On the recordMay 15, 2015
Let me start by saying I very much appreciate the service of Mr. Gallego and all the veterans on both sides of the aisle who have served our Nation. I appreciate all of the contributions Mr. Gallego and all the other 62 members of the committee have made into producing this National Defense Authorization Act. It has been a bipartisan product in the tradition of this committee. You know, if you think about it, for 53 straight years Congresses of both parties have passed and Presidents of both parties have signed into law a Defense Authorization Act, and that has been true through Vietnam and the cold war and 9/11. It has been true through Watergate and race riots, and economic recessions and bitter political feuds. {time} 1045 And yet, through all those things, somehow the parties could come together to do what was needed for our troops and for our country's security. I think that that strong tradition of bipartisanship is something that we should not walk away from lightly. We have heard some discussion--complaints, really--on both sides of the aisle about using OCO to get up to the President's level. If you look at this chart, this is the President's budget, and this is the congressional budget, which this bill is compliant with. There is a little difference in where the light blue and the dark blue start and stop. But the net effect, when you add it all together, is exactly the same: $612 billion. That is what the President asked for.…
