[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 17 (Wednesday, February 7, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1075-S1076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONGRESSMAN FLOYD SPENCE NAMED THE RESERVE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF THE
UNITED STATES 1996 MINUTEMAN OF THE YEAR
Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, on January 24, 1996, my able colleague
from South Carolina, Floyd Spence, the chairman of the House National
Security Committee, received the 1996 Minuteman of the Year Award from
the Reserve Officers Association of the United States. He is most
deserving of this high honor. Throughout the 25 years that Floyd Spence
has served in the House of Representatives, he has been a strong
advocate for ensuring that our Nation's defense capabilities are second
to none, and he has demonstrated great leadership ability as
[[Page S1076]]
the chairman of the House National Security Committee in the 104th
Congress. Floyd Spence is a man of character and integrity, and it is a
privilege to work with him. He is truly dedicated to the freedoms that
we as Americans hold so dear.
Mr. President, I was so impressed with the remarks that Chairman
Spence made when he received the 1996 Minuteman of the Year Award, that
I would like to share them with my colleagues. Mr. President, I ask
unanimous consent that the address made by Floyd Spence to the Reserve
Officers Association of the United States on January 24, 1996, be
printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the address was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Address by Congressman Floyd D. Spence to the Mid-Winter Banquet and
Military Ball of the Reserve Officers Association of the United States
January 24, 1996
It is a privilege for me to be in the presence of so many
great Americans this evening, and to join the list of famous
people who have received the Minuteman of the Year award from
the Reserve Officers Association of the United States. I
never thought that I would be honored in this way. I would
like to thank you. I also would like to thank God, for it is
through him that I received a double-lung transplant in 1988,
that has extended my life and allowed me to continue my work
in the Congress.
It is indeed an honor to be selected as the 1996 Minuteman
of the Year. I joined the Navy when I was 17 years old, and
after graduating from college, I was commissioned as an
ensign in the Naval Reserve. As a retired Captain in the Navy
and a member of the Reserve Officers Association, not a day
goes by that I do not think about my time in the Naval
Reserve and relate it to my work as Chairman of the House
National Security Committee. I use those experiences in
looking for ways to do what is best for our men and women in
uniform and for our National Security. To be recognized as I
mark my first anniversary as Chairman, this award really
means a lot to me.
A Chairman of a Committee, in either the House or the
Senate, is only as good as the people that he serves with.
Over my 25 years in the House, I have had the privilege of
serving with some of the finest Members that the United
States Congress has seen. And, although my dear friend and
colleague from Mississippi could not be here tonight, due to
back surgery, I would like to take a moment to recognize
Sonny Montgomery for his infinite support for our veterans,
and our Reserve and National Guard programs.
Sonny will be retiring at the end of this term after 30
years in the House. But, we, his family of veterans,
Reservists and members of the National Guard, can all take
comfort in knowing that the Congress is a better place due to
his service. I do not need to say any more. I am certain that
because of Sonny Montgomery, either you or someone that you
know was able to go to college through the Montgomery GI
Bill. I will be sure to pass along your warm greeting to
Sonny.
I am sometimes accused of being too supportive of the
military. To my accusers, I say that it is impossible to be
too supportive of the military that helped this country to
gain and keep its freedom. When I was appointed Chairman,
last year, my first proposal was to change the Department of
Defense's name to the Department of Offense. When people
quote scripture to me, it is often from Isaiah and references
the beating of swords into plowshares. My immediate response
is to quote Joel 3:9--``wake up mighty men and beat
plowshares into swords and pruning hooks into spears.''
Article 1, Section 8, of the Constitution gives the
Congress the responsibility of providing for the defense of
our Nation. We have conducted a survey of the status of our
defense, which concludes that defense spending has been cut
too deeply and that the President's defense plan underfunds
the Bottom-Up Review force structure and the overall National
Military Strategy for two major regional contingencies.
In my 25 years on the Hill, I have seen leaders come and
go; budget fights won and lost; and changes in threat,
weapons systems and strategies, and even a ``hollow''
military. I have seen hot wars, cold wars, contingency,
peacekeeping and even peace enforcement operations; yet, I
have never been more concerned about the state of our
National Security than I am now.
Unlike during the Cold War, when the consensus on the
threat generally dictated our national strategy, forces,
budgets and weapon systems decisions, there is no consensus
on the threat to our national interest in the post-Cold War
world, as we cannot see the threat. As the former Director of
the CIA testified several years ago, in the post-Cold War
world it is as if a mighty dragon had been slayed and the
result is a jungle full of deadly snakes.
In this new environment, we still face weapons of mass
destruction, low technology and inexpensive delivery systems.
We still face a growing range of nationalist, ethnic and
religious conflicts that transcend traditional borders. The
only people who have seen the end of war are the dead
themselves. Whether or not this country will next go to war
is not a question of ``if'' but a question of ``when.''
Yet, we have cut back too severely over the last decade.
For example, over the last decade of declining defense
budgets, we have cut back dramatically on modernization
spending--procurement spending by 70 percent and research and
development spending by 20 percent. As a consequence, there
will be a dramatic modernization shortfall beginning early in
the next century.
As for force structure, just since the end of Desert Storm,
we have cut back: active duty force structure by almost 30
percent, Army divisions by 30 percent, combat ships by 32
percent, and warplanes by 36 percent. Currently, many experts
doubt that we could conduct another campaign like we did in
the Persian Gulf in 1991.
One year ago, in an effort to begin revitalizing our
National Security, the Chairman of the National Security
Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, Bill Young, and
I worked with the Republican Leadership to stop the
``hemorrhaging,'' to freeze defense spending and to end the
decline. We managed to reach an agreement to add
approximately $30 billion to defense over the next 7 years.
The defense authorization Conference Report, that the House
adopted earlier today, reflects this additional funding, as
well as our focus on four basic priorities: improving
military quality of life, sustaining core readiness,
reinvigorating lagging modernization programs, and beginning
long overdue reform of The Pentagon. As this group knows, our
Reserves will be critical to this revitalized United States
National Security posture.
I am sure that you are aware that Congressman Greg Laughlin
is working to ensure that the Reserves are an integral part
of that National Security posture. As sponsor of the
``Reserve Forces Revitalization Act of 1995,'' Greg has
introduced legislation that, if passed in its present form,
will result in many substantive changes in the way that the
Reserve components are organized and administered.
As a retired Naval Reservist, I am acutely aware of the
challenges and sacrifices that you face. The ``Reserve Forces
Revitalization Act of 1995'' is intended to address many of
the administrative and organizational inefficiencies that
have developed in Reserve programs, and it is designed to
reinforce the ``Total Force Concept.'' As the demands on our
active forces are spread thinner than ever across the world,
our Committee and The Pentagon are continually looking for
ways to increase reliance on the Reserve components of all of
the branches of the Armed Services.
During the Fiscal Year 1997 authorization cycle, the
National Security Committee's Personnel Subcommittee, which
is chaired by Congressman Bob Dornan, will conduct hearings
on the aspects that fall under the Committee's jurisdiction.
But, you do not need to wait until next year. The Fiscal Year
1996 Defense Authorization bill, which was passed by the
House today by a 287 to 129 vote, has already accomplished a
few of the Revitalization Act's objectives. As soon as the
President signs the bill, the following programs will become
active:
Mobilization Income Insurance Program for Ready Reserve
members. This new insurance plan is voluntary and will be
financed by premiums paid by the participants.
Medical and Dental Care for Members of the Selected Reserve
for early deploying Army Reserve and National Guard units.
The Conference Report also establishes a shared-cost dental
insurance program for all members of the Selected Reserve,
which will be fully implemented in Fiscal Year 1997.
Military Technician Full-Time Support Program. The
Committee felt that the Military Technician Full-Time Support
Program is essential to Reserve component readiness, and to
the Reserve components' ability to relieve active duty units
suffering under the duress of consistently high operating
tempos. Therefore, the conferees agreed to increase military
technician endstrength by 1,400 over the Administration's
request and to prohibit reductions below established
endstrengths, except for those occurring as a result of force
structure changes.
Increase in the Number of Members in the Grades of O-4, O-
5, and O-6 Authorized to Serve on Active Duty in Support of
the Reserves. and
Continued Support for the Off-Site Agreement for the Army
Reserve and the National Guard.
As always, the National Security Committee is fully
supportive and will remain fully committed to each of the
Reserve components and the National Guard.
In closing, I want to thank the members of the Reserve
Officers Association for their leadership in Reserve affairs.
As Chairman, I look to the ROA for your insight and
perspective on all matters relating to the Reserve forces.
Thank you for bestowing the honor of being Minuteman of the
Year for 1996 upon me. I look forward to working with you as
we begin to address the authorization process for the next
fiscal year. Thank you. God bless you and our great Country.
____________________