Some lawmakers say they often know more about what the military needs than the executive branch does.
“The Pentagon is not the fountain of all knowledge,” said Rep. Bill Young, a Florida Republican who was senior appropriator on the House floor last month when the Pentagon spending bill was approved. “They don’t have all of the knowledge, and they don’t have all of the wisdom. Neither does the administration, neither does the Congress. That’s why we work together.”
(He seems to be trying to expand on Murtha’s earmarking prowess.)