U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) was recognized today for his work as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and for having surpassed 10,000 votes in the Senate.
“I am humbled to hear Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Schumer, and Vice Chairman Leahy speak about my achievements in the Senate this year,” Sen. Shelby said. “We have worked hard to move funding bills through regular order to restore the Senate’s appropriations process, as well as the faith of the American people. I am grateful to have been given this opportunity. Our progress so far is encouraging, and I hope we can continue on this path.”
“Further, I am honored to have cast my 10,000th vote in the Senate this year,” Shelby continued. “Thank you to the great people of my home state of Alabama who have voted to keep me in office for over 30 years, and to my colleagues and staff who have supported me along the way. This is truly a privilege.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said, “I want to take a moment as we wrap up this appropriation package to recognize the distinguished tenure and leadership of our Chairman, Richard Shelby. Earlier this year, Senator Shelby cast vote number 10,000, right here on the Senate floor. Like so many of his accomplishments that landmark seemed to slip by without a whole lot of fuss, but what a remarkable milepost in a very distinguished career. I imagine that this year’s appropriations process holds special significance for our Chairman as he took the reins of the committee and made it clear that working with Senator Leahy regular order would be the name of the game. He set his sights on restoring the kind of collaborative process that historically made our institution so unique. As we all know that is a little bit easier said than actually done and yet the committee completed a markup process that reported out all twelve spending bills faster than it had in any years since 1988 that is three decades ago and when we close out this package the Senate will have passed the majority of its annual appropriations measures by the beginning of August for the first time since 2000, eighteen years ago. I am sure my fellow members of the Appropriations committee would agree with me that this productivity is due in large part to the leadership of our Chairman, Richard Shelby. So on behalf of the whole Senate, Mr. Chairman I want to thank him for the work that he has done so far, for the accomplishments on behalf of the American people that are yet to come, and I want to thank Senator Patrick Leahy and all the members that are on the committee for their contributions.”
Majority Leader McConnell’s remarks were followed by comments from Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont).
Senator Richard Shelby only became Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations in April when Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi) was forced to retire due to failing health.
Shelby has served the people of Alabama in the Senate since his election in 1988. He was elected to represent the Seventh Congressional District in 1978 and he represented the people of Tuscaloosa County in the Alabama Senate from 1970 to 1978.
