{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=946E3F11-1755-417F-88C3-573A9F869E14", "McConnell Remarks On Outstanding Business", "2024-12-16", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Senate business:\n\n\u201cAs is typical this time of year, the Senate\u2019s attention is focused squarely on a long list of business with deadlines fast-approaching.\n\n\u201cExtending government funding by Friday is our top priority. Shutting the government down is a one-way ticket to needless disruption of important functions. It has never been a winning proposition, and this time is no different.\n\n\u201cDelivering urgent disaster relief is a non-negotiable. As communities across the country continue to pick up the pieces from a devastating storm season, they\u2019re watching closely for the Senate to deliver on the promise of a much-needed helping hand.\n\n\u201cAnd, after months of unnecessary delay, the Senate will vote on the National Defense Authorization Act.\n\n\u201cThe Armed Services Committee reported this year\u2019s NDAA six months ago by an overwhelming, bipartisan vote.\n\n\u201cThe fact that it has only reached the floor a week before Christmas is really inexcusable. So is the absence of a vote on defense appropriations legislation.\n\n\u201cAnd the blame for this neglect will rest squarely on the outgoing Senate majority.\n\n\u201cRanking Member Wicker and our colleagues on the Committee tried mightily to ensure that the final bill \u2013 Congress\u2019 main annual opportunity to shape national defense priorities \u2013 backs tough talk on growing threats with the tools required to meet them.\n\n\u201cBut the NDAA, like all major legislation, is a compromise product. And the absence of the Senate-backed increase to topline investments will go down as a tremendous missed opportunity.\n\n\u201cArtificial budget restraints mean that major bill provisions like a pay raise for enlisted servicemembers will come at the expense of investments in the critical weapons systems and munitions that deter conflict and keep them safe.\n\n\u201cFor all the talk about growing threats to America\u2019s national security, it\u2019s past time for an honest conversation about the military requirements to meet those needs.\n\n\u201cAnd if this NDAA offers any valuable lesson, it\u2019s that we have a tremendous amount of work left to do.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"]], "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.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=946E3F11-1755-417F-88C3-573A9F869E14"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9328308515250683, "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"}