Rodney Frelinghuysen: “At the outset I would like to commend the Chairman of the full Appropriations Committee, Mr. Rogers, and the Chairman of…”

“At the outset I would like to commend the Chairman of the full Appropriations Committee, Mr. Rogers, and the Chairman of the Defense Subcommittee, Mr. Young of Florida, for their determination and perseverance in bringing the completed Defense and Military Construction/VA bills to the floor for our consideration. Since before the end of the last fiscal year, they have been committed to completing our FY '13 bills and move them onto the President's desk for his signature. Why? Because they understood the damage that would be done to our national security if DoD was forced to operate under the funding levels and restrictions placed on them by our FY '12 bill. By passing this package today, we will be giving our military leadership additional flexibility to protect their mission and capabilities in this constrained fiscal environment. I would also add that passage of these measures today reinforces Congress' authority to set policy for the Department of Defense in important areas such as Air Force force structure, the retirement of Navy ships, increasing the pace of Navy shipbuilding, etc. and not cede it to the Executive Branch solely. I am also pleased that the package also allows additional funding for nuclear weapons modernization, to ensure the safety, security, and reliability of the nation's nuclear stockpile. The material previously referred to by Mr. McGovern is as follows: An Amendment to H. Res. 99 Offered by Mr.…”