Political Quotes

“I rise to join Chairman Leahy in calling on our Republican colleagues to negotiate a final agreement on fiscal year 2022 appropriations bills. Just as we need to complete work on the National Defense Authorization Act--a position I have been urging repeatedly on our leadership--we need to complete work on the appropriations bills. They are complementary, to say the least, and they have to be done. Under Chairman Leahy's leadership, Democrats have put forth a responsible top-line number and subcommittee allocations that address our defense and nondefense funding needs alike. The defense funding levels in the appropriations bills are consistent with the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act bill that we passed in the Armed Services Committee in July. I would like to point out that the defense spending level in the Senate NDAA bill, which is pending floor action, was set by an amendment offered by my colleague, the ranking member, Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, and supported by every Republican on the Armed Services Committee. I was pleased to work with Senator Inhofe and to cosponsor the amendment, which provides an additional $25 billion in funding for specific items, most of which are unfunded requirements submitted by the services and the combatant commands.…”