I hope that my colleagues will not allow the pursuit of the perfect to prevent the potential adoption of a compromise that would reduce the unjustified current 100 to 1 disparate ratio in the treatment of crack compared to powder cocaine.

I welcome this hearing. I hope that Congress will follow the recommendations of numerous authorities and approve reducing this ratio.

I recognized that this disparity which discriminated against lower income individuals who more often use crack was not justified by the effects of crack compared to powder cocaine and I introduced a bill to address it.

I recognized in 2002 that this ratio that had been adopted in haste and driven by fear was not justified by the facts.

For too many years unjustified disparate treatment of crack and powder cocaine has had a racially disproportionate and unjust impact upon our poor people and minority communities.

Today's National Guard and Reserve personnel continue the long tradition of protecting our Nation, and they do so in a magnificent manner.

The Army National Guard predates the founding of our Nation and a standing military by almost a century and a half.

If we are going to continue to expect so much from our Reserve forces, then we not only must--not only must we properly equip them, but we must equip them with modern equipment.

We train as we fight.

Force protection has always been a top priority to both of these subcommittees.

We don't have experience with losing the infrastructure in a country with 300 million people, most of whom don't live in a way that provides for their own food and other needs.