[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 133 (Thursday, October 10, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10396-S10397]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING 
                 SEPTEMBER 30, 2003--CONFERENCE REPORT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I submit a report of the committee on the 
conference on the bill (H.R. 5011), and ask for its immediate 
consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the 
     two Houses on the amendments of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 
     5011), making appropriations for military construction, 
     family housing, and base realignment and closure for the 
     Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 
     30, 2003, and for other purposes, having met, have agreed 
     that the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment 
     of the Senate, and agree to the same with an amendment, 
     signed by all of the conferees on the part of both Houses.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate will proceed to the consideration 
of the conference report.
  (The report is printed in the House proceedings of the Record of 
October 9, 2002.)
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I am pleased to bring before the 
Senate the conference agreement on the fiscal year 2003 military 
construction appropriations bill.
  While the United States is engaged in a war on terrorism, and 
Congress is debating whether to give the President the authority to 
attack Iraq, it is timely that we are also acting to provide the 
military with the resources it needs to carry out its missions. The 
military construction appropriations bill funds scores of mission 
critical and quality of life infrastructure projects that are essential 
to support the efforts of the military.
  I am pleased that the Senate has moved quickly to take up this 
conference agreement. This bill provides nearly $10.5 billion in new 
budget authority, an amount only slightly below last year's funding. 
Given the many additional requirements being imposed on the military, 
particularly to meet new antiterrorism and force protections standards, 
additional funding would have been helpful. Still, within the funding 
constraints imposed on the bill, this measure does an excellent job of 
meeting the most critical infrastructure needs of the services.
  Mr. President, the projects in this bill address military readiness, 
quality of life, and anti-terrorism/force protection requirements. The 
conference attempted to address as many of the services' priorities as 
possible, and I believe we have done a good job in that respect, 
particularly in light of the fact that the House and Senate bills had 
very significant differences between them.
  The conference agreement provides nearly $4.9 billion for the active 
components of the military. It provides $688 million for the guard and 
reserve, more than double the President's budget request. Within these 
amounts is included $799 million for anti-terrorism/force protection 
enhancements for military facilities worldwide. This commitment to 
protect American military bases will help to ensure the security of 
military personnel and the families, as well as to protect the 
taxpayers' substantial investment in defense infrastructure.

  The Conference Agreement also provides $1.2 billion for barracks, and 
$4.2 billion for military family housing, both of which are top quality 
of life priorities for military personnel and their families.
  There are two other very important items that merit mention. The 
first is a $25 million initiative to accelerate the construction 
associated with the Army's Stryker Brigade combat teams.
  The Stryker Brigades will offer the military fast, light-weight, air-
mobile combat power--a far advanced system when compared to the 
restrictions with heavy armor.
  An additional $25 million initiative will accelerate the Air Force's 
C-17 Air Mobility Program.
  The C-17 initiative will provide the infrastructure needed to support 
and enhance the ability of one of the air force's most dependable 
aircraft, capable of transporting both troops and equipment. The C-17 
program will help address the significant shortfall in Military airlift 
requirements.
  The conference report also includes $20 million dollars for a BRAC 
Environmental cleanup initiative.
  This initiative assists Military installations that have been closed 
as part of the base realignment and closure effort. This additional 
funding, in addition to the budget requested amount, is necessary to 
enable the military to honor its commitments to the people and the 
communities that have been affected by these last four rounds of base 
closure.

  This is a start, but much more will be needed to complete the 
environmental clean up of BRAC sites across the nation in a reasonable 
period of time. This is certainly something that should be considered 
before the nation embarks on any future rounds of base closings.
  Mr. President, I thank chairman Byrd, Senator Stevens, and my ranking 
member on the subcommittee, Senator Hutchison, for their support and 
assistance in bringing this conference agreement to the Senate. I also 
thank the subcommittee staff, including Christina Evans and BG Wright 
of the majority staff; Sid Ashworth and Alycia Farrell of the minority 
staff; and Matt Miller of my staff, for their hard work on this 
measure.
  Given the difficulties that have faced the appropriations process 
this year, I am pleased and grateful that the military construction 
bill will be sent to the President prior to the Senate's adjournment. I 
urge the President to sign this bill without delay.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I am pleased to bring before the 
Senate the conference agreement on the fiscal year 2003 military 
construction appropriations bill and endorse those comments made by the 
Chairman, Senator Feinstein.
  I am gratified that the Congress was able to move forward on a 
military construction bill for fiscal year 2003. This is especially 
critical when the nation is considering military action to prevent the 
spread of terrorism and the potential use of weapons of mass 
destruction. Given the circumstances, this is a particularly timely, 
and time sensitive, Conference Report, and it is

[[Page S10397]]

important that the Senate is moving quickly to pass it so that we can 
provide our military personnel the housing and facilities they need to 
perform their duties.
  This is a good package that meets the most pressing needs of the 
military, both in terms of readiness and quality of life issues. It is 
not, of course, a perfect package. The Conference Report does not 
include everything that the Senate wanted; nor does it includes 
everything that the House wanted. It does, however, address the 
priorities of the Department of Defense as well as both Houses of 
Congress. It is a carefully crafted compromise that is both balanced 
and bipartisan.

  The Chairman highlighted several of the critical items contained in 
this bill, such as $1.2 billion for new barracks, $151 million for 
military hospitals and medical facilities, $688 million for new Guard 
and Reserve facilities, and $1.34 billion for new family housing for 
military personnel and their families.
  These are important increases that signal a renewed commitment to 
upgrading and rebuilding the infrastructure that is truly the backbone 
of our Nation's military. I am proud to support funding for these 
important programs.
  In recent years, we have made real progress in improving family 
housing for single service members and for families, as well as 
improving the workplaces for the men and women who serve America both 
at home and abroad. However, much remains to be done.
  It is my hope that in future budgets, we will see sufficient 
resources to continue the Department of Defense's efforts to modernize, 
renovate and improve aging defense facilities and infrastructure. the 
effects of sustained and structural inattention by the Pentagon and the 
military services to basic infrastructure are apparent on nearly every 
military installation. This will continue to have long-term 
implications as facilities continue to age disproportionately without a 
sustained level of investment in maintenance and repair.
  Mr. President, I want to thank Chairman Byrd, Senator Stevens, and 
the Chairman of this subcommittee, Senator Feinstein, for their 
unflagging support and assistance in bringing this conference agreement 
to the Senate. I also thank the subcommittee staff for their hard work 
on this measure.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the conference report be 
agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that 
any statements be printed in the Record with no intervening action or 
debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The conference report was agreed to.

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