Political Quotes

“I also rise to express my strong support for the recommendations of the conference committee with respect to our military forces. It is the responsibility of every Member of Congress to provide our military forces with the necessary resources to go in harm's way with the best equipment and training available. From testimony during hearings and visits to military installations by the Committee on Armed Services, it is clear that the readiness of our forces continues to slip below acceptable levels. Steps must be taken and now to restore our readiness posture. The administration has continued to expect our military to do more with less by providing woefully inadequate military defense budgets. Our military is working harder and longer to keep up with peacetime as well as contingency mission requirements. Unscheduled deployments continue at a record pace. On average, units often experience long deployments only to return and face a breakneck pace of training and exercise requirements. There is little or no time for family commitments or educational opportunities. The results of all this increased activity is that too many of our best and brightest are deciding against a career in the military, which will have an impact on our military in the future. The conference report provides for significant increases in the readiness-critical accounts, such as training, facility maintenance, spare parts, and depot maintenance.”