Vicky Hartzler: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Speaker, I agree with the lady that we need to make hard choices, but we don't need to do…”

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Speaker, I agree with the lady that we need to make hard choices, but we don't need to do this in this bill. We can't solve the problems that have been reiterated in this bill. This is a budget issue. I serve on the Budget Committee as well, and I believe we need to undo sequestration for our national defense. We need to come up with a comprehensive plan to address the cost drivers of our country that are causing us to go into debt. {time} 1230 We need to get our priorities back as a country and make sure we provide for the common defense. We need to do that in the budget in a comprehensive way. But we don't need to hold our military hostage today by not approving the expenditure of funds for the vital things that they need. That is what my colleagues are doing. I appreciate their intent. I look forward to working with them--many of us do--to solve this overall problem, but today our military need to know that we are standing behind them and that we are going to authorize them with the things that they need. This bill is full of the things that our country and our men and women in uniform need. As the chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, we are doing an investigation dealing with the transfer of detainees out of GTMO and what happened with Sergeant Bergdahl and the Taliban Five.…”