Haley Stevens: “Unfortunately, this is one amendment that we have to disagree with the Senator from Arizona on in regard to his…”

“Unfortunately, this is one amendment that we have to disagree with the Senator from Arizona on in regard to his proposal. It would prohibit the obligation of any congressionally approved funds, by definition, funds approved by the President, too, unless those funds were in the President's original plan. The budget resolution that we have adopted in the Congress is $27.5 billion more than the President's plan. That is the 5-year plan. I stood here listening to the Senator from Arizona, and I was remembering battles that this Senator has been involved in. Three times other committees zeroed out the C-17, and the President did not request it. Our committee insisted on it. Our committee insisted on upgrading the Patriot missile when it had not been requested, was not in anyone's authorization bill. We believed it should have been upgraded. It had a significant role, I think, in the Persian Gulf war. On the V-22, the Osprey, it was never recommended by the President or by the Secretary of Defense. We had met with the Marines, and they gave us their concept of a new order of battle, really, if they could have this new system. And our subcommittee again battled. I remember the battles here on the floor with some of my former friends about our adding money to the bill that was not authorized or requested. Today the V-22 is the signal part of our defense effort.”