It will help us serve the veterans bravely served us and it will ensure funding for 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 the this bipartisan agreement well unwind the cuts and jeopardize national security. Secretary matus said no enemy in the field has done more harm to the readiness of our military for years of my colleagues on the Senate Armed ServicesCommittee Led by john mccain had spoken out about these damaging cuts. And in the face of continuing and emerging threats these had left us unable to realize the potential p of our Missile Defense capabilities they had dwindled down our conventional forces and undo burden on personnel and their families. And they have shrunk our fleet to as we have not ask our men and women to do less for our country we just force them to make do with less than they need. This agreement changes that. In addition this bill will provide for our returning heroes too often underfunded and overfunded bureaucracies. The Trump Administration and congress and thinks to the leadership of isakson had made important product projects in the past year. This agreement will expand on those steps. It will also bolster our Ongoing National struggle against opioid addiction and substance abuse. It will find new production programs and Law Enforcement efforts in vulnerable communities all across our country. In the u. S. Virgin islands. In damaged mainland communities from florida to texas. Thanks to the efforts of senator cornyn, cruise rubio and others this bill will get more helpp on the way. And it will clear the way for a new investment in our nations infrastructure a bipartisan priority shared by the president and lawmakers of both parties. It does not conclude the serious work that remains before congress. The Appropriations Committee well had six weeks to negotiate detailed appropriations and deliver full fundingli for the remainder of fiscal year 2018. But this bill represents a significant bipartisan step forward i would urge every senator to review this legislation and join us in voting to advance it. I want to think my friend the democratic leader i hope we can build on this bipartisan momentum and make 2018 a year of significant achievement for congress for our constituents and for the country that we all love. One final manner. Ive said publicly many times. Our upcoming debate will be a process that is fair to all sides. It will not had underlying immigration tests. The amendment process will be fair to all sides s allowing the sides to alternate proposals for consideration into votes. And votes. I cannot guarantee any outcome let alone super majority support i can ensure the process is fair to all sides and thats what i intend to do. First let me think that republican leader for his comments in his works the last several months. We had worked well together for the good of the American People and we have serious disagreements but instead of just going to our own separate corners we came together with an agreement that is very good for the American People and recognizes needs that both sides of the aisle. We had reached a twoyear to lift the spending caps for defense and urgent domestic priorities far above current spending levels. There are one or two final details to work out. But all of the principles of the agreement are in place. The budget deal does not have everything democrats want and doesnt have everything republicans want but it has a great deal of what the American People want. After months of legislative lock jams. It is a genuine breakthrough. After months of fiscalon brinkmanship o this a budget deal is the first real sprout of bipartisanship. Should break the long cycle of spending crisis that had styled as snarled as congress and hampered our middle class this budget deal will benefit our country and some anyways. Our men and women in uniform represent the very death of america. It gives them the resources they need to keep our country safe and i want to join the republican leader in saluting senator mccain. He has brought so valiantly and so long for a good agreement for the armed forces. Many americans here at home. Folks caught in the great of opioid addiction. Veterans waiting in line to get healthcare students shouldering and crippling college debtbt middleclass families drowning under the cost of childcaref and rural americans lacking access to highspeed internet hardworking pensionersg watching their retirement simple way. They had been fighting for the past year for these americans and their priorities weve we need to increase for armed forces but we also need to increase the kinds of programs that the middle classra needs it depends on it is our jobs as americans as senators to make sure that middleclass people can live a life of decency and dignity so that they can keep in their hearts the american belief that their kids well live a better life than they do. A good deal of forward on those issues. Alongside the increase in defense spending the defense bill will lift it for domestic programs by 131 billion dollars. It will fully repeal the domestic sequester caps. While securing 67 million in additional funding including 6 billion6 to fight against the opioid and Mental Health crisis. 5. 8million. For the block grant. 4billion to rebuild and improve veterans hospitals and clinics 2 billion for Political Research at the National Institute of health and 20 billion to augment our existing infrastructure programs. Including surface transportation rural water and waste water. Wastewater. Clean and safe drinking water. Energy infrastructure. 4billion for College Affordability including programs that help Police Officers teachers, firefighters, the deal also boosts several Healthcare Programs that we care a lot about in this country. And an increase in funding for Community Health centers which serve 26. 5 million americans is included. My friend and many others had been championing for these Community Health centers. I want to thank them for the hard work that they put to get this done. The Childrens HealthInsurance Program that will will be extended for an additional four years credit is due to our Ranking Members for the effort of the extension. American families with children who benefiten well now be able to rest easy for the nest next decade. Seems caught in the donut hole will also benefit from this bill. Which eases the coverage gap next year helping thousands and millions of seniors afford prescription drugs weve waited long for this. They will benefit from a package of health tax extenders as well. On on the pension issue. They secured a special a legislative fix to the problem by december 2018. Em millions of pensioners caught they are staring down cuts to their hardearned pensionss. They did not do anything to cause those cutss their livelihood is staked to the pension. We all had to make sure s that they get every penny they earned we democrats would have liked to take up an pass the bush lewis act. Now we have a process and potentially the means in motivation to get it done and there were so many senators led by senator brown who were responsible for this and i want to acknowledge him they worked so long and hard on pensions. The budget deal also includes longawaited Disaster Reliefed for texas, louisiana and florida. Many of these places are still taking their first steps from the long march into recovery. Much of puerto rico and the Virgin Islands remains a damaged and in the dark this recovery aid could not have come a moment too soon senator nelson it worked very hard for both florida and puerto rico relief acid some the others in this chamber. I would also like to think our Ranking Member on the Appropriations Committee who worked so diligently with staff in the Ranking Members on these issues. As well as senator murray who has been our beacon on Health Issues where we have made real progress. The budget deal is a win for the American People it will also do so much good for our military and for so many middleclass americans and finally the pointless sequester caps and a final point madam president our work here in congress on this budget deal between the republican leader and i come up between the senate and house was completed without a great deal of help from the white house. While President Trump threatens shutdowns and stalemates. They have done the hard work the months long process is required concessions sometimes painful by both sides but at the end of the day i believe we had reached a budget deal that neither side loves but both sides can be proud of. That is compromised. That is governing. That is what we should be doing more of in this body. And it is my sincere hope that the republican leader and i will continue to Work Together in this way to get things done for the American People now we must finish the job later this week lets pass this budget into law alongside an extension of government funding i hope the house will follow suit and President Trump will sign it. I also hope that speaker ryan will do what senator mcconnell has agreed to do allow a fair and open process to debate a dreamers bill on the house floor. This budget deal will be the best thing we have done for our economy our military are middleclass for a long time. I yield the floor. This weekend on American History tv on cspan three sunday at 10 00 a. M. Eastern from the west point center for oil history Kenneth Carlson talks a growing up in a military family and his service in vietnam. We got to this bunker and have an actual view point where you could see what was going on. And were watching the rockets come in. Explosions are going off. People are scared to death. Miss arkansas said that kinda looks like the fourth of july that doesnt happen on the fourth of july. She started crying. With the upcoming Winter Olympics. The 1953 till and the 1960 film on the eighth Winter Olympics in california. Theyre causing plenty they are causing plenty of unexpected excitement here. Now they had upset all predictions by winning this game with the russians. The first gold medal ever one by a u. S. Team in hockey. 8 00 p. M. Eastern the scholars explore the relationships between president ronald reagan, George Hw Bush and Mikael Gorbachev during the end of the cold war. When you look back at 1989 when bush comes in and then you look at bush and gorbachev in 19 to 91. He is not measuring up to what reagan had been. We are alive this morning at the National Prayer breakfast President Trump is due to speak in about half an hour this is something that started back in 1953. They invited president as it has to a fellowship breakfast. They take turns inviting guests. Some 3,000 people expected to attend here at the Prayer Breakfast this morning. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] again we are alive this morning at the National Prayer breakfast. We are expecting remarks from President Trump in about 25 minutes or so. The president earlier today about 6 00 tweeting out that they will be heading over shortly to make remarks at the National Prayer breakfast in washington. Mark burnett is the wonderful season of the 14th season of apprentice. We will have live coverage coming up on cspan two. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] ladies and gentlemen the president of the united states. [applause]