Robert C. Byrd: “Playing a bureaucratic shell game is simply unacceptable.”

Promoting efficiency and preventing fraud in defense acquisitions will obviously be a high priority.

I cannot support this item unless there are some limitations on it, unless Congress can exercise its power over the purse, as the Constitution provides.

Doesn't this send a signal to the Iraqi people and to the American people that the United States intends to have a large permanent presence there?

The Department is firmly committed to working closely and openly with Congress in order to protect the health of our servicemembers.