Don Nickles: “First I wish to compliment our colleagues for this debate, and particularly Senator Stevens. It is not easy when one…”

“First I wish to compliment our colleagues for this debate, and particularly Senator Stevens. It is not easy when one takes on the chairman of the Appropriations Committee. I have great respect for my friend and colleague from West Virginia. I do not happen to agree with him on this particular issue. I agree with him on a lot of issues. This is not one I agree with him on, and I will state why. I have heard some colleagues imply if we do not support this, we are not in favor of New York, or we are not in favor of rebuilding, and I just totally disagree with that. I think every one of us wants to help New York, wants to help Virginia, wants to help our country, wants to provide for national security, wants to provide for a defense bill. I am trying to look at where we are in regard to helping New York and helping our national defense. We have to have a bill that is going to be signed by the President of the United States. I read the President's statement of policy, and it does not equivocate. It says if the final bill presented to the President exceeds either of the agreed-upon spending levels, the President will veto the bill--the spending levels of $686 billion that he agreed to. And I might mention he increased that spending level to get an agreement. He had an agreement with Members of Congress, Democrats, and Republicans. I might mention the Democrats in the House insisted he put it in writing. It was put in writing on October 2.”