[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 138 (Monday, September 30, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S11936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1997--CONFERENCE REPORT

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will 
proceed to the conference report to accompany H.R. 3610.
  The report will be stated.
  The clerk read as follows:

       The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the 
     two Houses on the amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 
     3610) making appropriations for the Department of Defense for 
     the fiscal year ending September 30, 1997, and for other 
     purposes, having met, after full and free conference, have 
     agreed to recommend and do recommend to their respective 
     Houses this report, signed by a majority of the conferees.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the Senate will proceed to 
the consideration of the conference report.
  (The conference report is printed in the House proceedings of the 
Record of September 28, 1996.)
  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity to discuss 
the conference agreement for the Department of Defense appropriations 
bill. This is a very good agreement, one that I believe all Members 
should support.
  The conference agreement provides $243.9 billion, an increase of $9.3 
billion from the amount requested, and $500 million more than 
appropriated last year. The amount is nearly $1 billion less than 
provided by the Senate. While the total bill is lower than that passed 
by the Senate, the conference agreement protects the priorities of the 
Senate.
  I believe as my colleagues review the bill they will see that the 
conferees, under the leadership of Senator Stevens, forged a compromise 
which fulfills our constitutional requirement to provide for the common 
defense.
  This bill in many ways improves the administration's budget request. 
First, the bill increases funding for operations and maintenance by 
$700 million to protect readiness. This includes: $600 million for 
facilities renovation and repair; $150 million for ship depot 
maintenance, to fund 95 percent of the Navy's identified 
requirement; $148 million for identified contingency costs for overseas 
operations, such as Bosnia; and $165 million for the President's 
counterdrug initiatives.

  Second, the bill adds $590 million to fully fund health care costs 
identified by the surgeons general and DOD health affairs. This will 
allow our men and women in uniform access to the health care that they 
deserve.
  Third, it recommends $137.5 million for breast cancer research, $45 
million for prostate cancer research, and $15 million for AIDS 
research.
  Fourth, the bill has fully provided for the pay and allowances of our 
military personnel, including a 3-percent pay raise and a 4 percent 
increase in quarters allowances.
  Clearly, these few examples demonstrate that the conferees have 
responded to the needs of our men and women in uniform.
  The bill also provides $43.8 billion for procurement of equipment, an 
increase of $5.6 billion above the request. This increase will provide 
for many of the high priority needs identified by our commanders in the 
field.
  The administration identified several issues in the House bill that 
it opposes. The conferees have responded to nearly all of its concerns, 
rejecting restrictive legislative provisions, and funding 
administration priorities.
  Chairman Stevens and the managers on the part of the House have done 
a masterful job in keeping this bill clean. It safeguards our national 
defense, the priorities of the Senate, and rejects controversial 
riders.
  In summary, Mr. President, this is a very good bill. I am strongly in 
favor of its recommendations and I sincerely believe it should have the 
bipartisan support of the Senate.
  Mr. President, I signed the conference report--with reservation. I 
want my colleagues to understand that I have no reservations regarding 
the agreement on defense matters.
  I do have reservations on the process by which several extraneous 
matters have been added to the DOD conference report. I understand that 
this was done in the interest of time. However, I must say that I do 
not think it is appropriate for entire appropriation bills--which have 
never been brought before the Senate--to be incorporated into a 
conference report.
  I intend to vote for this measure because of the many worthy programs 
funded. I do so with some regret for certain measures which have been 
incorporated. And I hope that the next Congress will not follow this 
approach.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the conference 
report.
  The conference report was agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader is recognized.

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