Frank Lautenberg: “whenever one has an opportunity to engage in a debate with the distinguished Senator from Alaska, one always knows that…”

“whenever one has an opportunity to engage in a debate with the distinguished Senator from Alaska, one always knows that the citizens of Alaska have justly deserved the reputation for being focused on their mission and let no holds bar them from their purpose--and with respect and admiration, by the way. I enjoy my moments of conversation, sometimes a tiff, as we might call it, with the Senator from Alaska. I will tell you, he is never at a loss for words and thoughts, and I respect him. In this case, the Senator happens to be wrong. The situation, as the Senator describes it, I think, extends my remarks just a little bit. Yes, I know the President signed the defense bill after having vetoed it once, and, after having another bill put in front of him, he signed it last year. I assume the President carefully studied it, his people studied it, and he signed a bill that, like all pieces of legislation, some are excellent through and through and some have problems with them, but on balance you say, ``OK, this bill is good enough that I have to swallow hard and take some things.'' The Senator from Alaska knows very well that there is rarely a piece of legislation that is exempt from amendment, review, rewriting or otherwise. That is life around here. So simply because it was in the defense bill at one point does not make it right. Now that we have had a chance--one solid year--to examine the weaknesses of that bill, this is one that stands out sharply in my mind.…”