Patrick Kennedy: “I just want to rise to commend the chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), and the ranking member, the…”

“I just want to rise to commend the chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), and the ranking member, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), for their excellent work on this bill. I look forward to working with them on the training of our National Guard. I know that the Guard is about to deploy in Pennsylvania. General Centraccio in my home State of Rhode Island has been very active in making sure our Guard is prepared and trained. We are relying on the Guard more than ever, and they are part of our total force, especially in this war on terrorism. I think they need to get the needed training and equipment that they need to do their job successfully. I know this bill goes a long way to doing that. I rise today to commend Chairman Lewis and Congressman Murtha for their work on this legislation. Their task hasn't been an enviable one, given the limited budget allocations that they were forced to work with. In the end, they made it work. Looking at the bill that they produced, everyone can see that Chairman Lewis and Congressman Murtha are dedicated to our military and the security of our Nation at home and abroad.”