Joe Cunningham: “I am amazed, especially at my California colleagues. When they vote for a $177 billion cut in defense, and California is…”

“I am amazed, especially at my California colleagues. When they vote for a $177 billion cut in defense, and California is the leader in the defense industry and most of our bases are in California, what did they expect? What did they expect? They vote for a Clinton tax package and $177 billion cut, after Colin Powell, Dick Cheney, and then-candidate Clinton said that anything above a $50 billion cut would put us into a hollow force. And then I hear that the President wanted to save California bases. Yes, California is important in a 1996 election. Sure, he would like to save them. But I think we need to look at why we are closing those bases in the first place. Who called for an additional base closure round? The very same people now that are saying that the President wants to save those bases. Give me a break. Mr. Speaker, in committee they used the analogy of a fisherman and they said take the analogy of a catfish that has now been cut and we are going to skin him alive, gut him, and eat him. Well, do not expect us to sit there and take it. If my colleagues voted for the defense cuts and they are from California, they are not the fish; they are the in the role os a fisherman. They caused the problem. I take a look at what we have gone through and why many of us are fighting against the continued assaults on DOD spending. I look at the increase in nondefense spending by 261 percent by Members and, yes, even some of the Members on our own committee in this House.”