William M. ``Mac'' Thornberry: “the other side has said repeatedly in committee and on the floor that they support the President and his efforts to…”

“the other side has said repeatedly in committee and on the floor that they support the President and his efforts to prosecute the war and to defend the homeland. But the fact is, without the specific budget alterative to compare, we do not know what trade-offs they would make. We do not know how they would achieve it. So what we are left with some verbal assurances without any numbers to back them up. Mr. Chairman, I think we all understand the political frustration which bubbles up to the fore, particularly when you are facing a very popular President prosecuting a war which touches every American and has the support of the American people. But I would suggest that that frustration is no excuse to fall back on the old tactics of trying to scare people on Social Security. It is no excuse to fail to put forth a budget and only try to take pot shots at the President and this committee's budget. I would suggest that this is a good budget. It supports the President 100 percent in his efforts to prosecute the war and defend the homeland. And it does it with more than just verbal assurances. It puts hard dollars, hard numbers behind those promises. I think we can all safely support it, and I suggest that Members vote for the budget.”