Pete Domenici: “I understand full well Senator Wellstone's sentiment with reference to other programs of the Federal Government besides…”

“I understand full well Senator Wellstone's sentiment with reference to other programs of the Federal Government besides defense. I even understand how he specifically would like more money spent in other areas. But I would like the Senate to know that this Wellstone amendment is just a clever effort to avoid a point of order. But before I make that case, let me say the Senate has spoken, not once, not twice, but, if I count correctly, one, two, three, four, five--has voted five times during this particular year to deny further restraints on defense spending. When the budget resolution came before the Senate, there was an effort to reduce it by $8 billion. It lost. We had an opportunity for the U.S. Senate to speak its piece on this issue and make up its mind what it wanted to do on behalf of the defense of our country. We had another vote. Senator Bumpers, on that same resolution, attempted to remove the firewall. That lost. In fact, it lost by a rather significant margin.”