Political Quotes

“However, with all due respect to my colleague, this amendment undermines the full bill's central aim to promote national security, energy security, and economic prosperity. Reducing this bill by $37 billion, or by 65 percent, will make America less safe, less secure, and less prosperous, in my view. The amendment includes a $16 billion cut to defense funding. Again, for my colleagues and for those watching, it is in the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill that we fund the National Nuclear Security Administration. This is our country's nuclear weapons activities. This would be cut by almost $9 billion, roughly 50 percent, causing, in my view, irreparable harm to our Nation's nuclear deterrent by halting critical weapons and modernization programs. This amendment would also reduce naval reactors by over $1 billion, again, almost a 50 percent reduction of the account, creating cascading impacts to America's most lethal and capable naval assets, our submarines and aircraft carriers. For these reasons, I respectfully must oppose the amendment and urge my colleagues to do the same.”