[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 135 (Wednesday, October 10, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10452-S10454]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          FISCAL YEAR 2002 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I would like to take some time to comment on 
the passage of the fiscal year 2002 National Defense Authorization Act 
that passed the Senate last week by a vote of 99 to 0. The annual 
process of authorizing funding for our nation's armed forces and 
defense activities is always a grave and important matter with profound 
implications for our national defense and global security. In light of 
the recent and vicious terrorist attacks on the symbols of our 
financial and military power and the murder of thousands of innocent 
Americans, this process has become even more significant.
  To that end, it is entirely appropriate and necessary that a major 
focus of this legislation is combating international terrorism and 
other asymmetric threats such as terrorism involving weapons of mass 
destruction, including the use of nuclear, biological, or chemical 
weapons. In my view, we ought to redouble our efforts and remain 
vigilant in our counterterrorism activities to prevent these tragedies 
from occurring and to deter those who contemplate such acts of 
barbarism. The fiscal year 2002 National Defense Authorization Act 
takes a number of important steps in thwarting terrorism. It authorizes 
$5.6 billion to deter and defend against the threat of terrorism--an 
increase of $1.0 billion over fiscal year 2001 levels. Specifically, it 
increases funding by $217.2 million to the Department of Defense's 
Combating Terrorism Initiative--which is aimed at defending and 
responding to the use of weapons of mass destruction. Another important 
initiative includes a $10 million increase to the Chairman of the Joint 
Chiefs of Staff's Combating Terrorism Readiness Initiative Fund which 
targets and identifies emerging threats from terrorist organizations 
and funds vital counterterrorism activities and training by our 
nation's armed forces.
  This legislation also continues our efforts to cease the 
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In particular, this 
legislation authorizes $403.0 million for the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative 
Threat Reduction program which has successfully helped destroy and 
dismantle more than 5,000 nuclear warheads and more than 1,000 nuclear 
missiles in the former Soviet Union. One of the most critically 
important and innovative provisions of the Nunn-Lugar program--the 
Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention program--has helped prevent 
Russian scientists from exporting their knowledge of nuclear weapons or 
other weapons of mass destruction to rogue states.
  Chairman Levin and Ranking Member Warner deserve to be commended for 
their efforts to find agreement on the missile defense issue. 
Provisions that would have sought to prevent the Administration from 
engaging in activities that would have violated the 1972 Anti-Ballistic 
Missile Treaty were dropped from the bill as part of the compromise 
reached by Chairman Levin and Senator Warner. Chairman Levin has 
indicated that these provisions--which have important implications for 
our national security--will be considered as a stand-alone bill at a 
later time. In addition, $1.3 billion in funding that was cut from the 
President's missile defense budget request and targeted toward 
counterterrorism activities will be used to fund--at the discretion of 
the President--missile defense activities or counterterrorism 
activities.
  Certainly, we ought to do all we can--especially in light of the 
terrorist attack--to protect our nation from all threats, including 
ballistic missiles. I support the testing and development of a limited 
national missile defense system, so long as it is consistent with 
international arms control treaties and enhances global security. 
However, the unilateral abrogation of the 1972 ABM Treaty by the United 
States would be highly destabilizing, in my view, and could expedite 
China's nuclear modernization plans. It could also fuel an 
international arms race between India and Pakistan, which is not in any 
nation's interest. I hope that we can continue to debate these 
important issues that have profound implications for our nation's 
defense and foreign policy.
  The fiscal year 2002 National Defense Authorization provides $343.5 
billion in funding for vital national security activities of the 
Department of Defense and certain nuclear non-proliferation programs of 
the Department of Energy. All in all, this legislation represents an 
increase of $32.9 billion--a 10 percent increase over last year's 
levels and represents the largest increase in defense spending since 
the mid-1980s. Much of the funding increases are targeted, rightfully 
so, to the men and women who serve in the armed forces, including: 
increases in compensation to improve the quality of life of U.S. forces 
and their families; increasing military pay; and increasing housing 
allowances and educational benefits.
  This legislation also includes a provision authorizing the 
Administration to consider and possibly recommend an additional round 
of base closures and realignments, BRAC, in 2003. It authorizes the 
Secretary of Defense--in consultation with Congress--to appoint members 
to a bipartisan commission tasked with making recommendations on the 
closure and realignment of military facilities. Their recommendations 
would come before the President--en masse--who would either approve or 
disapprove of the commission's report. If the President agrees with the 
commission's recommendations, Congress would have an up-or-down vote on 
the entire list of recommendations.
  Since 1995, I have voted against additional rounds of base closures 
because I felt it was premature to authorize them without knowing the 
full effect, costs, and savings associated with previous rounds. It has 
now been six years

[[Page S10453]]

since the last round of base closures were authorized, and Secretary 
Rumsfeld has strongly supported an additional round of closures to free 
up funding for the modernization and transformation of our nation's 
armed forces to meet the security challenges of the 21st century. The 
Department of Defense has estimated savings of $14 billion dollars from 
previous rounds of base closures and has maintained that the U.S. armed 
forces has 20 to 25 percent excess capacity resulting from too many 
military bases. While we ought do all we can to streamline and improve 
the efficiency of our nation's armed forces, I believe we should be 
very careful and judicious about the closing of miliary bases. After 
all, once a military base is closed, it will most likely be gone 
forever. My home state of Connecticut has been particularly affected by 
previous rounds, and I believe that decisions to close military 
facilities must be done with the utmost care that is consistent with 
our national security needs. While I support the provision in this 
legislation to authorize an additional round of closures, it does not 
necessarily mean that I will agree with the recommendations. I will 
reserve judgment on the merits of their recommendations if and when the 
commission's report is completed.

  Overall, this legislation includes vital increases in military 
readiness and preparedness, and represents an important first step 
toward modernizing and transforming the military to meet the security 
challenges of the 21st century. To that end, I am very pleased that 
this legislation recognizes and rewards the ingenuity and technological 
acumen of Connecticut's highly skilled workforce, defense and aerospace 
firms, and contractors.
  Increases in funding for the procurement of Sirkorsky Black Hawk UH-
60 helicopters reflect the critical importance that this aircraft holds 
for the Army, Navy, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve. This 
legislation authorizes funding for 10 additional UH-60 Black Hawk 
helicopters for the Army National Guard--addressing a critical funding 
shortfall by meeting the Guard's number one unfunded priority. These 
high-quality, technologically advanced, utility helicopters provide 
critical functions for the nation's armed forces, and this legislation 
recognizes their importance to our national defense.
  This legislation also provides $2.2 billion for the production of a 
new Virginia-class submarine by Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut 
and authorizes $684 million in advanced procurement for two new attack 
submarines in fiscal year 2003 and 2004. This will allow Electric Boat 
to produce these state-of-the-art attack submarines in the most 
efficient and economical manner possible. The advanced funding also 
increases the likelihood of increasing submarine production in the near 
future--perhaps by 2006--which is a critical component of meeting long-
range defense needs. Finally, this legislation authorizes $440 million 
for the SSGN Trident conversion program, which will allow the U.S. Navy 
to convert four Ohio-class submarines to fire conventional Tomahawk 
missiles and perform special and covert operations. These submarines 
have 22 years of hull life left, and converting these submarines will 
provide the U.S. Navy with invaluable stealth capability and fire 
power. I am pleased that much of the work for converting these 
submarines will be performed by talented, diligent workers in 
Southeastern Connecticut.
  This legislation funds many weapons programs that will play a 
critical role in our national defense in the near future, including the 
F-22, the Joint Strike Fighter, and the Comanche helicopter. For the 
near term, this legislation also provides funding to upgrade the 
engines of the aging fleet of F-15s and F-16s.
  Joint STARS--the highly sophisticated and technologically advanced 
radar surveillance aircraft system--is fully funded at $283.2 million 
with $46 million in advanced procurement of an additional Joint STARS 
platform in the future. This advanced radar system is manufactured at 
Northrop Grumman's Norden facility in Norwalk, Connecticut. Theater 
Commanders-in-Chief have consistently articulated the need for 
additional Joint STARS aircraft, and these platforms have historically 
provided vital surveillance and reconnaissance functions in the Persian 
Gulf, Bosnia, and Kosovo.
  I would also like to mention some other important programs authorized 
under this legislation. Funding for fifteen C-17 transport airplanes--
powered by Pratt & Whitney F117 jet engines--is provided under this 
bill for a total of $3.5 billion. In addition, funding for aircraft 
training systems for the U.S. Navy--also powered by Pratt & Whitney 
engines--is authorized for an additional $44.6 million dollars above 
the President's request. And, $4.5 million is provided for important 
military research projects conducted at the University of Connecticut 
in the area of medical vaccines and fuel cells.
  Finally, Mr. President, I would like to address two amendments that I 
planned on offering to the FY 2002 National Defense Authorization bill. 
The first amendment--which was adopted unanimously by voice vote--
authorizes funding for the FIRE Act through fiscal year 2004. This 
critically important program provides federal grant funding for 
professional and volunteer fire departments to hire firefighters, 
purchase equipment, and invest in training. The tragic events of 
September 11, 2001, only serves to underscore the critical role that 
the brave men and women of fire and emergency response departments play 
in protecting and saving lives.
  This amendment addresses a major funding shortfall for training and 
equipment for our local fire departments. Last year, while Congress 
appropriated $100 million in grant funding under the FIRE Act, local 
fire departments submitted nearly $3 billion in grant requests. This 
represents nearly $2.8 billion worth of unfunded requests under the 
FIRE Act program. My amendment addresses this funding shortfall by 
authorizing up to $600 million in fiscal year 2002, up to $800 million 
in fiscal year 2003, and up to $1 billion in fiscal year 2004 to meet 
the burgeoning demands of local fire departments as they seek to 
protect communities and save lives.
  I also filed an amendment on the critically important issue of 
election reform. The National Defense Authorization bill included 
requirements for state and local election officials to meet with regard 
to voting by military and overseas voters. While I strongly support the 
voting rights provisions included in the National Defense Authorization 
bill, I would like to see these issues addressed in a more 
comprehensive and meaningful way. I have authored legislation, S. 565, 
the Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act--which passed the Senate 
Rules Committee by a vote of 10 to 0--that would accomplish this by 
ensuring that basic, federal standards to secure the right to vote in 
federal elections are provided to all eligible American voters. In 
order to accomplish this in an expedited fashion, I planned to offer my 
election reform bill as an amendment to the National Defense 
Authorization bill in the hope that this would spur action to enact 
meaningful, comprehensive election reform into law before Congress 
adjourns for the year.
  However, in lieu of offering that amendment and in order to 
facilitate swift enactment of the defense bill, I included language in 
a bipartisan amendment--offered by Senator Allard--which recognizes the 
need to ensure that all eligible voters have their vote counted. 
Specifically, this sense-of-the-Senate language states that each 
election administrator of a Federal, State, or local election should 
ensure that all eligible American voters, regardless of race, 
ethnicity, disability, the language they speak, or the resources of the 
community in which they live should have an equal opportunity to cast a 
vote and have that vote counted. While this represents an important 
step forward, I will continue to diligently work toward passing 
meaningful and comprehensive election reform legislation during this 
session of Congress.
  As our nation embarks on what promises to be a long and difficult war 
against terrorism, our nation's armed services will need the full 
support and resources of the government and the American people. The 
fiscal year 2002 National Defense Authorization bill represents the 
first step toward providing the men and women of the armed forces with 
the resources they need to succeed in this endeavor, and I strongly 
support its passage.

[[Page S10454]]



                          ____________________