[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 131 (Friday, October 1, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2000]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  DOD AUTHORIZATION CONFERENCE REPORT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MAX SANDLIN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 30, 1999

  Mr. SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support for S. 1059, 
the Department of Defense Authorization Conference Report. I believe 
this bill is a step in the right direction--a step towards a strong 
military, heightened readiness, and a bolstered national security.
  Among the bill's many critical provisions is a well-deserved and 
long-overdue pay raise for our military men and women in recognition of 
their hard work and dedication to their country. This bill provides for 
a 4.8 percent pay raise, .4 percent above the Administration's request. 
this critical pay raise provision will help ensure that increases are 
tied more to performance and promotion than years of service and will 
reduce the pay gap between military and civilian pay. Moreover, this 
salary increase is a step towards preventing the loss of the best and 
brightest men and women who find it increasingly difficult to manage on 
a military salary.
  This legislation would also reform the military retirement system and 
provide service members an opportunity to choose which system better 
suits their individual needs. It would also extend pay and bonus 
authority, expand recruiting and retention, and add additional funds 
for military housing. In addition, this bill addresses our nation's 
veterans and recognizes their contribution to this country by 
guaranteeing their burial benefits, providing retirement flags for 
reservists and all the uniformed services, and restoring equity to 
widows' entitlement.
  This conference report also adds $2.7 billion to the procurement 
account for weaponry modernization, a crucial increase for improving 
military readiness. It adds $2.8 billion in operations and maintenance 
and repair facilities and builds upon the President's proposal to 
increase defense spending by $112 billion over the next 6 years. It 
also restores procurement funding for the essential F-22 fighter jet, a 
critical part of ensuring our military forces maintain their air 
superiority.
  The Defense Authorization Conference Report significantly increases 
funding for the procurement of weapons, ammunition, and equipment, and 
for military construction and will enable the armed forces to modernize 
while maintaining a high level of readiness and training.

                          ____________________