Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to increase funding for the Air National Guard's Facility Modernization and Sustainment account. I appreciate the support of the chairman for its inclusion in en bloc No. 2 to the Defense Appropriations bill. I am so proud of the work of the men and women in the National Guard, including in my home state of Wisconsin. Unfortunately, decrepit, outdated, and decaying Air National Guard facilities are a disservice to the men and women who put on the uniform. They deserve facilities that are up-to-date and which will help improve their ability to carry out their missions in defense of our nation and their communities. Yet, we know that such aging and inefficient facilities exist nationwide including in my district where the 128th Air Refueling Wing is operating out of a building which was built in 1970, has aging and hard to maintain critical building systems and where much of the current square footage is unusable. That's according to the Defense Department. This is not an isolated story which is why I think an increase here is necessary. I appreciate the chairman, in his mark, for boosting funding for this critical account. I applaud his recognition of the situation facing many Air Guard units across the country and his commitment to putting funding into this account. But the needs simply continue to outpace available resources.…”