Mike Levin: “It is only because the hour is late and we are trying to wrap up this bill that I only will spend a moment saying how…”

“It is only because the hour is late and we are trying to wrap up this bill that I only will spend a moment saying how important it is that we adopt this amendment in paying respects to our chairman, who has done such an extraordinary job in moving our committee along in these last few years as chairman, and as a member for so many years before that. As ranking member, I had the privilege of working with Senator Strom Thurmond, for Senator Thurmond is a chairman who approached these issues on a bipartisan basis, as the defense budget should be approached. He has always set forth a determination that we protect our Nation's security first and foremost, and that the men and women in our Armed Forces be the focus of our resolve, and the protection and security of this Nation through them be what is first and foremost in our minds. So this is a small gesture that the Senator from Virginia is leading tonight. I want to commend him for thinking of this and for taking the leadership on this. I want to tell him it is my pleasure to join with him and do what we do so often, act on a bipartisan basis in the Armed Services Committee. I congratulate Senator Thurmond. This will be the last defense authorization bill that he will manage, but there will be many, many, many, many more years of energetic efforts that will be forthcoming from the Senator from South Carolina.”