Political Quotes

“I want to thank the chairman and our ranking member. I have great respect for both of them. Mr. Chair, the most important responsibility we have is to keep our Nation and our citizens safe. In order to fulfill that responsibility, we have a commitment to those who serve, that they will have the training and equipment and support that they need to be the most capable fighting force the world has ever seen. We also have a commitment to the men and women who serve that we will have their back, not only when they are on duty, but when they come home. This Congress should support a pay raise for our Nation's troops. This Congress should support a cutting-edge Naval fleet. This Congress should make sure that we can say that every veteran will get the care that he or she has earned. But this Congress should also be opposed to a bill that puts the Department of Defense right in the path of the across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration. Now, I admit, I had not heard of sequestration until I first ran for this job. It turns out it is a Latin word for stupid, because when you face our military leaders, even in my district, they have implored this Congress to do away with the bind that sequestration threatens to put them in. They think this is a bad idea. But what we are doing this week ignores the advice of our top commanders and our military experts. Instead, it would put the Department of Defense on a collision course with sequestration.…”