Charles Skelton: “Mr. Chairman, I speak in favor of a strong national security. This amendment is for just that. My amendment is the only…”

“Mr. Chairman, I speak in favor of a strong national security. This amendment is for just that. My amendment is the only way we can get back the range at Vieques permanently. My amendment would strike language that is in the bill that guts the negotiated agreement between the administration and the Navy on the one hand, and the Governor of Puerto Rico on the other. My amendment would put in place the first piece of the conveyance, the conveyance of the excess land on the western end of the island, to the people of Vieques. During the debates we have heard much of the island of Vieques, a lot about what the Navy needs and why it is important to the Navy. Well, that is an excellent point. If we really want to know what the Navy needs, let us listen and find out from the Navy itself, the Secretary of Defense and the President. The Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of Defense and the President all vigorously opposed the language in the bill regarding Vieques.”