[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 4054]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     SUPPORT THE DEMOCRATIC BUDGET

  (Mr. RUPPERSBERGER asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today against the majority 
resolution, which fails to repeal sequestration.
  I am proud to represent not one, but two Army bases, Fort Meade and 
Aberdeen Proving Ground, as well as an Air National Guard base at 
Martin State Airport. I am a member of the Defense Appropriations 
Subcommittee and am co-chair of the Army Caucus. I am the former 
ranking member of the Intelligence Committee.
  I have sat through hearing after hearing in which the leaders of our 
Armed Forces have all testified that, if sequestration is not repealed, 
it will make our country weaker against the threats that exist today, 
from terrorism to cyber, including the Russia-China threat.
  These outdated spending levels are putting our national security at 
risk and are damaging our credibility throughout the world. The across-
the-board cuts of sequestration take away all ability to make strategic 
decisions on the things we keep and the things we cut. Budgeting is the 
science of priorities, not cutting across the board.
  We must ensure our Armed Forces and intelligence community have the 
resources they need to do their jobs around the world and to protect 
our country and our families. The alternative Democratic budget 
released today does that by repealing sequestration.

                          ____________________