Political Quotes

“a few years ago, when the battleship Missouri was decommissioned for the second time, after more than 30 years, the Navy began a process to determine where it could become a permanent historic monument. The Navy carried on that process over an extended period of time under the rules that had been applicable to all previous donations. Two weeks before it made its final decision, the Navy informed the applicants of two additional and quite separate considerations. It did not tell any of the applicants the weight those considerations would be given. It did not inform them of the fact that they could submit additional items. They were really quite separate from the first set of considerations. At the end of that first round, Bremerton and Honolulu were essentially tied. At end of the second and unfair round, the Navy awarded the Missouri to Honolulu. The General Accounting Office--our General Accounting Office--has reported these changes, has reported that this was the wrong thing to do, and has reported that the Navy should change its processes in the future. My amendment does not seek to change the location of the Missouri. It just asks the Navy to start the process over again, to treat all applicants fairly, to set the rules in advance, and not to change the rules just before the game is over without telling people what the weight of the new rules will be.”