i want to thank daphne hague, nathan robinson, lydia collins and gus mayple, professional and deserving of the real praise for the work done on the floor. with that let me once again thank senator collins for her thoughtful leadership, her commitment to fairness, to principle. that i think is one of the major reasons why we're here today. with that, mr. president, i would yield the floor. ms. collins: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from maine. ms. collins: mr. president, the senate has completed its consideration of this appropriations measure which provides essential funding for the department of transportation, the department of housing and urban development, related agencies, military construction programs, the veterans affairs administration, and to combat zika. i would like to thank all of my colleagues for working together with us in an open and collaborative manner. i would note that the legislation that we just passed incorporates some 40 amendments. there were also recommendations from more than 75 senators from both sides of the aisle that were included in t