Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6523. I would like to first of all thank Chairman Skelton for his dedication to national security and bipartisan leadership on our committee. I congratulate him on this bill which is appropriately named in his honor. The bill before us today strengthens our critical strategic programs, including increasing the reliability, safety and security of our nuclear arsenal. It reduces the risk of nuclear proliferation to terrorists by funding these urgent efforts above last year's levels. It also enhances our missile defenses by supporting the President's phased adaptive approach and preserving a hedge against potential threats from Iran and North Korea. And, finally, it sustains our national security space assets by supporting near-term warfighter needs, space protection, and space situational awareness. This bill is integral to our national security, and I strongly urge its adoption today. I would be remiss, however, if I didn't say how disappointed I was that certain cyber-provisions that I included in the original National Defense Authorization Act were not retained in the final bill. The United States is very vulnerable to a cyberattack, and we are woefully unprepared. I will continue to pursue this as a top priority in the next Congress. I thank the chairman for his great work on this bill. I rise in strong support of H.R. 6523, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011.…”