Rodney Frelinghuysen: “I rise to support the bill and to oppose this amendment and particularly to thank the chairman, the gentleman from…”

“I rise to support the bill and to oppose this amendment and particularly to thank the chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), and the ranking member, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), for their work with me, as well as the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Sabo), on finding a proper replacement for the Crusader. I want to thank the gentlemen and staff for all their work in protecting those technologies and the brain trust that goes with those jobs. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Fiscal Year 2003 Defense Appropriations bill. I thank Chairman Lewis and Congressman Murtha, the ranking member, as well as their staff, for their work. We are still a nation at war, and our first and foremost priority at this time must be to the men and women we have called upon to fight. Rightfully, this is the first of the regular FY03 Appropriations bills that this body will consider, and that it should be the first of the FY03 appropriations bills to be sent to the President's desk for his signature. Since the tragic events of September 11, we have asked a great deal of our military.”