On the recordJune 10, 2015
I thank Chairman Frelinghuysen for yielding. I want to say a special word of thanks to Chairman Frelinghuysen and Ranking Member Visclosky for the hard work they have put into bringing the bill before us today. I think, arguably, this is the most important issue we face every year. Last year, I pointed out the fact that I think the number one responsibility of the Federal Government is to protect American lives, and we work to do that every day. We talked about the fact that the best way to keep America safe is to keep America strong. I think that, if you look back, here we are a year later, and not much has changed. National security is still a critical element of what we do here. Back home in northeast Florida, the constituents that I represent are greatly concerned about national security. They are greatly concerned about the men and women in uniform and greatly concerned that they will have the necessary resources to accomplish their mission successfully and return home safely. They are also concerned that we don't get caught up in the politics of the moment and lose sight of the fact that we have a constitutional responsibility to provide for the common defense. I just want to say in closing, Mr. Chairman, that, when we look at the ever-increasing dangerous world that we live in, I think we have to meet these challenges head on.…
