[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 150 (Friday, October 29, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13568-S13571]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 211--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE 
FEBRUARY 2000 DEPLOYMENT OF THE U.S.S. ``EISENHOWER'' BATTLE GROUP AND 
THE 24TH MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT TO AN AREA OF POTENTIAL HOSTILITIES 
AND THE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS THAT THE BATTLE GROUP AND EXPEDITIONARY 
    UNIT HAVE RECEIVED THE ESSENTIAL TRAINING NEEDED TO CERTIFY THE 
 WARFIGHTING PROFICIENCY OF THE FORCES COMPRISING THE BATTLE GROUP AND 
                           EXPEDITIONARY UNIT

  Mr. WARNER submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Armed Services:

                              S. Res. 211

       Whereas the President, as Commander-in-Chief of all of the 
     Armed Forces of the United States, makes the final decision 
     to order a deployment of those forces into harm's way;
       Whereas the President, in making that decision, relies upon 
     the recommendations of the civilian and military leaders 
     tasked by law with the responsibility of training those 
     forces, including the Commander of the Second Fleet of the 
     Navy and the Commander of the Marine Forces in the Atlantic;
       Whereas the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility has 
     been since World War II, and continues to be, an essential 
     part of the training infrastructure that is necessary to 
     ensure that maritime forces deploying from the east coast of 
     the United States are prepared and ready to execute their 
     assigned missions;
       Whereas according to the testimony of the Chairman of the 
     Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chief of Naval Operations, and the 
     Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Island of Vieques is a 
     vital part of the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility 
     and makes an essential contribution to the national security 
     of the United States by providing integrated live-fire 
     combined arms training opportunities to Navy and Marine Corps 
     forces deploying from the east coast of the United States;
       Whereas according to testimony before the Committee on 
     Armed Services of the Senate and the report of the Special 
     Panel on Military Operations on Vieques, a suitable 
     alternative to Vieques cannot now be identified;
       Whereas during the course of its hearings on September 22 
     and October 19, 1999, the Committee on Armed Services of the 
     Senate acknowledged and expressed its sympathy for the tragic 
     death and injuries that resulted from the training accident 
     that occurred at Vieques in April 1999;
       Whereas the Navy has failed to take those actions necessary 
     to develop sound relations with the people of Puerto Rico;
       Whereas the Navy should implement fully the terms of the 
     1983 Memorandum of Understanding between the Navy and the 
     Commonwealth of Puerto Rico regarding Vieques and work to 
     increase its efforts to improve the economic conditions for 
     and the safety of the people on Vieques;
       Whereas in February 2000, the U.S.S. Eisenhower Battle 
     Group and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit are scheduled to 
     deploy to the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf where 
     the battle group and expeditionary unit will face the 
     possibility of combat, as experienced by predecessor 
     deploying units, during operations over Iraq and during other 
     unexpected contingencies;

[[Page S13569]]

       Whereas in a September 22, 1999, letter to the Committee on 
     Armed Services of the Senate, the President stated that the 
     rigorous, realistic training undergone by military forces 
     ``is essential for success in combat and for protecting our 
     national security'';
       Whereas in that letter the President also stated that he 
     would not permit Navy or Marine Corps forces to deploy 
     ``unless they are at a satisfactory level of combat 
     readiness'';
       Whereas Richard Danzig, the Secretary of the Navy, recently 
     testified before the Committee on Armed Services of the 
     Senate that ``only by providing this preparation can we 
     fairly ask our service members to put their lives at risk'';
       Whereas according to the testimony of the Chairman of the 
     Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chief of Naval Operations, and the 
     Commandant of the Marine Corps, Vieques provides integrated 
     live-fire training ``critical to our readiness'', and the 
     failure to provide for adequate live-fire training for our 
     naval forces before deployment will place those forces at 
     unacceptably high risk during deployment;
       Whereas Admiral Johnson, the Chief of Naval Operations, and 
     General Jones, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, recently 
     testified before the Committee on Armed Services of the 
     Senate that without the ability to train on Vieques, the 
     U.S.S. Eisenhower Battle Group and the 24th Marine 
     Expeditionary Unit scheduled for deployment in February 2000 
     would not be ready for such deployment ``without greatly 
     increasing the risk to those men and women who we ask to go 
     in harm's way'';
       Whereas Vice Admiral Murphy, Commander of the Sixth Fleet 
     of the Navy, recently testified before the Committee on Armed 
     Services of the Senate that the loss of training on Vieques 
     would ``cost American lives''; and
       Whereas the Navy is currently prevented as a consequence of 
     unrestrained civil disobedience from using the training 
     facilities on Vieques which are required to accomplish the 
     training necessary to achieve a satisfactory level of combat 
     readiness: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the 
     President should not deploy the U.S.S. Eisenhower Battle 
     Group or the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit until--
       (1) the President, in consultation with the Secretary of 
     Defense, the Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of Naval 
     Operations, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps, reviews 
     the certifications regarding the readiness of the battle 
     group and the expeditionary unit made by the Commander of the 
     Second Fleet of the Navy and the Commander of the Marine 
     Forces in the Atlantic, as the case may be; and
       (2) the President determines and so notifies Congress that 
     the battle group and the expeditionary unit are free of 
     serious deficiencies in major warfare areas.

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in 
the Record, a letter from the President of the United States to this 
Senator.
  There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                              The White House,

                                   Washington, September 22, 1999.
     Hon. John Warner,
     Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, U.S. Senate, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter on the United 
     States Navy's training facilities on Vieques.
       I share your concern for the combat readiness of deploying 
     Navy and Marine Corps forces. Military readiness is one of my 
     top defense priorities. I have ordered our forces into action 
     several times, most recently in Kosovo, and every time have 
     seen that the rigorous, realistic training they undergo is 
     essential for success in combat and for protecting our 
     national security. As Commander in Chief I will not permit 
     Navy or Marine Corps units to deploy unless they are at a 
     satisfactory level of combat readiness.
       I believe that we can meet Navy and Marine Corps combat 
     readiness requirements will ensuring the safety and well 
     being of the people of Vieques. The U.S. Armed Forces work 
     hard to ensure that their training activities throughout the 
     United States, and abroad as well, do not adversely impact 
     the safety and livelihood of nearby civilian residents. The 
     Defense Department is also required by law to be 
     conscientious guardians of the environment. I am sure you 
     would agree that these requirements apply no less on Vieques 
     than in any other location where our forces train.
       As you know, Secretary Bill Cohen established a special 
     panel to conduct an independent review of our training 
     operations at Vieques. I understand that Bill recently was 
     briefed by the panel members and that he is considering next 
     steps in the process. At the conclusion of the panel's 
     efforts, I expect to receive a recommendation from Bill on 
     the future of Navy training facilities on Vieques. In 
     reaching a decision, I will review carefully Bill's 
     recommendation, weighing Navy and Marine Corps combat 
     readiness requirements, the alternatives that may be 
     available to meet their training needs, and the safety, 
     environmental and economic concerns raised by the 
     Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the people of Vieques.
       Again, thank you for your letter. I hope that, working 
     together, we will be able to find a solution that fulfills 
     our essential national security needs and meets the concerns 
     of the residents of Vieques Island and the people of Puerto 
     Rico.
           Sincerely,
                                                                Bill.  

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the Senate Armed Services Committee has 
taken cognizance of this very critical situation of our east coast 
fleet units being deployed, their state of readiness, and the degree of 
risk these units are facing as they deploy into the operations in Iraq, 
the operations in the Persian Gulf, and the unforeseen risks that seem 
to be ever present in that region of the world, the Mediterranean, the 
Persian Gulf, that arise so quickly and demand the instantaneous 
reaction, if so directed by the President, hopefully as a deterrence 
and then, if necessary, the actual combat.
  We have seen this now for a decade. When we stop to think of the 
risks taken by these young men and women flying aircraft off these 
ships, and performing other military missions, the Senate owes them no 
less than the highest possible standard of training, the best possible 
equipment to reduce that risk.
  Therefore, having chaired the hearings of the Committee of Armed 
Services of recent and, indeed, under the chairmanship of Senator 
Inhofe, a subcommittee of our full committee, and under the 
chairmanship of Senator Snowe, a second subcommittee--two subcommittee 
hearings and a full committee hearing on that state of readiness and 
particularly as that state of readiness could be affected adversely by 
the absence of the ability of the United States to continue the use of 
the ranges on the islands of Vieques in Puerto Rico. That is the reason 
why I offer this sense-of-the-Senate resolution.
  I shall read in general from this resolution and comment as I go:

       In the Senate of the United States Mr. Warner submitted the 
     following resolution;
       Resolution
       Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the February 
     2000 deployment--

  That is coming in just a matter of months--

     of the U.S.S. Eisenhower Battle Group and the 24th Marine 
     Expeditionary Unit to an area of potential hostilities and 
     the essential requirements that the battle group and 
     expeditionary unit have received [that] training needed to 
     certify the warfighting proficiency of the forces comprising 
     the battle group and expeditionary unit.
       Whereas the President, as Commander-in-Chief of all of the 
     Armed Forces of the United States, makes the final decision--

  Under our Constitution--

     to order a deployment of those forces--

  And all our forces. That is his role under the Constitution. We 
respect that role.

       Whereas the President, in making that decision--

  With reference to the Eisenhower battle group--

     relies upon the recommendations of the civilian and military 
     leaders tasked by law--

  Laws passed by this body and predecessor Congresses--

     with the responsibility of training those forces, including 
     the Commander of the Second Fleet of the Navy and the 
     Commander of the Marine Forces in the Atlantic;
       Whereas the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility--

  At Vieques--

     has been since World War II, and continues to be, an 
     essential--

  Underline ``essential''--

     part of the training infrastructure that is necessary to 
     ensure that maritime forces deploying from the east coast of 
     the United States are prepared and ready to execute their 
     assigned missions.

  Not only execute their assigned missions, but to accept the risk of 
life and limb in executing those missions.

       Whereas according to the testimony of the Chairman of the 
     Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chief of Naval Operations, and the 
     Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Island of Vieques is a 
     vital part of the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility 
     and makes an essential contribution to the national security 
     of the United States by providing integrated live-fire 
     combined arms training opportunities to Navy and Marine Corps 
     forces deploying from the east coast of the United States;
       Whereas according to testimony before the Committee on 
     Armed Services--

  Just weeks ago--

     and the report of the Special Panel on Military Operations on 
     Vieques--
  Again, issued a week or so ago--

     a suitable alternative to Vieques cannot now be identified;


[[Page S13570]]


  Much less identified and put into an operational status.

       Whereas during the course of its hearings on September 22 
     and October 19, 1999, the Committee on Armed Services of the 
     Senate acknowledged and expressed its sympathy for the tragic 
     death and injuries that resulted from the training accident 
     that occurred at Vieques in April 1999;

  We did that with heartfelt expression during the course of our 
hearings just weeks ago.

       Whereas the Navy--

  In the judgment of the committee--

     has failed [at times] to take those actions necessary to 
     develop sound relations with the people of Puerto Rico;

  Indeed, with the people most specifically on Vieques. The Navy has 
not done a good job, in this Senator's judgment, and collectively, I 
think, in the majority of the committee in carrying out its 
responsibility of important relationships with the people and assuring 
them, first, of the essential need and their contribution to our 
national security and how to operate this range in a manner that is 
safe. We acknowledge that.

       Whereas the Navy should implement fully the terms of the 
     1983 Memorandum of Understanding between the Navy and the 
     Commonwealth of Puerto Rico regarding Vieques and work to 
     increase its efforts to improve the economic conditions for 
     and the safety of the people on Vieques;
       Whereas in February 2000--

  Just months away--

     the U.S.S. Eisenhower Battle Group and the 24th Marine 
     Expeditionary Unit are scheduled to deploy to the 
     Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf where the battle group 
     and expeditionary unit will face the possibility of combat, 
     as experienced by predecessor--

  Units deploying in the past years--

     during operations over Iraq and during other unexpected 
     contingencies--

  That arise in that dangerous region of the world.

       Whereas in a September 22, 1999 letter to the Committee on 
     Armed Services of the Senate, the President--

  The Commander in Chief--

     stated that the rigorous, realistic training undergone by 
     military forces ``is--

  I quote the President of the United States--

     ``is essential for success in combat and for protecting our 
     national security'';

  The President realizes this. It is not a political document I am 
handling. This is the recitation of the statements by the President 
this year on this very subject, and he has put it down here very 
clearly. The purpose of this sense of the Senate is to give him the 
support necessary to make the tough decisions and resolve this problem.

       Whereas in that letter the President also stated that he 
     would not permit Navy or Marine Corps forces to deploy 
     ``unless they are at a satisfactory level of combat 
     readiness'';
       Whereas Richard Danzig, the Secretary of the Navy, recently 
     testified before the Committee on Armed Services of the 
     Senate that ``only by providing this preparation can we 
     fairly ask our service members to put their lives at risk.''
       Whereas according to the testimony of the Chairman of the 
     Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chief of Naval Operations, and the 
     Commandant of the Marine Corps--

  This testimony was just three days ago--

     Vieques provides integrated live-fire training ``critical to 
     our readiness'', and the failure to provide for adequate 
     live-fire training for our naval forces before deployment 
     will place those forces at--

  Listen carefully--

     at unacceptably high risk during deployment.
       Whereas Admiral Johnson, the Chief of Naval Operations, and 
     General Jones, the Commandant of the Marine Corps--

  On October 19, 1999--

     testified before the Committee on Armed Services of the 
     Senate that without the ability to train on Vieques, the 
     U.S.S. Eisenhower Battle Group and the 24th Marine 
     Expeditionary Unit scheduled for deployment in February 2000 
     would not be ready for such deployment ``without greatly 
     increasing the risk to those men and women who we ask to go 
     in harm's way'';
       Whereas Vice Admiral Murphy, Commander of the Sixth Fleet 
     of the Navy, recently testified before the Committee on Armed 
     Services of the Senate that the loss of training on Vieques 
     would ``cost American lives''; and
       Whereas the Navy is currently prevented as a consequence of 
     unrestrained civil disobedience--

  I repeat:

       Whereas the Navy is currently prevented as a consequence of 
     unrestrained civil disobedience--

  In defiance of law, in defiance of a court order--

       Whereas the Navy is currently prevented as a consequence of 
     unrestrained civil disobedience from using the training 
     facilities on Vieques which are required to accomplish the 
     training necessary to achieve a satisfactory level of combat 
     readiness: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the 
     President should not--

  I repeat: Not--

     deploy the U.S.S. Eisenhower Battle Group or the 24th Marine 
     Expeditionary Unit until:
       (1) the President, in consultation with the Secretary of 
     Defense, the Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of Naval 
     Operations, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps, reviews 
     the certifications regarding the readiness of the battle 
     group and the expeditionary unit made by the Commander of the 
     Second Fleet of the Navy and the Commander of the Marine 
     Forces in the Atlantic, as the case may be; and
       (2) the President determines and so notifies Congress that 
     the battle group and the expeditionary unit are free of [any] 
     serious deficiencies in major warfare areas.

  Mr. President, I feel very serious about this issue. I thank the 
indulgence of my colleagues and the Senate to come before you this 
afternoon to introduce this resolution.
  I draw this resolution to the attention of all of my colleagues 
because this great body of the Senate, together with the House of 
Representatives, is a coequal--is a coequal--partner with regard to the 
training, the safety, above all, and the missions undertaken by the men 
and women of the U.S. Armed Forces.
  Today's military has been put to one of the highest peaks of stress, 
stress on the actual men and women at sea and in the air and under the 
sea and on the land, stress on their families at home because of the 
high tempo, the high number of deployments of these forces all over the 
world.
  Statistically, President Clinton--and this is pure statistics--has 
deployed the men and women of the Armed Forces of the United States 
into more contingency operations than any other President prior. I 
repeat that: More times. I am not questioning, in any way, his 
authority or his judgment. The fact is, he has done this.
  The simple sense of the Senate says: Mr. President, in your own 
letter you talked about the seriousness of this situation at Vieques. 
The Senate is on notice that you, your Secretaries of Navy and Defense, 
and the military are working to resolve this. But we, the Senate, 
exercising our coequal responsibility, are placing the concern we have 
for the welfare of the men and women undertaking this deployment, and 
the risks they share with their families at home, we, Mr. President, 
most respectfully say to you we want to see absolute clarity in the 
certifications from those military commanders and those civilian bosses 
of the military commanders.
  We have a system in our country which is the right system. We have 
civilian control of the military. They have the joint responsibility--
the civilian/military control, fleet commanders--to make those 
certifications to our President that this group is ready, or, Mr. 
President, respectfully this group is not ready, to undertake this 
mission and assume those risks.
  That is what we ask.
  I request all Senators, as an obligation to those men and women of 
this battle group--and I daresay there are soldiers and Marines and 
airmen from every one of the 50 States in that battle group--so I ask 
all Senators to review this and hope you will join me as a cosponsor.
  According to Article II, section 2, of the Constitution of the United 
States, the President is the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Armed 
Forces. As such, he bears the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that 
the men and women in uniform he orders into harm's way, receive the 
training necessary to protect their lives.
  I have been working to preserve the access of the United States Navy 
and Marine Corps to the essential training facility on the island of 
Vieques, since I was Secretary of the Navy. This facility is absolutely 
vital to the readiness of our naval forces.
  Over the past several weeks, the Armed Services Committee has held a 
series of hearings on this important issue. Over the course of these 
hearings, I have become increasingly convinced that it would be 
irresponsible to deploy our naval forces without the training provided 
by the Vieques facilities.
  On Tuesday, September 22, 1999, the Readiness and Management Support

[[Page S13571]]

Subcommittee, under the leadership of Senator Inhofe, held a hearing to 
review the need for Vieques as a training facility and explore 
alternative sites that might be utilized. At that hearing both Admiral 
Fallon, commander of the Navy's Second Fleet, and General Pace, 
commander of all Marine Forces in the Atlantic, testified that the 
Armed Forces of the United States need Vieques as a training ground to 
prepare our young men and women for the challenges of deployed military 
operations.
  On October 13th, the Seapower Subcommittee, under the leadership of 
Senator Snowe, heard from Admiral Murphy, commander of the Navy's Sixth 
Fleet and the commander who receives the naval forces trained at 
Vieques, who stated that a loss of Vieques would ``cost American 
lives.''
  Earlier this month, after the release of the report prepared by the 
Special Panel on Military Operations on Vieques, I held a hearing of 
the Senate Armed Services Committee to discuss with Administration and 
Puerto Rican officials the recommendations of that report, and to 
search for a compromise solution that addresses the national security 
requirements and the interests of the people of Vieques. At that 
hearing, Secretary Danzig, the Secretary of the Navy, stated that only 
by providing the necessary training can we fairly ask our service 
members to put their lives at risk. Admiral Johnson, Chief of Naval 
Operations, stated that the Eisenhower Battle Group would not be able 
to deploy in February without a significant increase in risk to the 
lives of the men and women of that battle group unless they are allowed 
to conduct required training on Vieques. Furthermore, General Jones, 
Commandant of the Marine Corps, testified that the loss of training 
provided on Vieques ``will result in degraded cohesion on the part of 
our battalions and our squadrons and our crews, decreased confidence in 
their ability to do their very dangerous jobs and missions, a decreased 
level of competence and the ability to fight and win on the 
battlefield.''
  At that hearing, I asked Admiral Johnson and General Jones ``Is there 
any training that can be substituted for Vieques live fire training 
between now and February that will constitute, in your professional 
judgment, a sufficient level of training to enable you to say to the 
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Eisenhower Battle Group and 
the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit are ready to go.'' In the response 
they stated ``no, sir, not without--not without greatly increasing the 
risk to those men and women who we ask to go in harm's way, no, sir.''

  I remain convinced that the training requirement is real and will 
continue to directly affect the readiness of our Carrier Battle Groups 
and Marine Expeditionary Units. As General Shelton recently testified 
before the Senate Armed Services Committee, the training on Vieques is 
``critical'' to military readiness. He further stated that he 
``certainly would not want to see our troops sent into an area where 
there was going to be combat, without having had this type of an 
experience. We should not deploy them under those conditions.''
  All of the military officers with whom we have spoken on this issue 
have informed us that the loss of Vieques would increase the risk to 
our military personnel deploying to potential combat environments. The 
Rush Panel, appointed at the request of the Resident Commissioner from 
Puerto Rico and at the direction of the President, recognized the need 
for Vieques and recommended its continued use for at least five years.
  What we have learned in these hearings is that Vieques is a unique 
training asset, both in terms of its geography with deep open water and 
unrestricted airspace and its training support infrastructure. The last 
two East Coast carrier battle groups which deployed to the Adriatic and 
Persian Gulf completed their final integrated live fire training at 
Vieques. Both battle groups, led by the carriers U.S.S. Enterprise and 
U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, subsequently saw combat in Operations Desert 
Fox (Iraq) and Allied Force (Kosovo) within days of arriving in the 
respective theater of operations. Their success in these operations, 
with no loss of American life, was largely attributable to the 
realistic and integrated live fire training completed at Vieques prior 
to their deployment.
  Those calling for the Navy and Marine Corps to cease training 
operations on the island and convey Navy-owned land to the Government 
of Puerto Rico often point to the struggling economy of Vieques and the 
banter posed by Navy training to the local citizens as supporting 
evidence. They express disappointment in the Navy's failure to more 
fully implement the terms of the 1983 Memorandum of Understanding which 
outlined the responsibilities of the Navy for assisting the economic 
development and safety of the local community. To address those 
concerns, we can, and should, work together to initiate new programs to 
assist the Navy and the residents of Vieques in stimulating the local 
economy and ensuring that all possible safety measures are adopted. 
However, economic concerns and correctable safety concerns should not 
force the Navy to cease vital training when that would increase the 
risk to the safety and security of our men and women in uniform.
  Mr. President, as long as we are committing our nation's youth to 
military operations throughout the world; and as long as Vieques is 
necessary to train these individuals so that they can perform their 
missions safely and successfully; it would be irresponsible to deploy 
these forces without first allowing them to train at their vital 
facility. I hope that all of my colleagues will support this 
resolution.

                          ____________________