Political Quotes

“I thank my friend Mr. Smith, the ranking member, and I thank Mr. McKeon for the work that they have done; and I want to thank my friend Barney Frank for the thoughtful perspective he brings to the consideration of this bill. As we struggle to get America on a fiscally sustainable path, none of us in this body or in this country ought to believe that we can save harmless defense from oversight and savings where they can be affected while maintaining the security of our country. It would simply be irrational to believe that we cannot have a contribution from the defense sector of our budgets when we are struggling to do what Admiral Mullen says is the number one security issue that we have, and that is the fiscal stability of our country and the elimination of our debt. So I thank Mr. Frank for his contribution. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference report, a bipartisan measure to enhance our national security and provide for our troops. Ranking Member Smith and the chairman, Mr. McKeon, and our Democrats on the committee have worked closely with their Republican counterparts for a long time to craft a bill that will strengthen our defense against emerging threats while ensuring that our troops in Afghanistan and around the world have the resources they need to get the job done that we have given them.…”