Kent Conrad: “I think it is an important amendment, one of the most important amendments we will consider in the context of a budget…”

“I think it is an important amendment, one of the most important amendments we will consider in the context of a budget resolution. On the Budget Committee we heard witness after witness tell us we needed to add $5 billion to $10 billion a year over the next 10 years to the defense budget to be responsible. The Senator from Louisiana has added that $10 billion. Let me say we had a hearing before the Budget Committee with four witnesses: two Republican witnesses, two Democrat witnesses. They were in agreement on the amount of money needed to be added to defense, given the stress on the defense budget, with the higher rate of operations, with the need for additional resources to meet demands we have put on the Defense Department. We also believe there is no question that additional resources have to be provided to the Defense Department. We need to strengthen our national defense. If we do not provide the money in a budget resolution, it is not going to be available. So this amendment is critically important.”