[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 54 (Thursday, March 23, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E666]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


     EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL DISASTER 
            ASSISTANCE AND RESCISSIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1995

                                 ______


                               speech of

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 15, 1995

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1158) making 
     emergency supplemental appropriations for additional disaster 
     assistance and making rescissions for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 1995, and for other purposes:

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, during debate on the Young amendment to 
H.R. 1158 that restored funding for veterans' medical care and cut 
funding for the AmeriCorps national service program, it was charged 
that AmeriCorps is hurting military recruiting. This is an absolutely 
false charge concocted to justify an appalling amendment that pits 
veterans who served our country against young people serving their 
communities. There also is no evidence to support this charge. To 
refute this charge, I am submitting for the Record the following letter 
form Assistance Secretary of Defense for Force Management, Frederick 
Pang:

                               Assistant Secretary of Defense,

                                 Washington, D.C., March 15, 1995.
     Hon. Bob Stump,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Stump: I understand that you are considering 
     introducing an amendment to reduce funding for national 
     service based on testimony from Sergeant Major of the Marine 
     Corps, Harold G. Overstreet. This letter provides the 
     Department's position regarding the possible effects of 
     national service on military recruiting.
       During his testimony before the House Committee on National 
     Security on March 7, Sergeant Major Overstreet discussed 
     results from the Marine Corps' Youth Attitude and Awareness 
     Study that suggested national service is a threat to military 
     recruiting. This survey is administered twice a year to a 
     sample of 800 unmarried men, ages 16-19 years, with no 
     military service. In particular, Sergeant Major Overstreet 
     indicated that 47 percent of the young men responding to the 
     survey would consider enrolling in a national service 
     program. He also said 56 percent of the respondents believed 
     that national service offers a better way to obtain money for 
     college than does the military.
       Unfortunately, Sergeant Major Overstreet's testimony did 
     not include all the salient facts about national service from 
     the survey. When asked if they were aware of national 
     service, only 11 percent of respondents answered yes. The 
     percentages mentioned above came after the interviewers had 
     explained national service to the respondents. The 
     proportions who indicated awareness of national service in 
     October 1993 and in February 1994 were 15 and 8 percent, 
     respectively.
       At yesterday's hearing before the Personnel Subcommittee of 
     the Committee on National Security, the Chairman asked the 
     Service Personnel Chiefs if national service was causing 
     recruiting problems. Each stated unequivocally that national 
     service has not had a negative impact on recruiting. In 
     addition, I am told that Lieutenant General G.R. Christmas 
     further indicated that the types of people attracted to 
     national service were very unlikely to be interested in 
     joining the Marine Corps.
       While I share Sergeant Major Overstreet's concerns about 
     future recruiting challenges, I believe he overstated the 
     potential impact of national service on recruiting. Given the 
     small size of the current national service program, the 
     greater value of the military educational benefits 
     (Montgomery GI Bill), and the greater depth of training 
     available in today's Armed Forces, we maintain that military 
     recruiting is in no danger from national service. Fiscal Year 
     1994 was the third best recruiting year in the history of the 
     All-Volunteer Force. In terms of recruit quality, 96 percent 
     of new enlistees were high school diploma graduates and 72 
     percent scored above average on the enlistment test. 
     Recruiting also is going well in Fiscal Year 1995.
       I appreciate the opportunity to clarify the Department's 
     position on this issue.
           Sincerely,
                                                          F. Pang.
     

                          ____________________