{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=403a653e-0e91-4ca4-b600-7da1fbfece81", "Barrasso: Its Been a Productive Year in the Senate", "2015-12-15", "2015", "2015-12", "Republican", "House", "WY", "John Barrasso", "B001261", "www.barrasso.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor highlighting the accomplishments of the United States Senate this year.\r\nTranscript of Senator Barrassos remarks:\r\nIts actually been a very productive year in the Senate.\r\nAnd Im not just the only one saying that.\r\nLast Wednesday, U.S. News and World Report said, Theres reason for optimism on Capitol Hill ahead of a looming deadline to pass the trillion-dollar omnibus funding measure.\r\nThe magazine asked: Whats behind it?\r\nWell, they said, After years of partisan gridlock, Congress has seemingly regained the ability to get things done.\r\nThe Bipartisan Policy Center said the same thing recently.\r\nThey pointed out that the House and Senate have both  both - made important progress its year.\r\nThey said, Both chambers have reinvigorated a robust committee process.\r\nGetting committees back to work is essential to getting Congress back to work  and thats what Republicans have done this year.\r\nSo far this year, the total number of days worked is up from last year by almost three additional weeks of work on the Senate floor..\r\nThis is in comparison to when Harry Reid was in charge.\r\nWeve been considering a lot more amendments this year as well.\r\nFor all of last year, there were only 15 up or down votes on amendments. Just 15 for the entire year.\r\nSo far this year, weve voted on around 200 amendments.\r\nThese are amendments both by Democrats and by Republicans.\r\nThese are opportunities for individual senators to stand up, to offer their ideas and to be heard.\r\nIdeas that they think will make America better, make legislation better.\r\nNot just what the leader of the party wants  Senator Reid, who blocked so many amendments, and not just what Senator Reid might be best for the president.\r\nNo. What the American people think is important.\r\nSo, when you look into the substance of what weve done, the news is even better for the American people.\r\nSo far this year, weve passed major legislation that has been helping Americans across the country.\r\n\"We passed an important law on Medicare  to make much-needed reforms, and to reauthorize the Childrens Health Insurance Program.\r\nWe passed the first multi-year highway bill since 2005.\r\nWe passed the longest reauthorization of the Highway Trust Fund in almost a decade.\r\nNow, these arent just the short-term patches for a few months or a year. Thats what happened when the Democrats were in charge.\r\nThese are long-term fixes that create the certainty and stability our economy needs.\r\nThis year, the Senate passed the most significant education reform since 2002.\r\nWe passed an important human trafficking law.\r\nWe passed a budget  can you imagine that? There hasnt been a budget to pass both houses of Congress since 2009.\r\nWell, we passed one this year.\r\nAs chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, I can tell you that we have made a lot of progress this year on legislation to improve the lives of people across Indian Country.\r\nWe passed a measure that will help make crucial and long-overdue improvements to roads on tribal lands.\r\nJust last week, we passed legislation that helps give tribes more economic opportunities. It gives them more control over developing their natural resources.\r\nRepublicans are eager to work with Democrats and to produce legislation that the president will sign.\r\nWe are proud of these accomplishments of this year.\r\nAt the same time, we are not afraid to challenge President Obamas most misguided and dangerous policies.\r\nThats why the Senate passed legislation repealing Obamacare  to ease Americans pain under this law.\r\nWe passed a measure on the Keystone XL pipeline to create jobs, create energy security, and economic growth  and we put that bill on the presidents desk to force him to finally make a decision.\r\nWe challenged President Obamas job-crushing energy regulations by voting to block his power plan and his devastating rules on waters of the United States.\r\nAnd I would point out, Mr. President, looking at a headline from yesterdays New York Times, EPA broke the law with regard to pushing their water rule. EPA broke the law.\r\nThe EPA, which is this issue of this whole waters of the United States - the EPA must be held accountable, accountable for breaking the law, accountable for misuse of government funds. So we will hold this administration accountable.\r\nOf course, we also opposed the presidents nuclear deal with Iran.\r\nWe have shown the American people that we can get things done, and there is a viable alternative to the reckless policies coming out of the White House.\r\nLooking back on what we have been able to do this year, I think there is real reason for optimism.\r\nThe Senate does not have to be the place gridlock that it had become under Harry Reid.\r\nIn 2016 the Senate will be taking more votes on important legislation and on amendments.\r\nThere will be more debates, and more consideration of ideas from both sides of the aisle.\r\nThats what the American people have sent us here to do.\r\nIts what they expect from us.\r\nThe American people have seen that it is possible to govern  and that not everything in Washington is broken.\r\nIt just takes leaders who are committed to getting things done  and committed to looking out for the best interests of the American people.\r\nThis is the end of the year  it is not the end of this Congress.\r\nIt is not the end of what the Senate can do to make the lives of the American people better.\r\nWeve done a lot  there is still a lot of work to be done over the next month and the next year.\r\nWe will continue to work to relieve the burden and the expense of excess government regulations.\r\nTo reduce the power of unelected, unaccountable Washington bureaucrats.\r\nAnd to return to the states  and to the people  more of the control that belongs to them.\r\nThe goal is to give the people at home the power to make their own decisions about whats best for them, their communities, and their families\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": ["http://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=403a653e-0e91-4ca4-b600-7da1fbfece81"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.965579878538847, "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"}