[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 59 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S5357]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. LANDRIEU:
  S. 902. A bill to declare, under the authority of Congress under 
Article I, section 8, of the Constitution to ``provide and maintain a 
Navy'', a national policy for the naval force structure required in 
order to ``provide for the common defense'' of the United States 
throughout the 21st century; to the Committee on Armed Services.
  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, article I, section 8, clauses 12 and 13 
are the source of Congress' power regarding the Army and the Navy. 
Interestingly, while clause 12 of the Constitution gives Congress the 
power to raise and support armies, clause 13 requires Congress to 
provide and maintain a navy. Thus, while we have discretionary 
authority with regard to the establishment of an army, the Constitution 
presumes that we will always have and maintain a navy.
  Despite this constitutional duty, our current surface fleet is 
smaller than our fleet in 1917, the year before we entered World War I. 
What is worse, the future looks even more bleak. At current build 
rates, we will sink below a 200 ship navy. In fact, we are building 
ships at rates unseen since 1932--the height of the great depression.
  I submit that this policy is unsustainable. The U.S. Navy is not only 
a great pillar of American military might, it is an important tool in 
our diplomacy. American ships conduct about 175 international exercises 
every year. Yet, in recent years we have had to scale back 
participation, and in some cases, cancel exercises because the ships 
were simply not available. These joint exercises improve our ability to 
coordinate activity with our allies. They allow us to instill American 
notions of professionalism and service into the navies all around the 
world, and they give us important intelligence on emerging naval 
capabilities.
  Additionally, the Navy serves as a powerful deterrent in situations 
short of war. How many situations have we used our Navy as a symbol of 
American resolve. The firepower and strength represented by a carrier 
battle group has been important in the Taiwan Straights, in the Sea of 
Japan and in the Persian Gulf. There is no reason to believe that it 
will become any less so in future years.
  The Quadrennial Defense Review puts the requirements for the number 
of ships in the Navy at 360. Naval strategists warn that we are already 
proportioning risk. In other words, we are already deciding what seas 
we will leave underprotected, so as to ensure that we will have enough 
ships to cover flash points.
  The legislation I am offering today is a simple statement of policy. 
It states that it is the policy of the United States to return to a 
Navy of at least 375 ships. This should include 15 carrier battle 
groups and 15 amphibious ready groups. Yet, even this number is a 
dramatic decrease from our high point of a 600 ship navy. However, it 
is an achievable goal, if Congress begins to appropriate resources to 
the Navy shipbuilding account at reasonable levels.
  The bill is based on another policy statement we adopted into law in 
1999--the National Missile Defense Act. That law provided guidance to 
our authorization and appropriations process. It also provide guidance 
to the President's budget. It has been successful in ensuring that the 
last two administrations have budgeted sufficient resources to keep our 
national missile defense program on track. This statement of policy is 
more important still. It is not a statement about a future technology, 
it is a statement about a military capability that this country dare 
not abandon.
  I trust that the Senate shares my commitment to the future of our 
fleet. While it may come at real expense, I know my colleagues share 
the view that it is an expense worth making. I look forward to working 
with my colleagues to ensure that this bill is adopted.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bills was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 902

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

        This Act may be cited as the ``National Naval Force 
     Structure Policy Act of 2003''.

     SEC. 2. NATIONAL NAVAL FORCE STRUCTURE POLICY.

        It is the policy of the United States to rebuild as soon 
     as possible the size of the fleet of the United States Navy 
     to no fewer than 375 vessels in active service, to include 15 
     aircraft carrier battle groups and 15 amphibious ready 
     groups, in order to ensure peace through strength for the 
     United States throughout the 21st century.

                                 S. 903

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Renewal Community Employment 
     Credit Improvement Act''.

     SEC. 2. RENEWAL COMMUNITY EMPLOYERS MAY QUALIFY FOR 
                   EMPLOYMENT CREDIT BY EMPLOYING RESIDENTS OF 
                   CERTAIN OTHER RENEWAL COMMUNITIES.

       (a) In General.--Section 1400H(b)(2) of the Internal 
     Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to modification) is amended by 
     striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (1), by striking the 
     period at the end of paragraph (2) and inserting ``, and'', 
     and by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(3) subsection (d)(1)(B) thereof shall be applied by 
     substituting `such renewal community, an adjacent renewal 
     community within the same State as such renewal community, or 
     a renewal community within such State which is within 5 miles 
     of any border of such renewal community' for `such 
     empowerment zone'.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall take effect as if included in the amendment made by 
     section 101(a) of the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 
     2000.
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