[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 109 (Thursday, July 29, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H6591-H6596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2465, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS 
                               ACT, 2000

  Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 262, I call up 
the conference report on the bill (H.R. 2465), making appropriations 
for military construction, family housing, and base realignment and 
closure for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2000, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 262, the 
conference report is considered as having been read.
  (For conference report and statement, see proceedings of the House of 
Tuesday, July 7, 1999 at page H6475.)
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson) and the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Olver) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson).
  Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  The conference report we present to the House today for military 
construction, family housing and base closure recommends a total 
appropriation of $8.4 billion. This represents a $76 million decrease 
from last year. It is also $76 million below the House-passed level.
  Overall, the agreement recommends $3.6 billion for items related to 
family housing, $4.1 billion for military construction, and $670 
million for the implementation of base realignments and closures. As 
always, I want to express my appreciation to all of the members of the 
subcommittee and especially my ranking member the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Olver), for his cooperation in crafting this 
agreement.

[[Page H6592]]

  This bill represents an investment program that has significant 
payback in economic terms and better living and working conditions for 
our military personnel and their families.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time I will place in the Record documentation 
regarding this bill.

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[[Page H6594]]

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[[Page H6595]]

 I urge my colleagues to support this conference report.

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  As I think all of the Members understand, the military construction 
appropriations bill serving as a guardian of the quality of life of men 
and women who serve in America's military. Both the Chairman and I 
would have preferred to do more. We have a serious backlog with respect 
to the quality of life facilities barracks, housing, and other things 
that come under our jurisdiction. Yet, we find ourselves ultimately in 
this bill, $76 million, as the Chairman has already said, below last 
year's funding level. That funding level has allowed us to address only 
the most pressing workplace and housing needs that we can see. Yet, 
that has been done, I think, in a very effective manner, given the 
constraints.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson), 
the chairman of the subcommittee, for his fair-minded and outstanding 
leadership in putting this bill together at all stages along the way. 
All of the members of the subcommittee, along with the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Young), the chairman of the full committee, and the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), the ranking member of the full 
committee, as well as all of the members of the subcommittee, have 
taken an active role from day 1 in the construction of this legislation 
as it made its way to where we are today.
  Of course, we all realize that the staff puts in enormously long 
hours and hard work, and I especially want to thank the clerk of the 
subcommittee, Liz Dawson and her staff, Brian Potts and Cindi Britten 
for their work, as well as thanking Tom Forhan, the staff member for 
the minority.
  This is a solid bipartisan agreement that deserves the support of all 
Members of the House.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter).
  (Mr. BEREUTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference 
report.
  Mr. Speaker, this Member rises to thank the distinguished gentleman 
from Ohio (Mr. Hobson), Chairman of the Military Construction 
Appropriations Subcommittee, the distinguished gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Olver), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, and the 
other members of the conference committee for including funding for a 
new Army Reserve Center in Lincoln, Nebraska in the Military 
Construction conference report.
  The Army Reserve in Lincoln, Nebraska, currently leases a building 
assigned to the Agriculture Campus of the University of Nebraska in 
Lincoln. The University's plans for expanding its classroom space are 
being hindered by the Army Reserve's occupancy. Of late, the desire of 
the University to reclaim the facility has become more pressing. The 
Nebraska Army Reserve needs to construct a new building to serve as its 
Center.
  The Nebraska Army Reserve has identified an alternative to the 
current situation, but it lacks the funding needed to get it out of the 
starting blocks. Therefore, $1.3 million is needed to proceed with land 
acquisition and to develop preliminary design specifications. This 
Member is pleased that the Nebraska Army Reserve's request for ``seed 
money'' in the amount of $1.3 million to fund the planning and 
acquisition of land for this relocated Center is included in the 
conference agreement.
  Our colleges and universities have enough challenges. Forcing them to 
delay, or work around, improvements to and expansion of their programs 
should not be unnecessarily adding to those challenges. We ask our 
military personnel to make enough sacrifices. Depriving them of modern, 
badly needed facilities should not be one of them.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, this Member thanks the Subcommittee for 
these much needed funds and urges his colleagues to support the 
conference report.
  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to lend my strong support for 
passage of H.R. 2465, the Fiscal Year 2000 Military Construction 
Appropriations Act Conference Report.
  This $8.4 billion measure recognizes the needs of our military 
infrastructure, continues our efforts at base closure and realignment, 
and most importantly puts military families first. One of the much 
needed items in this bill to improve the quality of life for our people 
in uniform is the $10.952 million appropriation for the construction of 
the Marseilles National Guard Training Facility in my Congressional 
District.
  The Marseilles complex has been requested by the Illinois Department 
of Military Affairs and the Pentagon since 1994. Not until this year 
did the President recognize the need for this facility and I am pleased 
that President Clinton included funding for this project in his FY 2000 
budget. This facility would be the first permanent training complex for 
the National Guard in the State of Illinois, serving all of the 10,245 
members of the Guard in Illinois. Currently, members of the Illinois 
National Guard are forced to travel to bases in Wisconsin and Kentucky 
some as far as 350 miles away to conduct routine maneuvers. As you can 
imagine, this places a severe stress on the scope and timing of 
military operations, and even greater stress on the members of the 
Guard and their families.
  Marseilles site is easily accessible from Interstate 80 and it is in 
close proximity to Interstates 39 & 55, Chicago, Joliet, and 
Springfield. The Marseilles site is currently used by the Guard for 
small training exercises that are conducted out of tents and military 
vehicles with restrooms facilities consisting of portable toilets that 
are of an unacceptable condition for these troops. The proposed complex 
in Marseilles would reduce travel time to and from training for most 
Illinois Guard members and would include barracks and dining facilities 
that would help to boost morale and retention within the ranks. The 
immediate construction of the Marseilles complex would provide the 
multiple benefits of substantially helping local business, spurring 
development in the undeveloped area south of the Illinois River, while 
providing a convenient training site that will help to ensure troop 
readiness and an acceptable quality of life.
  Mr. Speaker, I extend my deep appreciation to Chairman Hobson of the 
Military Construction Subcommittee, and on behalf of the residents and 
small business owners of Marseilles and the over 10,000 members of the 
Illinois National Guard I say thank you for helping to get this 
important project underway.
  Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, I yield 
back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the 
conference report.
  The previous question was ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the conference report.
  Pursuant to clause 10 of rule XX, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 412, 
nays 8, not voting 13, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 343]

                               YEAS--412

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Aderholt
     Allen
     Andrews
     Archer
     Armey
     Bachus
     Baird
     Baker
     Baldacci
     Baldwin
     Ballenger
     Barcia
     Barr
     Barrett (NE)
     Bartlett
     Barton
     Bass
     Bateman
     Bentsen
     Bereuter
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop
     Blagojevich
     Bliley
     Blumenauer
     Blunt
     Boehlert
     Boehner
     Bonilla
     Bonior
     Bono
     Borski
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boyd
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Brown (FL)
     Brown (OH)
     Bryant
     Burr
     Burton
     Buyer
     Callahan
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Canady
     Cannon
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardin
     Carson
     Castle
     Chabot
     Chambliss
     Chenoweth
     Clay
     Clayton
     Clement
     Clyburn
     Coble
     Coburn
     Collins
     Combest
     Condit
     Conyers
     Cook
     Cooksey
     Costello
     Cox
     Coyne
     Cramer
     Crane
     Crowley
     Cummings
     Cunningham
     Danner
     Davis (FL)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (VA)
     Deal
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     DeLay
     DeMint
     Deutsch
     Diaz-Balart
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Dixon
     Doggett
     Dooley
     Doolittle
     Doyle
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Edwards
     Ehlers
     Ehrlich
     Emerson
     Engel
     English
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Evans
     Everett
     Ewing
     Farr
     Fattah
     Filner
     Fletcher
     Foley
     Forbes
     Ford
     Fossella
     Fowler
     Frank (MA)
     Franks (NJ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Frost
     Gallegly
     Ganske
     Gejdenson
     Gekas
     Gephardt
     Gibbons
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gilman
     Gonzalez
     Goode
     Goodlatte
     Goodling
     Gordon
     Goss
     Graham
     Granger
     Green (TX)
     Green (WI)
     Greenwood
     Gutierrez
     Gutknecht
     Hall (OH)
     Hall (TX)
     Hansen
     Hastings (FL)
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Hayworth
     Herger
     Hill (IN)
     Hill (MT)
     Hilleary
     Hilliard
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hobson
     Hoeffel
     Hoekstra
     Holden
     Holt
     Hooley
     Horn
     Hostettler
     Houghton
     Hoyer
     Hulshof
     Hunter
     Hutchinson
     Hyde
     Inslee
     Isakson

[[Page H6596]]


     Istook
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     Jenkins
     John
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones (NC)
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kasich
     Kelly
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kind (WI)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Klink
     Knollenberg
     Kolbe
     Kucinich
     Kuykendall
     LaFalce
     LaHood
     Lampson
     Lantos
     Largent
     Larson
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Lazio
     Leach
     Lee
     Levin
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (GA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Linder
     LoBiondo
     Lofgren
     Lowey
     Lucas (KY)
     Lucas (OK)
     Luther
     Maloney (CT)
     Maloney (NY)
     Manzullo
     Markey
     Martinez
     Mascara
     Matsui
     McCarthy (MO)
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCollum
     McCrery
     McGovern
     McHugh
     McInnis
     McIntosh
     McIntyre
     McKeon
     McKinney
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Menendez
     Metcalf
     Mica
     Millender-McDonald
     Miller (FL)
     Miller, Gary
     Miller, George
     Minge
     Mink
     Moakley
     Mollohan
     Moore
     Moran (KS)
     Moran (VA)
     Morella
     Murtha
     Myrick
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Nethercutt
     Ney
     Northup
     Nussle
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Ose
     Owens
     Oxley
     Packard
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Payne
     Pease
     Pelosi
     Peterson (MN)
     Petri
     Phelps
     Pickering
     Pickett
     Pitts
     Pombo
     Pomeroy
     Porter
     Portman
     Price (NC)
     Pryce (OH)
     Quinn
     Radanovich
     Rahall
     Ramstad
     Rangel
     Regula
     Reyes
     Reynolds
     Riley
     Rivers
     Rodriguez
     Roemer
     Rogan
     Rogers
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Rothman
     Roukema
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Rush
     Ryan (WI)
     Ryun (KS)
     Salmon
     Sanchez
     Sanders
     Sandlin
     Sanford
     Sawyer
     Saxton
     Scarborough
     Schaffer
     Schakowsky
     Scott
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Shadegg
     Shaw
     Shays
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Shows
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sisisky
     Skeen
     Slaughter
     Smith (MI)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Souder
     Spence
     Spratt
     Stabenow
     Stearns
     Stenholm
     Strickland
     Stump
     Stupak
     Sununu
     Sweeney
     Talent
     Tancredo
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Tauzin
     Taylor (MS)
     Taylor (NC)
     Terry
     Thomas
     Thompson (MS)
     Thornberry
     Thune
     Thurman
     Tiahrt
     Tierney
     Toomey
     Towns
     Traficant
     Turner
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Upton
     Velazquez
     Vento
     Visclosky
     Vitter
     Walden
     Walsh
     Wamp
     Waters
     Watkins
     Watt (NC)
     Watts (OK)
     Waxman
     Weldon (FL)
     Weldon (PA)
     Weller
     Wexler
     Weygand
     Whitfield
     Wilson
     Wise
     Wolf
     Woolsey
     Wu
     Wynn
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

                                NAYS--8

     Barrett (WI)
     Hefley
     Kleczka
     Norwood
     Paul
     Sensenbrenner
     Stark
     Thompson (CA)

                             NOT VOTING--13

     Becerra
     Cubin
     Dickey
     Jones (OH)
     Lipinski
     McDermott
     Neal
     Peterson (PA)
     Sabo
     Sherwood
     Skelton
     Weiner
     Wicker

                              {time}  1119

  Messrs. SENSENBRENNER, KLECZKA and BARRETT of Wisconsin changed their 
vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
  Ms. LOFGREN and Ms. McKINNEY changed their vote from ``nay'' to 
``yea.''
  So the conference report was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
  Stated for:
  Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, today, I was unavoidably detained during a 
rollcall vote: No. 343, on agreeing to the conference report for H.R. 
2465, the Military Construction Appropriations Act, FY 2000. Had I been 
present for the vote, I would have voted ``aye.''

                          ____________________