Political Quotes

“This House has three times previously confirmed our commitment to fully funding the NNSA activities. I would urge that as we go through the process of this bill that this funding be restored. I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment. Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my colleague's amendment to restore funding to the defense activities of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). In May, the House overwhelmingly passed--by a vote of 322 to 96--the Fiscal Year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA recognized the critical need to shore up our nuclear security enterprise and authorized full funding for NNSA. Unfortunately, the appropriations bill before us reduces the NNSA budget by $1.1 billion from the level authorized by the NDAA. The funding level authorized by the NDAA was a key component of a deal between the Administration and Congress. This deal would finally, after decades of neglect, reinvigorate and modernize our nuclear security enterprise to ensure the safety, security, and reliability of our nuclear weapons in exchange for the nuclear force reductions contained in the New START treaty. The 10% NNSA budget cut proposed by this bill greatly endangers this modernization, and reneges on this deal. I recognize that the offset in this amendment is difficult for many of my colleagues. Unfortunately, there are no easy offsets within the energy and water bill.…”