Joe Cunningham: “I would like to invoke two names: Jack Murtha and Ike Skelton. If you watched the defense bill go through here, both in…”

“I would like to invoke two names: Jack Murtha and Ike Skelton. If you watched the defense bill go through here, both in authorization and appropriations, those gentlemen do not care who is President or who has the majority. They fight tooth, hook and nail for the military, for intelligence, and this Nation. I always felt that this committee that I serve on did the same thing, until, as it has been mentioned, last year, unfortunately in election year politics, the Democrat leadership has forced, I think, or at least led some of the more thoughtful members to be partisan. That is the saddest thing. During Ronald Reagan's burial, I had tears in my eyes. I could not hold them back. She reached over and took my hand to console me, patted my hand and said, 'Duke, isn't it good to be friends?'”