[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 76 (Thursday, June 5, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H3479-H3480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     SHORTFALLS IN DEFENSE FUNDING

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, the Committee on National Security will 
meet soon to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 1998 for military 
activities of the Department of Defense. When voting on the defense 
authorization bill in the coming weeks, we must consider our Reserve 
component forces and the shortfalls in their funding. What will happen 
to our Reserve component readiness, compatibility and equipment 
interoperability with the Active Force if we continue to shortchange 
these forces?
  We must remember that as the American defense budget continues to 
dwindle, we will be relying more on these

[[Page H3480]]

dedicated men and women who choose to serve in the Guard and Reserve.
  If we continue to ask these troops to do more with less, more 
operations and contingencies with less equipment, less training and 
fewer troops, we will see significant problems with recruiting, 
retaining the same caliber people that we choose to serve in this All 
Volunteer Force. Our Armed Forces, Mr. Speaker, are more than just 
Active Forces. They are a total force component comprised of Active, 
Reserve and Guard members.

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