Kay Bailey Hutchison: “this is a bill that is cut and dried. My distinguished colleague, Senator Feinstein, and I have worked very closely on…”

“this is a bill that is cut and dried. My distinguished colleague, Senator Feinstein, and I have worked very closely on this bill. We are in agreement on its priorities. I think it is a good bill for the military construction of our country. I don't need to go over the details of the bill. Here is the bottom line: We are trying to fund the necessary military construction that will give a better quality of life and better facilities to those who are doing the job we are asking them to do. It is a pretty important job. They are protecting the freedom we enjoy today. It is that simple. Our bill has prioritized housing, facilities where people will be trained, and especially Guard and Reserve units. In the past, I think we have shortchanged our Guard and Reserve. But we now see how important our Guard and Reserve are, how much they are doing for our country. They are being called in record numbers, and they are stepping to the plate and doing their job. So we have focused on a bill that would give more of our Guard and Reserve better facilities, which they so richly deserve. We have more child development centers because we have more families in the military than before. We have more hospitals and medical facilities because, of course, we want to make sure we have proper medical treatment for our young men and women who are in our Armed Forces and for their families.”