Political Quotes

“I join my esteemed colleague Ms. Jan Schakowsky from Illinois in offering an amendment that hits at the heart of the issue of fiscal responsibility. This amendment would freeze Department of Defense programs at fiscal year 2011 levels unless the financial statements of the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2011 are ready to be audited in 6 months from the date of enactment. However, this amendment would exempt military personnel, Reserve and National Guard personnel accounts as well as the Defense Health Program account from this potential funding freeze. It also contains a waiver for any potential harm to national security or combat forces. In these financial times, which are very difficult as we all know, more and more people are learning of the importance of keeping to a budget and of being able to track where every single penny goes of their paychecks, if they have paychecks. For too many Americans right now, survival boils down to appropriately spending and saving every dollar and every cent that they have and budgeting what little money they have left. Sadly, the Department of Defense Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office have documented that the Defense Department cannot tell the American taxpayers how their money is being spent. That really is quite shocking. We cannot wait any longer for the books to be audited.…”