[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 108 (Monday, August 8, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT

  The Senate continued with the consideration of the bill.
  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I think the time has come to advise the 
American public that may be viewing the proceedings as to what is 
happening.
  Mr. President, as you are aware, we are presently considering a 
measure that calls for the funding of the defense and security 
activities of this Government. The total amount involved is $243.6 
billion. Mr. President, it is the largest appropriations measure, so I 
can understand the surprise among Americans as to why the lack of 
interest.
  Your Committee on Appropriations filed a measure 9 days ago. Senators 
have had the bill for a week. But we, Senator Stevens and I, realized 
that the matter before us is not only large, but very complicated. And 
I would suppose that it does take time to go through this massive bill 
that we have here and to study each provision and the consequences of 
each provision. So we have been sitting here very patiently to 
accommodate our colleagues.
  Together with this complexity is the fact that at this moment, the 
conference on the authorizing committee is on the Armed Services 
Committee. It may surprise some that the authorizers have not completed 
their conference, notwithstanding that the appropriators are moving.
  There is also another very important conference committee pending at 
this moment, and that is the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, 
State, and Justice. The Commerce Committee is also having a very 
important meeting on the so-called information superhighway. We are 
hoping that agreement can be reached so that that matter can be brought 
before the committee.
  At this moment, there is a very important meeting on the national 
health program.
  What I am trying to tell you, Mr. President, and the American public 
that may be viewing this strange situation, with the Presiding Officer 
and two other Senators present, is that the Senate, notwithstanding, is 
very diligently at work.
  We understand that. And so, though we may look frustrated, we realize 
that this is part of the process of the U.S. Senate. We know that 24 
hours from now, the situation will change. We will begin to consider 
amendments. We are hoping that this whole process can be concluded by 
the close of business on Wednesday so that we may go into conference 
with the House.
  We just hope that our colleagues will come forth by tomorrow noon and 
begin to present their amendments.


                         NAVY F/A-18 GEARBOXES

  Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, I would like to ask the distinguished 
chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee a question 
regarding the Navy's F/A-18 program. It has been will publicized that 
the Navy has been having significant problems with the gearbox of the 
F/A-18 C/D models. In fact, the Navy attributes a significant number of 
aborted missions directly to these problems.
  To its credit, I understand that the Navy is now committed to 
expeditiously qualify a second source for the gearboxes. Is the 
chairman aware of the Navy's commitment?
  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I am aware of the commitment the Navy had 
made to move expeditiously to qualify a second source for this flight-
critical item. I also expect the Navy will keep our committee fully 
informed of its progress on a timely basis, and I will share that 
information with the Senator from Illinois as well.
  Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, I thank the chairman for his willingness to 
keep me informed of the Navy's progress on this important matter and I 
look forward to the Navy's reports.

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