[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 12347-12348]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM COTTON

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 24, 2013

  Mr. COTTON. Mr. Speaker, during a late-night series of votes 
yesterday on amendments to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act 
FY2014 (H.R. 2397), I intended to vote ``yes'' on the Fleming amendment 
(rollcall No. 392), but inadvertently voted ``no.'' Mr. Fleming's 
amendment prohibits funds from being used to appoint ``non-theistic'' 
military chaplains, which would contravene current DOD policy. As I 
witnessed firsthand in Iraq and Afghanistan, chaplains are essential to 
our Armed Forces and they minister to troops of all faiths--and none. I 
strongly support the spiritual role of our military chaplains and I'm 
pleased Mr. Fleming's amendment passed with bipartisan support.

[[Page 12348]]



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