[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 141 (Tuesday, September 12, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


             DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1996

                                 ______


                               speech of

                     HON. GEORGE R. NETHERCUTT, JR.

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 7, 1995

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2126) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 1996, and for other purposes:

  Mr. NETHERCUTT. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 2126, the 
1996 Department of Defense appropriations bill. As a member of the 
subcommittee and committee which crafted this bipartisan bill, I 
believe it represents a revitalization of our national security by this 
Congress.
  I want to address a misleading argument that is often made in media 
reports and in this Chamber. Some people try to criticize this bill by 
claiming it funds items that the Pentagon didn't even ask for. In fact, 
as a part of the executive branch, the Department of Defense is asked 
to confirm the unlikely by saying that the Federal Government can 
provide for our defense needs with President Clinton's budget plan. The 
Department of Defense did not ask for everything it needs, even after 
10 straight years of cuts, because the President's budget was simply 
insufficient. The modest increases in defense spending provided by the 
House budget resolution will help bridge the gap between America's 
military goals and commitments and the money the administration 
budgeted for defense.
  Many of the big-ticket purchases in this bill have received a lot of 
discussion, but I want to draw attention to some of the less noticeable 
needs that are met by this bill.
  This bill funds a critical Army need for trucks to replace 2\1/2\-ton 
trucks that are an average of 25 years old. Would you trust your life 
in wartime to a 1970 vehicle? Our Army troops are forced to do just 
that by the administration budget.
  This bill increases procurement of equipment for the Reserve 
Component Automation System. This system will increase readiness by 
enabling the Army Reserve and National Guard to respond to a crisis in 
substantially less time than the current, manual process.
  This bill helps replace gas-guzzling, air-polluting engines in Air 
National Guard and Air Reserve tanker refuelers that are expected to be 
used until the year 2020. In the long run, these engine upgrades will 
make our refuelers more efficient, cleaner, and more cost-efficient.
  The list of items goes on and on: improved laser systems for the Army 
Reserve, C-9 cargo door repairs for the Navy Reserve, and auxiliary 
power units for Air Force KC-135's. This bill funds many items the 
Pentagon needs and was not allowed to request because, although 
President Clinton's defense budget was not part of a plan to balance 
the budget, the defense budget was supposed to continue to shrink 
drastically.
  I support this bill because it is the bipartisan product of a 
committee that did a good job of using available funds to provide for 
many of the real needs of the Department of Defense. Adequately 
providing for the national security and vital interests of the United 
States is one of the most important things this Congress and this 
Government can do. I urge my colleagues to vote for this important 
bill.


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