Mike Gallagher: “I thank Congressman Bergman not only for his leadership in the freshman class, but a lifetime of leadership and a…”

“I thank Congressman Bergman not only for his leadership in the freshman class, but a lifetime of leadership and a lifetime spent leading marines. I ask my team here in Congress, whenever we are considering a difficult issue, to apply what I call the lance corporal test. In other words, how are the policies that we are debating today and how is the legislation that we are considering going to affect that lance corporal, that 19-year-old man or woman at the tip of the spear? I think General Bergman has seen in his career how messy things can get at the tip of the spear when you are far removed from air- conditioned offices in Washington, D.C. I believe having more people not only with military experience, but with experience from a wide range of occupations will allow us to more thoughtfully consider how our policies here, designed in Washington, D.C., have real impacts on the American people and, indeed, across the world. I now yield to the gentleman (Mr. Arrington) from Lubbock, Texas, to talk more about this issue. It has been great to work with the pride of Texas Tech, the pride of Lubbock, Texas.”