Charles Skelton: “I recommended to the Committee on Rules four major amendments. I stated the amendments from our committee, and I do not…”

“I recommended to the Committee on Rules four major amendments. I stated the amendments from our committee, and I do not make recommendations lightly; and when I do, I hope the Committee on Rules would take them seriously. Most important is one that deals with quality of life for the soldiers and the troops and their families. The gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) had a proposed amendment that would increase pay, increase quality of life. It targeted cuts towards the missile defense program which is being boosted up by well over $1 billion. What more can be said. The gentlewoman from California (Ms. Loretta Sanchez) had a proposed amendment to modify the Uniform Code of Military Justice, bringing this law into conformity with the Federal criminal sexual assault statutes. That was passed 18 years ago by this Congress. Now there are some 18 years of appellate history that can be used, and yet that was denied. The gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan) had an amendment authorizing a total of $67 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, when in truth and fact, the Committee on Rules set aside a reserve sum of some $50 billion meeting the Cooper/Ryan proposal by more than half.”