Mike Levin: “First, I thank my dear friend from Virginia for all his work on this bill, for his comments, his determination to…”

“First, I thank my dear friend from Virginia for all his work on this bill, for his comments, his determination to proceed on a bipartisan basis to a real test of wills. This vote we are now about to cast will decide whether we are going to have this year a Defense authorization bill which will provide funds for our military, pay raises for our men and women in the military, housing allowances which are desperately needed, the equipment that they need in order to prepare and to go to war, should that be their fate, and it surely looks as though that is now clearly ahead. What we are hoping for, looking for this morning, is a strong bipartisan expression of national resolve and national unity by voting for cloture on this bill. It is the only way we will complete action on this bill. There has been an effort to debate matters on this bill that are unrelated, important matters but not matters that are directly related to providing and equipping the men and women in our forces. This is the bill that provides the authorization required by the Department of Defense for their programs for the year 2002 that also includes the provisions for the Department of Energy. The bill is consistent with the national security priorities of the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense.”