Barbara Boxer: “this budget resolution is $6.9 billion below the President's request for defense spending for fiscal year 2005. I am…”

“this budget resolution is $6.9 billion below the President's request for defense spending for fiscal year 2005. I am voting for the Warner amendment to restore this cut. I am doing so because I believe we should pay for our activities in Iraq and Afghanistan within the budget. I do not believe we should pretend those costs do not exist and then have the President come back to Congress saying we did not give him enough money and he needs more. We must have truth in budgeting. The costs of our operations in Iraq and Afghanistan should be included in the budget; the costs should be paid for with regularly budgeted funds. The alternative is further escalating debt. I am extremely concerned about the runaway debt. If we do not include in the budget the costs of our operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the President will come back with a request for emergency supplemental funds. Those funds do not have to be offset, thereby adding billions of dollars to our national debt. Therefore, I will vote for the Warner amendment to restore the cut in defense spending.”