Mark Warner: “if I could reply to my good friend, you are absolutely right. And I know that chapter as you do and have studied it. But…”

“if I could reply to my good friend, you are absolutely right. And I know that chapter as you do and have studied it. But under the law, the Secretary of Defense is still the head of the Department, and as such I suppose he can alter the field manual of the Army and make it less in the present form and in the revised form in due course. But I think it is important we have a clear chain of authority and accountability. I look up the chain, and there are the laws established by the Secretary of Defense as opposed to those who might be involved in drawing up the Army Field Manual. I presume the Secretary of the Army is at the top of that pyramid. But that is the reason I put in this amendment. I say to my good friend from Arizona, I hope we can sort this out before final passage and possibly amend it. I will withdraw mine because I want you to take the lead in every respect on this important amendment. If I might add, I say to my friend from Arizona, there is another important amendment you needed to get completed. Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I thought my colleague wanted me to wait on the additional amendment.”