Political Quotes

“the reenlistment rate for the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division, the 4th Infantry Division, the 1st Marine Division, and the 10th Mountain Division exceeds 130 percent in this last quarter. And a lot of that is the result of the great work by the gentleman of New York (Mr. McHugh), who has been the chairman of the Total Force and the Personnel Subcommittee and has presided over a major part of the 41 percent pay increase that we have passed over the last several years. I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh). Mr. McHUGH. I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I happen to think this is a good debate, even when I vigorously disagree with some of the statements being said. This is the hall where discussions, concerns, where analysis and counterpoints need to be expressed. I wanted to start, if I may, Mr. Speaker, with a couple of counterpoints. I have heard my good friends on the other side of the aisle repeatedly refer today to comments and observations made by clearly one of the greatest fighting generals this Nation has known in recent era, General Barry McCaffrey; things he has said about our current involvement and engagement in Iraq. Perhaps as a mere oversight, perhaps conveniently, those good folks omitted the following, and I am quoting directly. I noticed most of those folks quoted from their own notes. These are from General McCaffrey's own reports after his return, in this case to Iraq.…”