[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 13, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E169]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF FY2001 DEFENSE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION

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                          HON. NORMAN D. DICKS

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 13, 2001

  Mr. DICKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce an emergency 
supplemental appropriations bill for the Department of Defense and to 
ask my colleagues here in the House to pass it expeditiously.
  This legislation will provide $6.7 billion in emergency funding for 
critical readiness needs of the armed forces, and it will cover the 
cost of shortfalls in the Defense Health Program as identified by the 
Chiefs of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.
  This amount is only what is required to cover unexpected cost 
increases for the most basic needs of our service members through the 
end of this fiscal year. This is an appropriate and an expected 
response to the kinds of unavoidable expenses--fuel, power increases, 
housing and other operations costs--that were not provided for in the 
regular appropriations bill for the Department of Defense. This is a 
routine and prudent exercise, Mr. Speaker, we must act expeditiously in 
order to avoid the cuts in each of the services that would be triggered 
soon--with nearly half the fiscal year over--if we were not to pass 
this bill.
  There are many causes for this action that is now required. The basic 
cost of living for our armed forces is substantially higher than DOD's 
projections from last year. Congress approved the FY 2001 Defense 
Appropriations bill more than six months ago, and the budget Congress 
approved had been assembled well over a year ago. In the interim, 
energy costs have skyrocketed, housing costs have increased 
substantially because we've been making a conscious effort to improve 
the living conditions for our military personnel and their families. 
And Congress and President Bill Clinton have committed the nation to 
provide higher pay and a more complete
  Let me also address the issue of why it is neither necessary nor 
prudent to wait until the new Defense Secretary completes his Strategic 
Review. It is clear to me that none of these costs will be affected in 
the slightest way by a strategic review of Pentagon systems. In most 
cases, these bills have already been incurred, and the money is already 
spent. The need for a supplemental appropriations bill to cover these 
costs is simply indisputable.
  I believe that the current resistance to such a bill by the Bush 
Administration has more to do with the size and timing of tax cuts than 
it has to do with military strategy. Not paying these bills now forces 
the Department of Defense to reduce and delay training and maintenance. 
And it thus affects the readiness of our armed forces. It is simply too 
high a price to pay for the questionable goal of quick and massive tax 
cuts. I can understand why the political strategists may want to 
conduct a debate over large tax cuts without the annoyance of 
mentioning the costs of necessary budget increases for the Defense 
Department. I just do not believe it is responsible to do so, and I am 
therefore asking my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to approve 
this urgent supplemental defense spending bill as soon as possible.
  Of the $6.7 billion in this bill, a total of one billion dollars will 
go toward pay and housing allowances; $4.3 billion will be for 
operations and maintenance costs such as training, force protection, 
aircraft and ship maintenance, base operations, and fuel cost 
increases. One billion dollars will be allocated for unanticipated 
health care costs; $270 million to procure spare parts and force 
protection equipment, and $110 million will be provided to offset the 
impact of energy price increases on military family housing.
  I am proud to join with my original cosponsors, Representatives Ike 
Skelton, Norm Sisisky, Martin Frost, Chet Edwards and Ellen Tauscher in 
introducing this bill. I hope that the Appropriations Committee will 
move quickly to review and pass this bill. And I hope that President 
Bush will agree to sign it.

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