Ronald Dellums: “This has not been a debate. This is a very complex issue. It takes some time to lay the basis of the foundation of the…”

“This has not been a debate. This is a very complex issue. It takes some time to lay the basis of the foundation of the arguments on either side. But once we spend enough time laying down the basis of our respective positions, allowing us to clash and debate with each other, someone jumps up and says we spent too much time. This has not been a debate. We end up with a triumph of process over substance. I think that is tragic. These are dark days in the Congress when we cannot engage each other in constructive and important debate. Mr. Chairman, with the time that I have remaining, let me just make a few rebuttal arguments. First, I would like to remind my colleagues, we are building 21 of these planes. It is not zero. We are building 21 of these planes. For anyone to attempt to suggest to the American people that there is great magic in going from 21 to 30 is bizarre in the extreme, particularly when that step takes us $27 billion down the road. Do we have an inventory of bombers? Yes, sir. We have 95 B-1's, extraordinarily well equipped. In fact, they can take more of these precision-guided smart weapons than even the B-2 can, plus 21 B-2's, plus additional upgraded B-52 bombers. So we have a major bomber force out there. Where are we going to fly them? Who are we flying them against? We talk as if we have zero. We are the greatest superpower standing.”