Political Quotes

“My bipartisan amendment would prevent funding from this bill to be used to carry out the Defense Department's ``unfunded priorities list.'' This list that the DOD is required to send to Congress is simply a wish list of things that individual commanders and generals would like to fund and by definition have been determined nonessential to our national security. This practice does not serve the national security interests of the United States, and it was not mandatory until the passage of the fiscal 2017 NDAA. Mandating these wish lists only serves special interests in the defense contractor industry eager to grow their profits by selling expensive equipment that was not important enough to make it into the Pentagon's own budget. This is corruption and a waste of taxpayer dollars. This practice has long been criticized by DOD officials and lawmakers of both parties. Bush-appointed Defense Secretary Robert Gates all but banned the list, strongly discouraging his generals from submitting wish lists to Congress during his tenure. Senator John McCain, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, publicly stated his skepticism of the practice. In fact, in response to a letter that I sent to the Department of Defense on this practice, Under Secretary of Defense Michael McCord said on behalf of Defense Secretary Austin: ``Therefore, the Department supports your proposal to repeal the requirement in 10 U.S.C.…”