[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 62 (Wednesday, May 15, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E809-E810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   BOB STUMP NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2003

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. JAMES H. MALONEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 9, 2002

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4546) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2003 for military 
     activities of the Department of Defense, and for military 
     construction, to prescribe military personnel strengths for 
     fiscal year 2003, and for other purposes:

  Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut. Mr. Chairman, as a member of House Armed 
Services Committee, I fully support H.R. 4546, the Bob Stump National 
Defense Authorization Act, which was passed by Committee on a 
bipartisan vote of 57-1. This bill readies our military for threats 
posed to our national security, now and in the future. I would like to 
mention four provisions that are particularly important to the people 
of Connecticut.
  First, from my work to provide clinics for veterans in Waterbury and 
Danbury, I understand the urgency in providing concurrent receipt for 
disabled veterans. This bill contains a provision to authorize military 
retirees who are 60 percent or greater disabled to receive their full 
retirement pay and disability compensation benefit by fiscal year 2007. 
Through a transition program, military retirees will receive increasing 
amounts of monthly compensation. Transition payment levels will 
increase annually until fiscal year 2007, when all retirees with a 
disability rating of 60 percent or greater will receive their full 
retired and VA disability pay. The concurrent receipt provision in this 
legislation could not come soon enough for the veterans of Connecticut.
  Second, Connecticut does not currently have a Civil Support Team. 
Section 1026 of the Authorization contains language I offered in 
Committee, which is consistent with my legislation (H.R. 3154), to 
deploy National Guard Civil Support Teams (CST) in each state and 
territory. CSTs are federally funded assets under state control. To 
date, Congress authorized only 32 Civil Support Teams. According to a 
September 2001 GAO report entitled Combating Terrorism, ``The 
Department of Defense plans--and officials suggested--that there 
eventually should be a team in each state, territory, and the District 
of Columbia.'' The war on terrorism makes this a matter of utmost 
priority. The Civil Support Teams are strategic assets, stationed at 
the operational level, as an immediate response capability to assist in 
the event of a weapons of mass destruction emergency. Since September 
11, 2001, Civil Support Teams have responded to more than 200 requests 
for support from civil authorities for actual or potential weapons of 
mass destruction incidents. Civil Support Teams have also supported 
national events including the World Series, Super Bowl and the 2002 
Winter Olympics. Section 1026 expresses the sense of Congress that the 
Secretary of Defense should establish 23 additional teams, so as to 
ensure there is one in each state and territory of the United States. 
Having one of these critical teams in Connecticut will provide a high 
degree of preparedness and improve the ability of first responders to 
act in times of crisis.
  Third, the bill contains $56.5 billion in crucial funding for 
military research and development, $649 million more than the 
President's request. Outstanding research companies in the 5th District 
carry out a number of these important programs. Just one example is the 
new U.S. Army equipment being developed to take advantage of a wide 
range of battery technology advancements. The bill contains $2 million 
for rechargeable bipolar wafer-cell Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) 
replacement batteries for the SINGCARS radio system, as well as for the 
service's fleet of trucks and armored vehicles. This cutting edge 
battery technology as well as other advanced technology is being 
developed in Danbury, CT.
  Fourth, I am proud to stand in support of this bill as it has $10 
billion to improve military construction and housing. This funding is 
urgently needed to address the conditions under which we force our 
fighting men and women to reside. If we want to improve readiness we 
must improve the living conditions of the men and women of the armed 
services. I have received many letters from constituents over the state 
of military quarters. Let me quote just one example from Lieutenant 
Sapiro, a Connecticut Police Officer who has been called up for active 
duty as part of Operation Noble Eagle . . .
  ``We are now in our third month of living in quarters that were 
slated for demolition. The condition of our quarters is relative and 
varies unit to unit. There may or may not be a mold spore problem in 
some of our quarters. We cannot get a definitive answer and members of 
our families at home are concerned for our welfare. In my section 
alone, I have had sergeants report back from sick call with bronchial 
pneumonia, bronchitis and chronic sinus and respiratory distress which 
developed and persists since their arrival here at Fort Leonard Wood. . 
. . Several of the sergeants I write about are New York City Police 
Officers who have lost friends at the World Trade Center.''
  The problem of cramped and unsanitary living conditions cannot be 
ignored. We ask so much of our troops, like this Lieutenant from 
Shelton, CT. That is why I support this bill, which increases funding 
for military construction, including troop housing, by $500 million 
above the President's budget.
  As proud as I am of the readiness provisions in this bill, there are 
sections of the legislation, which deeply concern me. Specifically, I 
object to sections 311 and 312, in regard to which I joined Congressman 
Rahall in offering an amendment to strike those sections, which provide 
exemptions to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species 
Act for the Department of Defense. The Endangered Species Act requires, 
with limited exceptions, the designation of critical habitat for all 
endangered or threatened species. Federal agencies are required to 
consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in order to avoid 
actions that destroy or adversely modify critical habitat. Section 7 of 
the Endangered Species Act already provides an exemption for any agency 
action for reasons of national security. According to the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, the Secretary of Defense has never sought an 
exemption. A blanket legislative exemption to the designation of 
military lands as critical habitat for endangered species is not 
needed. Similarly, section 311, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, allows 
for administrative flexibility in regard to the incidental taking of 
migratory birds, including reference to military training activities. 
It is regrettable that we did not have the opportunity to debate this 
issue on the floor.
  Despite my concern with these particular environmental exemption 
provisions, I support the bill as a whole. The $383.4 billion 
legislation authorizes an approximately $40 billion in funding increase 
from fiscal year 2002. The bill prioritizes the welfare of our troops 
by authorizing $20 billion for military health care.

[[Page E810]]

$7.3 billion is directed to combat terrorism. The bill raises force end 
strength and provides for a 4.1 percent pay raise for our troops. 
Altogether, the bill addresses a range of defense programs that serve 
our national interest, some of which have particular relevance to 
Connecticut. It provides for much needed equipment and force 
modernization. For example, 39 Black Hawk type variant helicopters are 
authorized, 12 above the President's budget. These helicopters are 
crucial to meeting our strategic requirements: from helping our troops 
in the mountains of Afghanistan to performing a medical emergency 
evacuation here at home. So, for these reasons I commend the 
legislation to my colleagues and look forward to its passage.

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