[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 64 (Monday, May 22, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E804]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




FLOYD D. SPENCE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. TIM ROEMER

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 17, 2000

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4205) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2001 for military 
     activities of the Department of Defense and for military 
     construction, to prescribe military personnel strengths for 
     fiscal year 2001, and for other purposes:

  Mr. ROEMER. Mr. Chairman, I strongly support the Defense 
Authorization bill for fiscal year 2001. This legislation has placed 
great emphasis on expanding quality of life initiatives, addressing 
readiness shortfalls, and enhancing modernization programs. I am 
particularly supportive of the procurement budget in this legislation 
for the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) or Hummer.
  The Congress and especially the Armed Services Committee have 
strongly supported sustained Hummer production. The hard-working people 
of Indiana's Third Congressional district have responded by providing a 
vehicle that has met, and in many cases, exceeded the needs of our 
brave troops in the field.
  Moreover, both the Army and the Marine Corps have identified the 
Hummer among their unfunded modernization priorities. This defense 
authorization bill meets those priorities by increasing the budget by 
$28 million, thereby allowing the Army and the Marines to buy more 
Hummers to replace their aging fleet and provide technology insertion. 
This will go a long way toward protecting our brave men and women in 
uniform deployed in Kosovo and Bosnia.
  I am excited by the growing capabilities of the Hummer. Earlier this 
year, I went home to visit the Hummer plant and saw a prototype of the 
commercial Hummer II which is being developed by a joint effort between 
AM General and General Motors. The Hummer's expansion into the 
commercial marketplace will result in the sharing of leading 
technologies for commercial and military vehicles while maintaining a 
highly skilled technological workforce in Indiana who I am very proud 
to represent.
  Mr. Chairman, I wish to express my gratitude to the members of the 
Armed Services Committee who have reported a defense authorization bill 
that will ensure continued Hummer production. I urge my colleagues to 
support this legislation.




                          ____________________