Political Quotes

“I am one of the dozen or so Democrats on the National Security Committee who voted in favor of this bill. That is one indication that I have a somewhat different perspective on this bill than some of my colleagues. I do not want to get any of my Republican friends in trouble, but I have to confess that the committee leaders worked in the best bipartisan spirit to make this bill better than it was when it was first sent to the committee. I must also confess that I continue to debate in my own mind whether this bill is good or bad--and at the moment, I lean toward thinking that it is not the best way to achieve what its sponsors want to achieve. Let me tell you why. For years, one of my greatest concerns has been that legitimate debate about national security would become partisan and political. National security is one issue where I simply do not care about Republican or Democrat, I care about what is best for the country. I was proud the Armed Services Committee was truly bipartisan. I hope that will be true of the new committee. But bills like H.R. 872 threaten to destroy that bipartisan spirit.”