Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman of the subcommittee and the ranking member, Mr. Frelinghuysen and Mr. Visclosky, for their terrific leadership and the great work, tough work that has taken place in crafting this Defense Appropriations bill. I also would like to thank the overall chairman and the ranking member, Mr. Rogers and Mrs. Lowey, for their leadership as well. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation on which our men and women in uniform, our intelligence community, and our futures depend. America is at war, and we face continued uncertainty and new threats daily. Now is not the time to weaken our military. This bill equips the Department of Defense with the funding necessary to keep our Nation safe while making the tough decisions necessary to ensure we stay within our spending limits. With $491 billion provided in discretionary spending, and another $80 billion as a placeholder in overseas contingency, the DOD will be able to maintain readiness at levels that protect our military's standing, support our ongoing war efforts abroad, and, most importantly, ensure that the health and well-being of our men and women in uniform and their ability to support their families is protected. Our subcommittee, and our committee as a whole, is keenly aware of our Nation's deficits and debt.…”