Political Quotes

“Thank you, Madam President. I would ask the Senator from Alabama, it seems to me no one wants to claim parenthood of this very onerous penalty on the retired servicemembers of the United States of America. I would have to infer from the answer of the Senator from Washington that she was not aware. One percent from COLAs sounds so innocuous, but when its comes to $130,000 for officers and $80,000 for enlisted people, it is real money. This is a penalty, and it is hitting the people who step forward and volunteer to serve our country and protect our security. So until someone is willing to step forward and claim ownership, I have to assume the negotiators did not know the impact this would have on our military retirees. It seems to me the Senator from Alabama has devised a way to surgically remove this provision, pay for it elsewhere, and send it back to the House. I think we would be doing them a favor, frankly. I thank my friend from Alabama for yielding.”