On the recordJune 10, 2015
As I rise to present the House Appropriations Committee's recommendation for the fiscal year 2016 Department of Defense Appropriations bill, there are nearly 200,000 servicemen and -women serving abroad, doing the work of freedom on every continent, and there are many more at home who are serving in every one of our States-- Active, Guard and Reserve--all volunteers. We are grateful to them and their families. They are certainly not all experts in some of the language and terms that will be part of our vocabulary during this debate over the next 24 hours--phrases like ``sequester'' and ``continuing resolution,'' ``Budget Control Act,'' ``overseas contingency account,'' and the ``global war on terrorism account''--but they have every expectation that they will have our united, bipartisan support for this bill whether they serve aboard a ship, fly through airspace, or provide overwatch on land to support a military mission. This legislation was developed after 12 hearings, many briefings, travel to the Middle East and Europe, and countless staff hours, with those who serve us, military and civilian, very much in mind. This is a product of a very bipartisan and cooperative effort, for which I thank my good friend, the ranking member, Pete Visclosky. It has been a pleasure to work with him. We are both fortunate to have committee members who are engaged and committed so much to this product.…
