Steve Cohen: “This is an amendment we should be able to come together on. The administration requested $101 million for the operation…”

“This is an amendment we should be able to come together on. The administration requested $101 million for the operation and upgrading cruiser ships used by the United States Navy. That's what the Pentagon and the administration requested, $101 million. However, what's been recommended is $607 million. That $607 million is an increase of over $500 million from what the Pentagon asked for, five times what the Pentagon asked for. At a time when so many of my colleagues are calling for a decrease in the spending on the Federal Government side, it seems that they should heed the requests of their constituents, the budget, and the advice of Congress and will refrain from throwing $500 million at this program that the Department of Defense is trying to phase out. Now, my amendment would allocate $235 million of that 506 excess to defense health programs. The rest would be toward deficit reduction. Americans would be better served if that $235 million didn't go to a program of buying cruiser ships that the Department of Defense doesn't want, and rather have this money go to health care research, which the Department of Defense does in the area of cancer research, breast cancer research, prostate cancer research, and other cancer research. The Department of Defense has a strong cancer research program and can always use more money to save lives.…”