Political Quotes

“I rise today in total support of our troops, yet I cannot deny my lingering concerns about the supplemental spending measure and the administration's priorities. Last spring, this Congress provided $79 billion in supplemental funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. And like most of my colleagues, I voted in favor of the bill and trusted that the administration's request was the result of a proper assessment of our military's needs. Imagine my shock to hear from my colleagues who visited Iraq that our soldiers and equipment are not equipped with lifesaving devices, such as top-of-the-line Kevlar inserts and armor for our Humvees. I cannot fathom why the Department of Defense did not put our soldiers' lives as a high enough priority to provide each of them with a Kevlar insert, a lifesaving device that costs only $517. I applaud our appropriator for making funding available in this second supplemental spending bill to provide our brave men and women this necessary protection.”