Political Quotes

“I would like to pick up on my distinguished colleague's last point with regard to the projected budget cycle as it relates to this program. In fairness, the distinguished Senator from Massachusetts should point out that while that document outlines a proposal for a program, Congress carefully has enacted the checks and balances such that every step of the way that program has to be reviewed by the Congress, authorized, and appropriated. Those are the types of checks and balances that should be accorded a program of this significance. I point out, and I read from the conference report on the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2004, the requirement for specific authorization of Congress for commencement of engineering development phase and subsequent phase of the robust nuclear earth penetrator, section 3117 of the law, the Senate amendment contained in provision 3135 that would require the Secretary of Energy to obtain specific authorization from Congress to commence development engineering phase of the nuclear weapons development process or any subsequent phase of a robust nuclear earth penetrator weapon. So I assure my colleagues, I assure the American public, Congress is carefully monitoring each step of this proposed program. My good friend from Massachusetts pointed out about the military requirements. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in appearing before Congress, established the military requirement.…”