Political Quotes

“if we do not allow the space-based laser program to proceed, we are going to erode the Defense Department's expertise in laser technology. There are other laser programs in DOD. The SBL, the space-based laser, represents a significant proportion of DOD's corporate knowledge about lasers and all of DOD's knowledge about space-based lasers. All this knowledge, all of this technology will simply be thrown out the window if we gut this program. This program has strong bipartisan support. It has had it for over many years. The Armed Services Committee has increased funding for this program in each of the last two fiscal years. In fiscal year 1997, for example, the committee recommended and the Congress and the President approved an increase of $70 million. DOD acknowledges that the additional funding is necessary if the program is to continue making the technical progress that it is making. Therefore, the bill before the Senate today, the bill in its current form, the DOD bill, includes an increase of $118 million for that program. This amendment offered by the Senator from New Mexico will take that $118 billion out and basically stop the program in process. I must say, every year, year after year, in all the 7 years that I have been on the Armed Services Committee here in the Senate, somebody comes out and tries to cut this program. Every year I am standing up here defending it, trying to make people aware of the importance of this program.”