[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 95 (Tuesday, June 25, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6899-S6900]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1997

                                 ______


                        BYRD AMENDMENT NO. 4274

  Mr. BYRD proposed an amendment to the bill, S. 1745, supra; as 
follows:

       At the end of title VII add the following:

     SEC. 708. RESEARCH AND BENEFITS RELATING TO GULF WAR SERVICE.

       (a) Research.--(1) The Secretary of Defense shall, by 
     contract, grant, or other transaction, provide for scientific 
     research to be carried out by entities independent of the 
     Federal Government on possible causal relationships between 
     the complex of illnesses and symptoms commonly known as 
     ``Gulf War syndrome'' and the possible exposures of members 
     of the Armed Forces to chemical warfare agents or other 
     hazardous materials during Gulf War service.
       (2) The Secretary shall prescribe the procedures for making 
     awards under paragraph (1). The procedures shall--
       (A) include a comprehensive, independent peer-review 
     process for the evaluation of proposals for scientific 
     research that are submitted to the Department of Defense; and
       (B) provide for the final selection of proposals for award 
     to be based on the scientific merit and program relevance of 
     the proposed research.
       (3) Of the amount authorized to be appropriated under 
     section 301(19), $10,000,000 is available for research under 
     paragraph (1).
       (b) Health Care Benefits for Afflicted Children of Gulf War 
     Veterans.--(1) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary 
     of Defense, any child of a Gulf War veteran who has been born 
     after August 2, 1990, and has a congenital defect or 
     catastrophic illness not excluded from coverage under 
     paragraph (2) is eligible for medical and dental care under 
     chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, for the 
     congenital defect or catastrophic illness, and associated 
     conditions, of the child.
       (2) The administering Secretaries may exclude from coverage 
     under this subsection--
       (A) any congenital defect or catastrophic illness that, as 
     determined by the Secretary of Defense to a reasonable degree 
     of scientific certainty on the basis of scientific research, 
     is not a defect or catastrophic illness that can result in a 
     child from an exposure of a parent of the child to a chemical 
     warfare agent or other hazardous material to which members of 
     the Armed Forces might have been exposed during Gulf War 
     service; and
       (B) a particular congenital defect or catastrophic illness 
     (and any associated condition) of a particular child if the 
     onset of the defect or illness is determined to have preceded 
     any possible exposure of the parent or parents of the child 
     to a chemical warfare agent or other hazardous material 
     during Gulf War service.
       (3) No fee, deductible, or copayment requirement may be 
     imposed or enforced for medical or dental care provided under 
     chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, in the case of a 
     child who is eligible for such care under this subsection 
     (even if the child would otherwise be subject to such a 
     requirement on the basis of any eligibility for such care 
     that the child also has under any provision of law other than 
     this subsection).
       (c) Definitions.--(1) In this section:
       (A) The term ``Gulf War veteran'' means a veteran of Gulf 
     War service.
       (B) The term ``Gulf War service'' means service on active 
     duty as a member of the Armed Forces in the Southwest Asia 
     theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.
       (C) The term ``Persian Gulf War'' has the meaning given 
     that term in section 101(33) of title 38, United States Code.
       (D) The term ``administering Secretaries'' has the meaning 
     given that term in section 1072(3) of title 10, United States 
     Code.
       (E) The term ``child'' means a natural child.
       (2) The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe in regulations 
     a definition of the terms ``congenital defect'' and 
     ``catastrophic illness'' for the purposes of this section.
                                 ______


                BINGAMAN (AND OTHERS) AMENDMENT NO. 4275

  Mr. BINGAMAN (for himself, Mr. Bradley, and Mr. Feingold) proposed

[[Page S6900]]

an amendment to the bill, S. 1745, supra; as follows:

       On page 398, after line 23, insert the following:

     SEC. 2828. RENOVATION OF THE PENTAGON RESERVATION.

       The Secretary of Defense shall take such action as is 
     necessary to reduce the total cost of the renovation of the 
     Pentagon Reservation to not more than $1,118,000,000.
                                 ______


                      BINGAMAN AMENDMENT NO. 4276

  Mr. BINGAMAN proposed an amendment to the bill, S. 1745, supra; as 
follows:

       Strike out section 402 and insert in lieu thereof the 
     following:

     SEC. 402. REPEAL OF PERMANENT END STRENGTHS.

       (a) Repeal.--Section 691 of title 10, United States Code, 
     is repealed.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 39 of such title is amended by striking 
     out the item relating to section 691.
                                 ______


                        GREGG AMENDMENT NO. 4277

  Mr. GREGG proposed an amendment to the bill, S. 1745, supra; as 
follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:
       Sec.   . (a) the Congress finds that--
       (1) Federal Bureau of Investigation background files 
     contain highly sensitive and extremely private information;
       (2) the White House is entrusted with Federal Bureau of 
     Investigation background files for legitimate security 
     purposes but it should ensure that any files requested are 
     needed for such purposes and that these files remain 
     confidential and private;
       (3) the White House has admitted that the personnel 
     security office headed by Mr. Livingstone inappropriately 
     requested the files of over 400 former White House pass 
     holders who worked under the past two Republican Presidents;
       (4) Craig Livingstone, the director of the White House 
     personnel security office, has been placed on paid 
     administrative leave at his own request;
       (5) the President has taken no action to reprimand those 
     responsible for improperly collecting sensitive Federal 
     Bureau of Investigation files; and
       (6) the taxpayers of the United States should not bear the 
     financial responsibility of paying Mr. Livingstone's salary.
       (b) It is the sense of the Senate that the President should 
     terminate Mr. Livingstone from his position at the White 
     House immediately.

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