[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S9462]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, last night the House of Representatives 
passed and sent to the Senate the conference report on military 
construction, and that bill, too, is at the desk to be considered 
today. We have worked very, very hard with both sides of the aisle to 
work out our differences--and sometimes on the same side of the aisle.
  I applaud my good friend from Vermont, with whom I used to serve on 
D.C. Appropriations, on the work they have done on the D.C. 
appropriations bill. And the work that Senator Bond has done in his 
committee as far as VA-HUD.
  We have worked very hard, too, on the thrust of military construction 
in this particular year, not only dealing with less dollars but also 
dealing with some very important items which have always been put on 
the shelf. One of them is the environment because of the Base Closure 
and Realignment Commission, and the other one is family housing and 
support services for families that serve this country on our posts 
around the world.
  This bill provides the necessary funding for the planning, the 
design, the construction, the alteration, and the improvement of 
military facilities around the world, and included in that, of course, 
is the appropriation that keeps us strong, the NATO Security Investment 
Program. It also provides the funding to implement base closures and 
realignment as called for by law.
  Again, let me emphasize that in this bill there is included child 
development centers. We worry about children. We hear speeches made 
about children. Repairs are needed also for the damage that was done by 
Hurricane Bertha. In this bill is funding for family support centers on 
our bases and environmental compliance projects. I think one of the 
most important parts of the funding in this bill is environmental 
cleanup when these bases are closed and, of course, taking new actions 
where active bases are still in operation; hospitals, public safety 
such as fire stations.
  There is $1.2 billion for the implementation of BRAC, $4 billion for 
family housing. Out of a $9 billion appropriation, $4 billion will be 
spent on families and family housing to improve the life of our 
military people. Just to give you an idea on that: Yuma Marine Air 
Station in Yuma, AR; Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, 202 units, 
spending $29 million; Lenmoore Naval Air Station in California; 
Florida, Mayport Naval Station; in Hawaii, almost $60 million being 
spent for family support and housing; in Maryland, just outside of 
Washington here, the Naval Testing Center at Patuxent River; Camp 
Lejeune, community centers; family centers in Texas, Corpus Christi 
Naval Complex; Kingsville Naval Air Station; in Virginia, Chesapeake, 
Wallops Island; State of Washington, at Bangor Naval Submarine Base, 
and Everett Naval Air Station, Puget Sound.
  The list goes on of those projects that are started or being planned 
and started, and all of them in support of families that serve this 
country. One has to remember that they, too, have to live, and we have 
started a new project, the Secretary of Defense working with the 
corporate sector in partnership for private housing off base, which is 
a new approach. By the way, there is funding in the bill for his 
program. There is certain types of community impact assistance that has 
to be provided for our military who face the loss of a sale of private 
residences due to installation realignments and due to some closures.
  So, Mr. President, that is what is in limbo here whenever we start 
talking about gumming up the process. Here is a bill that we have 
worked very hard to overcome the objections on both sides of the aisle, 
to make it through not only committee, subcommittee and full committee 
and, yes, on the floor to pass a bill, send it to the House and then 
conference and bring it back and it is ready to pass this body because 
the House passed it last night and it is ready to be sent to the 
President for his signature to implement what we think is very 
important in support of our military families around the globe.
  So, I ask, if we could work out this so-called flap and get the 
process back on the move again, lay aside some of our emotions and do 
the right thing and allow us to bring the conference report of the 
military construction to this floor, pass it, and let us send it to the 
President.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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