In contrast, in absolute dollar terms, defense spending actually declined slightly between those two years.

FORBES: Bullets vs. Band-aids: Is Health Spending Crowding out Defense?

Even so, the absolute number of ships would increase in Asia, defense officials said, as ships are drawn down from the Atlantic Fleet and others reassigned to the Pacific.

WSJ: U.S. Plans Naval Shift to Asia

My defense in this case will not be technical or legalistic: it will be categorical and absolute.

NPR: Text of DeLay Press Statement