Pete Sessions: “I rise to discuss a few items. The inflation index is an index that is in all of our budgetary projections. We figure…”

“I rise to discuss a few items. The inflation index is an index that is in all of our budgetary projections. We figure out how our budget is going to be. When that index altered, it did free up some money previously committed to inflationary cost increases. It left that money available. I point out that in our Armed Services Committee, as we discussed this, we did not hear, when the budget passed, that we had to have more money for homeland defense or any particular item that amendments were offered on and voted down. It was only after this index became altered and funds were freed up. The President said: I will accept what the Senate Democrats offered in the Armed Services Committee for extra spending. He said: The money they took from missile defense--that he requested and was spent on other items that they wanted--I will allow that to go. I suggest we use this extra money so I can complete my projections for national missile defense. That is where we are today. Hopefully, we will be able to work through this and be happy with it. But I think we will have that inflation index money. I think it will be available. There is strong bipartisan support in this country for developing a national missile defense program and keeping it on track. The House passed their Defense authorization bill recently. They increased the President's request for national missile defense by $21 million. The House bill passed by a huge margin, 359 to 58. It is a totally bipartisan bill.”