Between the drama in Washington and the threats of terror around the world, I know the good stuff doesn't make the news very often. With the news focused on anger and violence, it's not hard to understand why our country is so divided.

But the reality is, we've accomplished a lot to make our country safer. My goal is to be as transparent and responsive as possible, so here's an update on some of the decisive victories from last week:

• We passed a funding bill that substantially increases resources for the Department of Defense and gives our troops a much-deserved pay raise.
   
• We passed a great sanctions bill to target aggressors around the world - North Korea, Iran and Russia - who have all sought to undermine American interests and cause violence throughout the world.
   
• We passed a funding bill that takes care of veterans by giving the VA the highest level of funding they have ever received.
   
• And we worked together to pass an expansion of the G.I. Bill that will help veterans, including my bill to ensure that all Purple Heart recipients have access to G.I. Bill benefits.

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