Keith Ellison

Mr. ELLISON

Mr. ELLISON. I was going to ask you to react to the quote, if you would, ma'am. Would you react to the Martin Luther King quote, or should I read it again?

Mr. ELLISON. That's $60 billion, with a ``B.''

Mr. ELLISON. Yes, sir.

Mr. ELLISON. Well, I just want to say that I think it's critical that we discuss this issue. I believe that a budget is a statement of values. And if we value human life, and if we value peace, then we should have that reflected in our budget. That's why tonight we are talking about taking a look at the defense budget. I just want to tell you, draw your attention to this chart up here, Mr. Speaker, Cold War-era weapons systems. Things that were mentioned, the anti-ballistic missile system, this is a pretty big-ticket item. If you could look at what we could save by cutting the Bush's fiscal year 2008 request, and then there is a task force that proposed a reduction, these would not result in any reductions in safety and security for the American people, and this chart was generated by the task force on the united security budget. I just want to talk about it a little bit. Let me frame it this way.

Mr. ELLISON. Well, I think that's dead on the mark. I want to say that, just yesterday, President Obama began by making good on his promise by signing the Presidential memorandum that will reform government by contracting. What this memorandum talks about is strengthening oversight and management of taxpayer dollars, ending unnecessary no-bid, cost-plus contracts, and maximizing the use of competitive procurement processes and clarifying the rules prescribing when outsourcing is and is not appropriate. The Office of Management and Budget will be tasked with giving guidance to every agency on making sure contracts serve taxpayers, not contractors. It's important to focus on who really matters here; this is taxpayer and American citizens, not contractors. That's the focus that we need to have. So I'm very happy to see the President taking the focus and really drilling down on getting the most for the American taxpayer. I think we've also been joined by the gentleman from the State of Washington who has been pitching hard for so long, speaking so eloquently for so long about issues of peace, issues of security, and important issues on the welfare of the American people. I am speaking of none other than Jim McDermott of the State of Washington. I would yield to the gentleman for any comments you might make on this important topic tonight.

Mr. ELLISON. Please do.

Mr. ELLISON. Here we are for yet another Progressive Caucus, progressive message coming to the American people to articulate a progressive vision for the society that we live in. I'm so happy to be talking about the progressive message today. And I'm going to be joined by our chairwoman, who is none other than Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, and I look forward to having a very robust dialogue today. Well, it's budget time, time to discuss the budget. And what better time than budget time to talk about how we're going to reshape our budget in a progressive and effective way that will reflect the needs and wants of the American people. Budget time, where we look at things, where we set our priorities, and where we really examine where we're going. Tonight we're going to focus on a particular part of the budget. We're going to talk about the defense budget and the need for reform, to review what we've been spending our money on, to make sure that while we absolutely protect the American people, that we do not spend so much money that the American people really can't afford it, and that we try to get that peace dividend that after the fall of the Soviet Union we all thought we would be realizing. This is what we're going to talk about tonight with the progressive message, which we come to you with every single week. The progressive message tonight: The budget. Tonight: The defense appropriation and how this particular end of the budget needs to be cut so that we, as Americans, can have the money we need to not only keep America safe, but also to keep America in the black and not in the red. Very important dialogue tonight. Let me invite our chairwoman, Lynn Woolsey, to have some open remarks. I yield to the gentlelady from the great State of California.

Mr. ELLISON. ``A Nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.'' How do you react to that? And then add on what other thoughts you may have.

Mr. ELLISON. Well, Congresswoman Woolsey, you know every dollar spent is a dollar earned by somebody. And I imagine that these weapons systems may be quite a pretty penny for some people. Congressman Polis, when I read that quote from our President--you were here last Tuesday night--what sort of thoughts come to you right away?

Mr. ELLISON. Well, Congressman Polis, you are a very welcomed voice. We agree wholeheartedly. You know, the American people may be under the mistaken impression that the more money you spend on defense, the more secure you're going to be. Well, tonight we're going to talk about how that isn't true. What I want to do is start out by quoting our President, Barack Obama, in his first address to Congress last Tuesday. He said, ``We will eliminate the no-bid contracts that have wasted billions in Iraq and reform our defense budget so that we're not paying for Cold War era weapons systems we don't use. At the risk of repetition let me just say, ``We will eliminate the no-bid contracts that we have wasted billions in Iraq and reform our defense budget so that we are not paying for Cold War-era weapons systems we don't use.'' When I quote that statement of our President, Congresswoman Woolsey, what sort of thoughts come to mind for you?

Mr. ELLISON. And we're honored to have you.

Mr. ELLISON. Colorado. Congressman Polis, forgive my lack of sharpness on that point. But you're a welcomed friend tonight, and we want to thank you. Would you like to make some opening comments as we begin to talk about the progressive message, the progressive budget, and we're going to be focusing on responsible defense spending tonight?

Mr. ELLISON. All right. Well, it's good to be here again. Thanks for getting us started. Let me invite Congressman Polis from the great State of----

Mr. ELLISON. Congressman Farr, let me thank you for being here. Let me also thank Congressman Woolsey, Congressman McDermott, and also Congressman Polis was with us for a moment. This is the progressive message, the progressive message tonight that we came with, to talk about just the defense aspect of the progressive message. We believe that if we follow the program that has been offered by the Center For American Progress that Congressman Frank has been working on, we can save a lot of money for the American people without any reduction in safety for the American people. It is not unpatriotic to question the military budget. It is not unpatriotic to talk about waste, fraud and abuse in the military. It is to enhance the quality of life for the soldier and security for the American people. My name is Keith Ellison. I have been happy to be here tonight for the Progressive message. It has been great, another fantastic hour. We will be back, week in, week out, projecting a progressive message to the American people.

Mr. ELLISON. Well, Congressman, the fact is that in all this exorbitant, precipitous expansion of the defense budget, you really haven't seen the average soldier getting a whole lot more money. We have had to increase the budget for the VA. When you talk about the human element in the military, this almost seems like the forgotten element. When you think about a weapon like this ballistic missile defense over in Europe, agitating the Russians, the Iranians aren't threatening to bomb America. I haven't heard that one yet. The fact is that this thing in the Bush budget was $10 billion. The fact is you have got this $21 billion for nuclear weapons. We live in a time of asymmetrical warfare. What do we need $21 billion for? Why do we need that? The fact is that is one of the things that is so appalling. One of the things we are doing tonight is saying it is not unpatriotic to examine the military budget. It is not a sign that you are a coward and you don't want to face the enemy if you want to cut the military budget. It doesn't mean that you don't care about the troops. Of course, we desperately care about the troops. Part of what we are arguing for is for the sake of the troops. So the thing is that it is so important to be having this dialogue tonight, so critical that we do not shrink from this critical dialogue about cutting this budget. I am so happy that President Obama came right in this Chamber a little more than a week ago to say ``we will eliminate the no-bid contract that have wasted billions in Iraq and reform our defense budget so that we are not paying for Cold War era weapons systems we don't use. Let it begin now.''

Mr. ELLISON. Congresswoman Woolsey, do you want to reflect on this?

Mr. ELLISON. Congressman Farr, one of the things that Barney Frank says is that on September 10th, 2001, we had no idea how we were going to deal with the expenditures associated with an Iraq war. Somehow over the course of time we figured out how to come up with $10 billion a month to fight the Iraq war. Yet people tell you and they tell me we can't afford universal health care. That is just too expensive. The prior President even told us that and vetoed the State Children's Health Insurance Program because it cost too much money. But what does that mean to you when we think about reexamining our defense budget for waste, fraud and abuse, and dealing with some of these Cold War era weapons systems? In your view, what do we really need a ballistic missile defense for in this age and day? Do you have any thoughts on that topic?

Mr. ELLISON. Congresswoman, we have just been joined by Congressman Sam Farr, who is a member of the Progressive Caucus. Congressman Farr, tonight we have been talking about the Progressive budget and how examining the defense budget in a tough way will allow us to save a whole lot of money which we can use for human need. And I just want to know do you have any comments on that, any reflections?

Mr. ELLISON. You've hit on something. Why has it been somewhat taboo to discuss the military budget? What is in operation that would make someone shy about asking tough questions about military expenditure? Does the gentlewoman from California have any views on this?

Mr. ELLISON. Talking about soldiers as opposed to contractors, I will never forget the hearing in which General Petraeus was asked how much he makes, and I think he makes about $170,000 a year for managing a whole lot of people and a whole lot of equipment. And then somebody asked Erik Prince, who is the head of Blackwater, how much he makes, and he makes quite a bit more than that, definitely millions. And I mean he runs an operation quite a bit smaller than the United States military and a comparable force. So even when it comes to the leadership in the military arena, we're contracting military leadership and we are paying them a whole lot more than we are those soldiers who are at the head of our military and who are really doing the real hard work and can't just walk away, and it's not just about a dollar and cents for them. When you made your observation about contractor versus soldier pay, that was another image that stuck in my mind. I yield back to you.

Mr. ELLISON. Congressman, you've been reflecting quite a bit on issues of military reductions and focusing on our country's security, not sacrificing that, but on how we might save more money. But what do you think about this idea of military expenditures not being a good economic investment, not stimulating a lot of jobs? Any thoughts occur to you about that?

Mr. ELLISON. Absolutely.

Mr. ELLISON. Yes, I do.

Mr. ELLISON. In the shadows of life.

Mr. ELLISON. Mr. McDermott, a great American whose birthday we celebrate every January 15, actually on April 4, 1967, said these words: ``A Nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.'' Those words were spoken by Martin Luther King. What do you think about that quote?