Joe Cunningham: “I sit on the Committee on Appropriations; and of the 13 appropriations bills, on average there is an increase of $1.5…”

“I sit on the Committee on Appropriations; and of the 13 appropriations bills, on average there is an increase of $1.5 trillion on each of those appropriations bills. We came out with a budget, and the Democrats whine it is not enough. The President limits spending to 4 percent, and the Democrats say it is not enough. It is ironic they stand up here and talk about 'the debt.' I have got friends on the Subcommittee on Defense, Committee on Appropriations, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks), and I have got guys like the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) and many others that support defense, but the other point for those that say, oh, defense is an issue here, well, I think for many of the people, I hope they have time to explain themselves before they die so the rest of us do not die laughing. When my colleagues talk about the support for defense, look at the Presidential candidate that has voted across the board to cut defense and look at the progressive caucus and the rest of it. In 1993 my colleagues cut their COLAs and veterans COLAs and took every dime out.”