[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17882]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     PROTECTING LIBERTY AND FREEDOM

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, as we continue to mourn the senseless loss 
of thousands of Americans, let us begin to ensure that the tragic 
events of September 11 never happen again.
  This week we will consider legislation to begin providing our 
military men and women the resources they have needed for years. 
According to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, the United States 
military needs ``every penny'' of the $343 billion provided in the 
fiscal year 2002 Defense budget, because in real terms the Defense 
budget has declined every year from 1985 until 1998. Our battle to 
combat terrorism will require dedication and commitment not only by our 
armed services and by the American public, but by Congress, this very 
Congress as well.
  We need to ensure that our military has every tool and resource 
available to enable them to protect freedom and liberty. Therefore, I 
encourage all of my colleagues to support the defense authorization 
bill, a down payment for our military to enable them to meet the 
challenges of today and to begin preparing for those of tomorrow.

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