Charles Skelton: “Mr. Chairman, today the House begins consideration of H.R. 5658, which is the National Defense Authorization Act for…”

“Mr. Chairman, today the House begins consideration of H.R. 5658, which is the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. This bill is a collective effort in the bipartisan tradition of the House Armed Services Committee which approved the bill in markup by a vote of 61-0. It is an excellent bill. I want to thank the members of our Armed Services Committee, particularly the subcommittee chairmen, the ranking members, and actually every member of the committee. Let me take this opportunity to also, Mr. Chairman, recognize the ranking member and former chairman, Duncan Hunter, for once again being a great partner on this bill, and he is certainly to be commended and thanked for it. I am proud that Duncan and I have worked so well together through the years and always with the common goal of enhancing American national security. It is only fitting, Mr. Chairman, that as Duncan Hunter plans to retire at the end of this Congress, our committee colleagues unanimously voted to name this bill in his honor, recognizing Duncan Hunter's many years of service on the Armed Services Committee, and also recognizing his unfailing support of our men and women in uniform. And we thank him publicly for that.”