[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 128 (Friday, October 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1784]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4205, FLOYD D. SPENCE NATIONAL DEFENSE 
                 AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2001

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                               speech of

                             HON. BOB STUMP

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 11, 2000

  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference 
report for the FY01 National Defense Authorization Act named for my 
distinguished colleague and Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, 
Floyd D. Spence. Chairman Spence has been a great advocate of our 
nation's military and has worked tirelessly to rebuild a military 
weakened by years of cuts in the defense budget. Under his leadership 
we have increased the Department of Defense's budget $60 billion over 
the past five years of Clinton-Gore administration cuts.
  This bill makes significant progress in keeping faith with the 
greatest generation by restoring the promise of lifetime health care to 
America's military retirees and their families. Congressman Buyer's 
efforts to address a financial challenge resulted in taking retiree 
health care out of the defense budget and setting up a long-term 
funding plan to ensure that our nation's military retirees will have 
access to the medical care that they have deservedly earned.
  The defense authorization act also provides active duty service 
members a new opportunity to convert their Post-Vietnam Era Veterans 
Educational Assistance Program (VEAP) benefits to the Montgomery GI 
Bill if they declined to do so before or withdraw all funds from their 
VEAP accounts. The bill also builds upon the concurrent receipt 
initiative provided in last year's defense bill. Beginning in fiscal 
year 2002, those service-members who are medically retired and rated at 
least 70% disabled by VA will be eligible for additional special 
monthly compensation of up to $300.
  Mr. Speaker, I regret that my colleague from Virginia, Readiness 
Subcommittee Chairman Herb Bateman passed away before seeing this bill 
signed into law. Throughout the measure are marks of his efforts to 
ensure that our defenders of freedom are battle ready and have the 
tools and resources they need. I also wish to thank the retiring 
Members of the panel who have worked tirelessly to rebuild our nation's 
military. Your support for our men and women in uniform has not gone 
unnoticed.
  While we have successfully increased funding in critical 
modernization programs, we have a long way to go. Following the ``lost 
decade'' of defense in the 1990s, America's military must be reshaped 
to meet the challenges of the post-Cold War world. Starting 
immediately, the United States must commit the resources necessary to 
improve current military capabilities and prepare our forces to face 
the threats of the coming decades. Anything less jeopardizes the 
military's readiness and America's place in the world.




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