Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, in the House's perspective, this conference agreement on H.R. 3616 does not contain everything we wanted. Nevertheless, the final product deserves our support. This conference agreement authorizes $49.5 billion for procurement in fiscal year 1999. This represents an increase of $800 million above the President's request, and more importantly, $4 billion, or 8 percent, above last year's level. Even more importantly, it marks the end of a too long procurement holiday. Clearly this is good progress, but more is needed. Procurement budgets have drifted to artificially low levels in recent years, and went from the Reagan buildup in the eighties and the end of the Cold War in the nineties, but equipment developed and produced in the seventies and eighties is rapidly reaching the end of its useful life. It must be replaced if we are to maintain required equipment levels and technological superiority for our forces. I believe H.R. 3616 represents a good-faith effort to respond to that concern.”