[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 139 (Friday, September 8, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1751]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


             DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1996

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                               speech of

                         HON. WILLIAM P. LUTHER

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 7, 1995

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2126) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 1996, and for other purposes:

  Mr. LUTHER. Mr. Chairman, I support the Kasich-Dellums-Obey amendment 
to the 1996 military appropriations bill.
  The arguments surrounding B-2 bombers are well known--in fact, we in 
this body considered the same amendment almost 7 weeks ago. We know 
that the Pentagon does not want and cannot afford any more B-2's beyond 
the 20 already being built. We know that B-2 bombers are being promoted 
not for the national security of our country, but rather for financial 
and economic reasons, many of which are parochial in nature.
  My colleagues, let there be no question about it--this amendment 
strikes at the heart of our challenge in this Congress. We were elected 
amidst a growing national consensus that Federal spending has gotten 
out of control, burdening our children with a nearly $5 trillion 
national debt and threatening the future of our Nation. Along with most 
of my other first-term colleagues, I feel I have a responsibility to 
the people who sent me here to make wise spending decisions that are in 
our national interest, even if it means voting against some financial 
benefit to my district. There are those in my district who will be 
affected by restricting B-2 spending, but these are the decisions that 
haven't been made in the past but that we were sent here to make.
  Many of us who voted for the recent spending rescissions bill did so 
not because we relished in cutting the affected programs, but rather 
because we are deeply about the future of this country. And to vote 
against future commitments to education, Head Start, child nutrition 
and school lunches, and summer youth programs--in short, against 
investing in our children and our future--because of our deficit, and 
then to turn right around and see $493 million added to a weapons 
system even the Pentagon does not want--to me that is a great 
injustice.
  This amendment is not about jeopardizing national security; it's 
about whether we have the courage to save our country from financial 
disaster while trying to maintain other, key strategic investments in 
America that create opportunities for our children and future 
competitiveness for our Nation. Voting for this amendment to cap B-2 
production may not be the easy thing to do, but it is the right thing 
to do. I therefore strongly urge my colleagues to support the Kasich-
Dellums-Obey amendment.


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