Political Quotes

“The reality is that our economic security is part and parcel of our national security, and so it is in line with these values today that we introduce Amendment 334 to the National Defense Authorization Act, which states a sense of Congress that any appropriated increase to the combined national defense budget and the overseas contingency operations budget are matched dollar for dollar by nondefense discretionary spending increases. For years now, these spending increases have occurred concurrently and equally, keeping important parity between defense and nondefense discretionary spending. Because genuine national security depends on the health, vibrancy, and safety of our communities, we must ensure that the spending parity continues and that this Democratic Party principle carries on into fiscal year 2018. Nondefense discretionary spending includes a host of funds that are crucial to the American people, from education to research, to veterans' healthcare, to transportation and even homeland security. NDD funding is absolutely essential to moving our country forward. Mr. Chairman, as vice ranking member of the Budget Committee, I echo the comments made earlier by our ranking member, Mr. Smith, about the dysfunction that we have, as we have yet to consider a fiscal year 2018 budget resolution, and we have only 23 legislative days before the new fiscal year begins.…”