Joe Cunningham: “I think it is ironic, some people up here on the floor say we are not spending enough. They have never served in the…”

“I think it is ironic, some people up here on the floor say we are not spending enough. They have never served in the military. They vote to cut defense. The last speaker, the gentlewoman from California, in 1993, the Frank amendment to cut Intel funding, she voted yes; in 1996, the Frank amendment to cut Intel funding, she voted yes; in 1998, the Iraq Liberalization Act, regime change, she voted yes; in 2002, authorization for military force, she voted no; in 2003, Iraq supplemental appropriations, she voted no; in 2003, intelligence authorization, to increase funding, she voted no. This is a sad day, Mr. Speaker. I have got some very good friends on this committee. Some of them I hunt and fish with. The gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman), during the Ronald Reagan funeral, I had tears in my eyes. She reached over and grabbed my hand to console me. That is the kind of friendship that we have on this committee, and I think one of the saddest things I see is the partisanship coming out in election-year politicking. We will still be friends after this. You say, oh, this is not partisan. That is the spin. But it is, Mr. Speaker. It is sad, and I hate to see it.”