Senator Collins Delivers Floor Remarks Following Passage of Bipartisan Three-Bill Funding Package

Click HERE to watch and HERE to download video of her remarks.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered remarks on the Senate floor this evening following the vote on the final passage of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; and Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies funding bills. Prior to her remarks, the Senate passed the three-bill package by a bipartisan vote of 82-15.

More information on the three-bill package is available HERE.

A transcript of Senator Collins' remarks is as follows:

"Mr. President, just now the Senate has passed three more of the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills by a strong bipartisan vote. These bills support state and local law enforcement, invest in vital scientific research, promote economic development, help protect our national security, and assist our coastal communities. This fiscally responsible package includes the Commerce, Justice, Science bill, the Energy and Water Development appropriations, and the Interior and Environment funding bill.

"This package is the result of a great deal of input from members on both sides of the aisle, and it represents months of bipartisan and bicameral negotiations. Last week, this three-bill package passed the House by an overwhelming vote of 397 to 28 and the Senate just followed suit with a very strong bipartisan vote.

"I want to thank and commend our subcommittee chairs and ranking members, as well as their staffs who labored over the holidays to finalize this package. Specifically, I want to thank Senators Murkowski and Merkley of the Interior subcommittee, Senators Moran and Van Hollen of the CJS subcommittee, and Senators Kennedy and Murray of the Energy and Water subcommittee. Senator Murray is also Vice Chair of the full committee, and I want to thank her for her partnership in getting these bills done. I want to thank the staff of the full committee. They have worked night and day, literally every night, every day, and I'm so grateful for their dedication and hard work.

"Mr. President, this legislation would actually reduce discretionary spending while better focusing funding on the key priorities that matter and affect the American people. Perhaps most important, it shows that we as a Congress can come together in a bipartisan way to carry out our Article One responsibilities and deliver true results for the people we are honored to represent.

"Enacting this legislation brings the total number of full-year, Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations that will be signed into law to six. The first three bills, Agriculture, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Legislative Branch were enacted in November. Now, Mr. President, we've got to continue to complete the job and make progress on the remainder of the appropriations bills. Yesterday, after extensive negotiations between the Senate and the House, the House passed the National Security, State Department and Related Programs bill as well as the Financial Services and General Government appropriations bills, again by a strong bipartisan vote of 341 to 79. I look forward to the Senate considering these bills, as well as the remaining four appropriations bills before the end of the month.

"Our goal, Mr. President, is to get all of these bills signed into law, no continuing resolutions that lock in previous priorities and don't reflect today's realities. No more disastrous government shutdowns that are totally unnecessary and so harmful. So again, I want to thank my colleagues for supporting final passage of this important package so that we can send it to the President for his signature."

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