{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=048a7da9-621b-4e8e-9ded-64d714e89e6e", "COCHRAN STATEMENT ON ENDING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, AVERTING DEFAULT", "2013-10-16", "2013", "2013-10", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Thad Cochran", "C000567", "www.cochran.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Video link to Senator Cochran's Speech: http://bit.ly/198Hyt7\r\nAudio from Senator Cochran\u2019s Speech is Available Below\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) today said a bipartisan agreement to reopen the federal government and prevent risking the nation\u2019s credit worthiness should be followed with concrete steps toward \u201ca long-term agreement that will reduce our debt through structural changes to government spending.\u201d\r\nCochran, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered a speech to the Senate on Wednesday regarding legislation that would reopen the government and ensure the nation\u2019s immediate financial stability.\r\n\u201cI am pleased that we seem close to resolving the current impasse, and I hope that over the coming weeks we can devote ourselves to thoughtful and productive deliberations on the budget.\u00a0 It is important that we act to restore the confidence of the American people in the United States Senate.\u00a0 We must take real steps to strengthen our nation\u2019s fiscal foundation so that our economy can grow, and American families and businesses can prosper,\u201d Cochran said.\r\n\u201cIn getting past our current fiscal stalemates, I hope that we can next achieve a long-term agreement that we will reduce our debt through structural changes to government spending. As a part of that process, we must talk seriously about the President\u2019s health care law; its serious flaws and its impact on families and businesses.\u00a0 I have consistently opposed this law and one of my goals is seeing that it is repealed, delayed or made voluntary.\u00a0 Achieving that goal may take longer than we would prefer, because we are in the minority.\u00a0 But the law\u2019s declining popularity should give Senators from both parties reason to reevaluate it,\u201d he said.\r\nThe legislation would also require a Senate and House conference committee to finalize a FY2014 budget resolution by mid-December. The Congress has not produced a joint budget resolution since 2009.\u00a0\r\n\u201cNow we have given ourselves another opportunity to make broader budget reforms.\u00a0 It will be a benefit to the Legislative Branch and the people who elected us if we can establish a budget framework that will enable us to deal in a more transparent manner with all legislation, including appropriations bills and reform measures to simplify our tax code,\u201d Cochran said.\r\nThe following is the text of Senator Cochran\u2019s remarks:\r\nSTATEMENT OF U.S. SENATOR THAD COCHRAN\r\nMr. President, I am optimistic that soon we will be able to enact legislation to reopen our government and affirm the world\u2019s long-standing confidence in our nation\u2019s financial stability and system of democracy.\u00a0 The current situation is an unfortunate byproduct of our sometimes discordant form of government, which at this time happens to be divided between the two parties.\r\nDespite the challenges of recent weeks, I hope this experience demonstrates to the Senate, to the other body, and to the Administration that the nation is best served when we work together.\u00a0 If we allow our current hardships to pass on only to immediately entrench and get ready for the next crisis, we will be wasting an opportunity to extract a positive outcome from these last, difficult weeks.\u00a0\r\nUnder the Rules of the Senate, individual Senators are provided with significant power to shape the activity of this body.\u00a0 That\u2019s the way the Senate was designed to operate, and it has served this body and the country well.\u00a0 Recognizing that the rights entrusted to each of us can be powerful, we must be judicious in their application.\u00a0 We must always remember that each of us was elected by the people.\u00a0 If we work in cooperation, and even opposition, with a sense of realism and respect for ourselves and our institution, I believe this body can function effectively.\r\nIn getting past our current fiscal stalemates, I hope that we can next achieve a long-term agreement that we will reduce our debt through structural changes to government spending.\r\nAs a part of that process, we must talk seriously about the President\u2019s health care law; its serious flaws and its impact on families and businesses.\u00a0 I have consistently opposed this law and one of my goals is seeing that it is repealed, delayed or made voluntary.\u00a0 Achieving that goal may take longer than we would prefer, because we are in the minority.\u00a0 But the law\u2019s declining popularity should give Senators from both parties reason to reevaluate it.\r\nAs part of a sustainable budget plan, I hope we can reach a long-term agreement on a Farm Bill to provide producers and consumers with certainty, and to preserve the security Americans enjoy by our ability to generate independently food and fiber for ourselves and for the world.\u00a0 The Farm Bill this body adopted earlier this year would help accomplish those goals and save 23 billion dollars over the next five years.\r\nIf we can achieve a responsible budget agreement for Fiscal Year 2014 and beyond, I am confident the Appropriations Committee can produce bipartisan bills to fund the government in a responsible manner.\u00a0 I hope all members have begun to recognize that our inability to act on individual appropriations bills has reduced each senator\u2019s opportunity to help shape federal programs, and has eliminated a principal means of overseeing the Executive Branch.\u00a0\r\nThe Appropriations Committee has long been able to produce bills that reflect input from all members with disparate views, reflecting their different needs and their different priorities.\u00a0 The Committee has continued to do so since passage of the Budget Control Act, which will have the effect of cutting\u2014reducing spending\u2014by more than $2 trillion from discretionary accounts over the next 10 years.\u00a0 It is the only significant deficit reduction legislation enacted in recent memory.\u00a0 I supported that Act, as did a majority of Senators on both sides of the aisle.\r\nNow we have given ourselves another opportunity to make broader budget reforms.\u00a0 It will be a benefit to the Legislative Branch and the people who elected us if we can establish a budget framework that will enable us to deal in a more transparent manner with all legislation, including appropriations bills and reform measures to simplify our tax code.\r\nMr. President, I am pleased that we seem close to resolving the current impasse, and I hope that over the coming weeks we can devote ourselves to thoughtful and productive deliberations on the budget.\u00a0 It is important that we act to restore the confidence of the American people in the United States Senate.\u00a0 We must take real steps to strengthen our nation\u2019s fiscal foundation so that our economy can grow, and American families and businesses can prosper.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=048a7da9-621b-4e8e-9ded-64d714e89e6e"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 4.507705103605986, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}