WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor:

The day after the election, I said that I had two main priorities for this session of the Senate: pass 21st Century Cures and fund the government.

We’ve passed the Cures bill already, and we’ll be voting shortly to keep the government running.

And soon after that vote, we’ll pass the bipartisan water resources bill, which directs assistance to families in Flint and supports important waterways projects in nearly every one of our states. It’s testament to the hard work of so many and Chairman Inhofe in particular.

This week we also passed the defense authorization conference report, under the leadership of Chairman McCain, which addresses many of the national security challenges facing our country.

I’d also like to point out, that the Cures bill, which passed earlier this week, simply would not have happened without Chairman Alexander.

And it’s impossible to overlook the unending, unyielding work of Senator Murkowski on the energy bill too. Or our indispensable Finance Committee Chairman, Senator Hatch, who’s been involved in almost every bill — from the Doc Fix to Tax Extenders — that comes through this chamber.

I’d like to note the great work of the Appropriations Committee, specifically, for its efforts to ensure that individual bills and an omnibus were prepared for consideration. We know they’ve been putting in long hours, especially this week, and for that we are thankful.

This Congress, the Senate has passed nearly 300 bills and nearly 200 of those are now law.

But what really matters isn’t the number of bills passed, it’s what we can achieve on behalf of the American people. And by that standard, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish for our country.

Over the past week, I’ve had the opportunity to pay tribute to many colleagues who’ve made such a lasting impact on the Senate during their tenure. But as the 114th Congress comes to a close, I’d like to take a moment to recognize another set of individuals whose work makes the business of the Senate possible in the first place.

It goes without saying that keeping the Capitol running is a vast undertaking. It requires a passion for service, round-the-clock work, and great sacrifice by everyone employed.

The legislative process simply wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated work of so many. On behalf of the Senate, I’d like to acknowledge their efforts and say thank you to the following:

• To my leadership team for your wise counsel…

• To our committee chairs and ranking members for so much great work over the past two years…

• To the many, many colleagues in both parties for working so hard to make this Senate a success…

• And to those we’re saying farewell to — Senators Coats, Boxer, Mikulski, Reid, Vitter, Kirk, and Ayotte — for your service to the country…

I say, thank you.

• To my Chiefs of Staff, Sharon Soderstrom and Brian McGuire, for their indisputable talent and for leading a team that’s second to none — every member of which I’d thank individually if I could…

• To the Floor Staff, Laura Dove and Gary Myrick and their teams, for keeping the floor running smoothly and for making it look effortless every time, even though we know it’s anything but…

• To the Parliamentarians and Clerks who sit on the dais whenever the Senate is in session, making sure our operations are smooth and by the book…

• To the Secretary of the Senate and her team for protecting the rich history of this body and for overseeing so many different legislative and administrative operations.

I say, thank you.

And, off the Senate floor, there are so many more to thank too.

• The Capitol Police, for putting themselves in harm’s way to protect everyone who works in, or visits, this institution…

• The Sergeant at Arms staff, for overseeing a dizzying range of efforts — from setting up rooms and enacting security protocols to preparing for next year’s inauguration…

• The Architect of the Capitol staff, which is always hard at work making this Capitol the best it can be, from the conservation of these illustrious hallways to the extensive restoration of the Capitol Dome…

• And the countless others — the doorkeepers, the legal counsels, the committees and their staff, the pages, and all those I haven’t mentioned — we appreciate what you do, please know that your service and your dedication does not go unnoticed.

And let me also again recognize the Democratic Leader for his more than three decades of service. As I said yesterday, Harry and I clearly have had differing views on many things throughout the years, but we’ve shared similar responsibilities as the leaders of our respective parties, and I think we can both agree that none of this would have been possible without the support of our staff. I want to recognize Harry’s team, past and present, and thank them for many years of partnership with my office.

So we now prepare to turn the page on one Congress, and get ready to write a new story in a different one.

I’m proud of the work this Republican-led Senate has done the past two years. My colleagues should be proud of their work as well. It’s been incredible to see what we’ve been able to achieve already. We know our work doesn’t end here though, and I know each of us is eager to get started in the 115th Congress.

But for now, I want to again thank my colleagues for a productive Congress. And I want to wish each of you happy holidays and a Happy New Year.

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