mr. speaker , i yield myself such time as i may consume .  mr. speaker , i feel compelled to respond to some of the points my good friend , the gentlewoman from california ( ms. lee )  made .  not helping our soldiers ?  a blank check ?  this bill is anything but a blank check .  let me read a couple of things in here .  just running down operations and maintenance , navy , $ 3.4 billion ; operations and maintenance , marine corps .  there is line after line of great specificity my good friend , the chairman of the committee on appropriations was very careful in crafting a bill that will meet the needs of our personnel .  the immoral thing to do would be to commit 170 , 000 people to combat and not resupply them and not reequip them and not give them the things they need on a daily basis to not only be successful , but to provide for their own safety and security .  it is very legitimate to debate the war .  although i remind my good friend on the other side of the aisle , this body and the other body vote on a bipartisan basis to make the commitment in iraq .  i could read off name after name , including the distinguished nominee from the other body , of my friends on the other side of the aisle , a candidate for president last time , who voted in favor of this particular contest .  having made that decision , once we place people on the line under fire and in danger , we owe it to them to provide them what they need .  we can continue to debate policy .  that is a very legitimate point , but i think it would it be the height of folly and irresponsibility to not fund people when they are in the field in action .  frankly , it would send the wrong signal to our adversaries , and more importantly , the wrong signal to our own men and women and their families .  and not to support the rule , and certainly not to support the supplemental appropriations , i believe , would be a grave and terrible mistake for this country .  mr. speaker , i reserve the balance of my time .  