On the recordJuly 12, 2017
I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. DesJarlais), a valuable member of our committee. Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Chairman, no one can deny we have a readiness issue within our military due to funding shortfalls. This comes at a time when we are facing unprecedented threats all over the globe. Our Constitution makes it clear that our top priority and duty is to provide for the common defense. In World War II, Americans willingly rationed whatever was necessary to support the war effort and our troops. It would have been unthinkable--unimaginable--for someone to suggest that our military could not have the resources necessary to defeat our enemies, unless we had equal spending for everything else. Simply put, we would have lost the war and our freedom. We cannot lose sight or take for granted our Nation's safety and security. Without it, the rest of the discretionary budget really doesn't matter so much. I fear America has lost its way if we live in a culture that would suggest that we can't support our most vital obligation without equal financial representation of our other government expenditures. I urge my colleagues to give our full support to the men and women in uniform, support the underlying bill, but oppose this amendment that adds unnecessarily to our debt and further threatens our ability to keep our Nation safe for the remaining threats we face.
