Political Quotes

“13 months ago, I inherited an awesome responsibility. In the blink of an eye, I had become Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, a position long held by Senator Daniel Inouye. It was daunting to step into the shoes of a member of the ``greatest generation,'' a Medal of Honor recipient, and one of the most respected advocates for the men and women who serve our country in uniform. It was my good luck that the gavel I inherited came with Betsy Schmid, the staff director of the subcommittee. Betsy first came to the Senate in February 2002, on detail to the Defense Subcommittee as a Presidential management intern. While it was only a temporary assignment, I believe Betsy would be the first to tell you that she would have done anything to return. Return she did, joining the Defense Subcommittee as professional staff in March 2003. Over the next 8 years, Betsy served as a budget analyst focusing on some of the largest, most complex, and politically sensitive programs in the Department of Defense. After years as an outstanding budget analyst, Chairman Inouye appointed Betsy to serve as the staff director of the Subcommittee on Defense in February 2011. It is a daunting job. The subcommittee oversees more than half of the Nation's discretionary budget, plus tens of billions more for the costs of overseas conflicts. As staff director, Betsy has done an outstanding job of serving me this year, and Senator Inouye before me.…”