On the recordMay 17, 2012
In closing, I was encouraged to hear my colleague from Colorado say: ``You fund it so you can fix it.'' I hope that quotation can also be used with regard to education and health care in this country, to ensure that everybody has access to a good education and the opportunities it can provide. My amendment is a small step towards a sane defense budget. It would make a modest cut to a failed program that you simply cannot--by the military's own recognition--expect to fix by continuing to throw good money after bad. I would urge the House to listen to the experts, listen to our military leaders, listen to independent auditors who are telling us not to throw good money after bad. Let's get the defense budget on the right track by spending money on our servicemembers and our programs that are proven to protect our country successfully. Let's not spend additional money on a missile defense system that simply doesn't work. It should be targeted for savings in this bill. It should be fixed. At that time, we can reconsider additional funding of this program. But there is ample funding with these reductions. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Polis amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
