Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, at the subcommittee, with great respect, I respectfully disagree with you. This does not change law. It simply writes into the law an extension of what is already in this bill, and that is, it calls for a report. It also fences off a certain amount of money, in this case $15 million. That is really the ante, the beginning of a very expensive process. It fences it off until we have that information report from the Pentagon. I think that is the wise thing to do. In fact, the appropriation bill in many, many respects changes laws, and I think we are all aware of that. I am also aware that I have yet to overcome a point of order, but there is always the first time, and we can be hopeful that this might be the first. But I draw the attention of the chair, the ranking members, and anybody else that cares to listen, be prepared to spend somewhere between $15- and $20 billion if we go forward with both the B-61 and the retrofitting to the F-35 so that it will be dual-capable--capable of both conventional as well as nuclear weapons. I think we better know where we are going, have a good sense of the total cost, and also have a very good sense of where our European allies want this to be, and I think they ought to also pay for it. The Acting CHAIR. The Chair is prepared to rule. The Chair finds that this amendment imposes new duties on the officials funded in the bill. The amendment, therefore, constitutes legislation in violation of clause 2 of rule XXI.…”