[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 86 (Thursday, June 30, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 30, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1995

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will first report the pending bill.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2182) to authorize appropriations for fiscal 
     year 1995 for military activities of the Department of 
     Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
     activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe 
     personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed 
     Forces, and for other purposes.

  The Senate resumed consideration of the bill.

       Pending:
       Johnston amendment No. 1840, to restore funding for the 
     National Defense Sealift Fund and reduce funding for the LHD-
     7 Amphibious Ship.
       Dole-Lieberman amendment No. 1851, to terminate the United 
     States arms embargo applicable to the Government of Bosnia 
     and Herzegovina.
       Nunn/Warner amendment No. 1852 (as modified), to express 
     the sense of the Congress that the United States should work 
     with NATO member nations and members of the United Nations 
     Security Council to endorse the efforts of the contact group 
     to bring about a peaceful settlement of the conflict in 
     Bosnia and Herzegovina.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan is recognized.


                           Amendment No. 2142

  (Purpose: To strike out the funds for a B-2 Bomber Industrial Base 
  program and make available such funds for environmental restoration 
       activities at military installations approved for closure)

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk on behalf 
of myself, Senators Cohen, Glenn, McCain, Leahy, Hatfield, and others 
and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Michigan [Mr. Levin], for himself, Mr. 
     Cohen, Mr. Glenn, Mr. McCain, Mr. Leahy and Mr. Hatfield, 
     proposes an amendment numbered 2142.
       On page 25, beginning with line 4, strike out all through 
     page 26, line 13.
       On page 272, line 16, strike out ``$2,189,858,000'' and 
     insert in lieu thereof ``$2,339,858.000''.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I yield myself 1 minute to describe the 
amendment and then, if my friend, Senator Thurmond, wishes to go at 
this point, I will be happy to yield to him and then come back to my 
remarks. So I will just yield myself 2 minutes, Mr. President.
  This amendment would strike the $150 million for the B-2 bomber which 
was added by the Armed Services Committee to the bill. It was not 
requested by the Pentagon. As a matter of fact, the Secretary of 
Defense has indicated that he does not wish this money, that there is a 
better use for this money.
  What the amendment does is to transfer this money to the base closing 
cleanup fund, which has been reduced by $500 million because of the 
earthquake emergency in California. We have shorted that base closing 
cleanup fund by one-half billion dollars. We made a commitment to the 
communities where bases are closed that we would make it possible to 
close these bases quickly and to pay quickly for the environmentally 
required cleanups.
  What we did when the earthquake hit us was to remove $500 million 
from that fund, and we must replace it if we are going to keep our 
commitment to the communities which have been impacted by base closings 
and help the environment in this country.
  What this amendment does is take the $150 million, which the Pentagon 
did not ask for, for this B-2 industrial base fund and transfer it back 
into the fund from which $500 million was taken during the California 
earthquake emergency.
  Mr. President, I understand that the Senator from South Carolina, the 
ranking member on the Armed Services Committee, may wish to proceed at 
this time. I will be happy to yield to him, and I ask unanimous consent 
that I yield to him at this point and that I then be recognized to 
complete my statement after his statement is completed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is 
so ordered.
  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senator. I 
will make very brief remarks.
  Mr. President, I rise to oppose the Levin amendment to cancel the 
provision to maintain the bomber industrial base. The Defense 
Department has not presented a coherent explanation of their intentions 
for providing bomber capability. This measure provides a year's 
insurance policy by keeping the B-2 production option open.
  This is a prudent measure to preserve capacity and reduce the cost of 
future acquisitions if we find them necessary during next year's 
hearings on bomber requirements.
  Again, I say I oppose the Levin amendment and favor the B-2 plane.
  I yield the floor. I thank the Senator very much.

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