Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006--Conference Report--Resumed
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2006--CONFERENCE REPORT--Resumed
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Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I thank the Senator from Washington for her leadership, along with Senator Lieberman, Senator Kerry, and others.
This vote on cloture comes down to two basic issues. The first is the issue of energy.
Fifty years ago, President Eisenhower set this land aside. He said this Wildlife Refuge will be here for future generations. We ought to protect it and preserve it. Now we are be being told that in the name of energy, we have no choice but to drill in this Wildlife Refuge.
What are we saying to Americans? What are we saying to our children? That we are so bereft of ideas, that we are so devoid of leadership, that we are so self-consumed, the only thing we can do to provide energy for America is to break our promise to future generations to protect this important piece of our heritage? I think not. The alternative is innovation. The alternative is conservation. The alternative is a real energy policy--not drilling in a wildlife refuge.
To think that we are bringing up this issue on the Defense appropriations bill--there was a time when this bill was considered in a sacred manner. It was usually the first appropriations bill. It was very rarely ever embroiled in a political controversy not directly related to the military. But this time, it is the second-to-last appropriations bill. It has become the vehicle for a variety of controversial political issues.
We show no respect for our men and women in uniform by taking this bill to this point in history where it becomes the showplace and the forum for all of these political squabbles. We should show respect for our men and women in uniform by defeating this cloture motion, by taking out this objectionable provision, and by quickly moving to pass this bill so we fully fund all that is necessary to help or men and women in uniform. The senior Senator from Alaska promised it, said that is what will occur.
I hope we prevail on the motion against cloture, that we can move very quickly to pass a clean Defense appropriations.
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