Political Quotes

“I thank the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. Mr. Chairman, first I would like to express my support for the fiscal year 2016 Defense Appropriations bill and my appreciation for the hard work of the chairman in drafting this very good bill, which will provide essential funding to our national security. However, I have a serious concern with the proposed reduction of funding in this bill for an existing weather collection satellite called the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, or DMSP. As early as 2017, our military is facing a critical capability gap in the Department of Defense's two highest priority weather requirements. As the Air Force continues to work through its plan for addressing weather requirements, launching DMSP will help address these issues. Much has been spent on DMSP already, and it would be a shame to waste those dollars when the satellite could be put to good use. Mr. Chairman, I agree with you that the Air Force has not properly managed the space weather program, and they must submit a better plan. However, I ask for your support in working with me in conference to ensure that our military and intelligence professionals have the tools they need to safely prosecute our missions.”