Ronald Dellums: “let me say very quickly to my distinguished colleague from Mississippi that the $275 billion is against the backdrop of…”

“let me say very quickly to my distinguished colleague from Mississippi that the $275 billion is against the backdrop of $300 billion a year that began during the Reagan era, when this military budget skyrocketed from $173 billion, went up well over $200-some odd, and leveled out at $300 billion during the decade of the 1980's. So I would remind my colleagues, compared to what? We never should have been spending $300 billion a year on the military budget. To now spend $275 billion a year in the context of the post-cold-war world, when there is no Soviet Union and when there is no strategic threat out there to the United States, is an appalling statement. I would finally like to conclude with this on a very personal note. I take great pride, Mr. Speaker, in not attacking Members of Congress on this floor. If we want to debate, I am prepared to debate anybody in the Chamber on the substantive issue. That is my job and responsibility. I would simply admonish my colleagues that when we disagree, as ardently and as emotionally as we disagree, we should never call into play the motives of any individual Member or we should never challenge any individual Member of Congress, particularly when they are not there to defend themselves. I think we ought to be about our business with a much more dignified fashion. I think when we elevate the level of the debate to substance and policy and priorities, we are at our highest and best.”