford prescription drugs. we have waited long for this. rural hospitals that struggle, seniors, children and safety net hm providers will benefit from a package of health tax extenders as well. on the pension issue, democrats secured a special select committee that must report a fix to the problem by 2018. millions of pensioners, teams r teamste teamsters, miners, bakery workers and so many more are staring down cuts to their hard earned pensions. they didn t do anything to cause those cuts. . their livelihoods are staked to these pensions. we ought to make sure that they get every penny they earned. we democrats would have liked to take up and pass the butch lewis act. we couldn t reach on agreement to do that, but now we have a