Political Quotes

“I take this moment to express great disappointment at the situation the House now finds itself. It is very unfortunate that before us is an amended version of the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011. Last night, the other body struck title XVII of the version of the bill that this House passed last Friday, December 17. Title XVII, Madam Speaker, was the Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act, which the House has passed on multiple occasions with strong bipartisan support. Several Senators objected to its inclusion in the bill. They expressed concerns over its budgetary impact, and indicated a willingness to work toward identifying an acceptable way to authorize and pay the claims. I regret the inability to resolve this matter at this time, and I am very appreciative of the strong support from Chairman Skelton and incoming chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Mr. McKeon of California for their strong support of this provision. The unresolved nature of Guam war claims has serious implications for the military build-up on Guam.”