Tony Thurmond: “I also wish to recognize the members and staff of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. We have worked more…”

“I also wish to recognize the members and staff of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. We have worked more closely together this year than ever before. I want to express on behalf of the Armed Services Committee our appreciation to Chairman Stevens and to the members and staff of the Defense Subcommittee for their cooperation and support. Working together, we have produced a bill which keeps the Department of Defense on a steady course and is consistent with the balanced budget agreement. It is a sound bipartisan approach to some very difficult policy issues. This is reflected in the fact that for the first time in memory, all of the conferees in both committees have signed the conference report. This bill sends a strong signal to our men and women in uniform and their families that we are fully committed to supporting them as they perform their dangerous missions around the world. The conference report addresses three challenges to maintaining a strong national defense in the 21st century: the training and readiness of our military forces, the modernization of weapon systems and other defense equipment, and the preservation of quality of life programs for our military personnel and their families.”