Ronald Dellums: “Mr. Chairman, this is perhaps the most significant vote that Members will make on the Department of Defense…”

“Mr. Chairman, this is perhaps the most significant vote that Members will make on the Department of Defense authorization bill for this fiscal year. Contained in this budget is $331,200,000 to begin advance procurement for 9 additional B-2 bombers. That is what is in the bill. What this amendment does is to strike that $331,200,000 from the B-2 account and places it in another account that I will discuss a little later. What is clearly before us, Mr. Chairman, is whether or not we ought to go forward with the B-2 bomber. The debate is not about having B-2 bombers. We already have 21 of them that we have paid for, that we have either developed, or are in the final stages of development. It is not about do we have B-2's. It is about spending $27 billion to restart production for an additional 9 B-2's for which significant authorities have not asked for, stated that they do not want, and stated that they do not need. A $27 billion program that nobody has asked for, no one wants, except the contractor and the subcontractors.”