Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I thank the committee chairman and I thank the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Harman] for her leadership on this vital issue and program. The Nautilus program is critical, critical to our overall missile defense program and critical to the security of Israel. I pledge to her what she has said today we will fully support. But I have to again mention to all of our colleagues that this administration, which talked about the importance of the high energy laser program, the Nautilus, for the past 3 years has tried to zero out the entire program. In fact, I have to correct, Mr. Chairman, a statement I made yesterday. I said the President requested $3 million this year for the high energy laser program. What he did was requested $3 million to terminate the program; to zero it out; to end it. Thank goodness this Congress has been there to make sure the funding is in place so that we can protect Israel. Finally, this President is seeing the light and joining with this Congress and enlightened people like the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Harman] in making sure that Israel's security is guaranteed by programs like the high energy laser program and missile defense technology.”