[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 21, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6845-S6846]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page S6845]]

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                                 Senate

   NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2004--Continued

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, today I have the privilege of rising to 
support the Defense authorization bill. As we have seen in the recent 
conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, the process of transforming our 
Nation's military has initially met with great success. Many at home 
will ask what is transformation and what does it mean to the future of 
our Nation's military? Simply put, transformation is a process of 
reform that will revolutionize the way the military conducts 
operations. We saw a glimpse of this emerging reality during the Iraqi 
conflict where information was gathered from a variety of sensors, 
whether on the ground or in the air, and that information was 
transmitted very quickly to commanders who could then exploit the 
weakness of our enemy. It was a remarkable operation and it reflects 
the high level of competence and expertise of our Nation's service men 
and women.
  This Defense bill will accelerate transformation and ensure that our 
forces maintain their decisive edge. It is an important accomplishment 
and the chairman, ranking Democratic member and all the members of the 
committee deserve our thanks. Their efforts to make military 
transformation a reality has led them to fund the research and 
development of such revolutionary systems as the Army's Future Combat 
System, or FCS. FCS will allow our forces to deploy an Army brigade 
anywhere in the world within 96 hours. The DDX and the Littoral Combat 
Ship will also be revolutionary in their stealth characteristics, 
automation systems, and command and control capabilities.
  The committee is also continuing its support for the Joint Strike 
Fighter, the F-35, which will bring a stealth fighter to all of our air 
and naval/marine air forces. However, I was disappointed to see that 
the President's request for full funding of the F/A-22 did not occur. 
This is a system that is a transformational aircraft at its core. The 
F/A-22's supercruise engines allow for extended supersonic flight--a 
magnitude longer than its after-burner predecessors. Using stealth 
capabilities, the F/A-22 is able to penetrate an opponent's airspace 
and engage enemy aircraft at great ranges. Additionally, unlike our 
current air superiority fighter the F-15C, the F/A-22 will be able to 
engage integrated surface-to-air missile systems. Once again using 
stealth technology, the F/A-22 will be able to approach these missile 
sites and destroy them, utilizing internally carried GPS-guided bombs. 
The F/A-22, using this bombing capability, will also have the ability 
to track and launch attacks against ground-fixed and mobile targets. 
However, the truly transformational aspect of the aircraft is that it 
can accomplish all of these missions almost simultaneously. 
Paraphrasing the Air Force's motto, no aircraft comes close to the F/A-
22's capabilities. I hope that the committee will reverse its decision 
and fully fund the President's request for 22 of these remarkable 
aircraft.
  I also want to mention my deep concern about the funding of the 
Radiation Exposure Compensation Program, RECA. The RECA program 
provides compensation to those individuals who became ill after being 
exposed to radiation from aboverground nuclear tests or as a result of 
their employment in the uranium industry. In addition to creating 
eligibility criteria for compensation, the RECA statute created a trust 
fund to pay claims. Two years ago, the RECA trust fund ran out of money 
and individuals whose RECA claims were approved by the Department of 
Justice were given IOUs. In response to this serious matter, we were 
able to obtain additional funding for the RECA trust fund through the 
fiscal year 2002 Department of Defense authorization legislation. This 
legislation provided a ``capped'' appropriation for the RECA trust fund 
from fiscal year 2002 through fiscal year 2011.
  Unfortunately, the Department of justice recently informed my office 
that the capped appropriation for fiscal year 2004 will be about $28 
million short and that they expect the trust fund to run out of money 
by next May. In addition, a report issued by the General Accounting 
Office in April 2003 states that the RECA trust fund will be inadequate 
from fiscal year 2003 through fiscal year 2007. According to GAO, there 
will be a shortfall of $78 million through fiscal year 2011.
  I am deeply concerned about this funding shortfall and urge my 
colleagues to do everything possible over the next several months in 
order to avoid this looming crisis. I do not believe it is fair that 
RECA beneficiaries, whose compensation has already been approved by the 
Department of Justice, could be waiting months for their compensation. 
And that's exactly what will happen if we do not address this situation 
in a timely manner. So I urge my colleagues to work with me as we 
pursue every option to find a solution to this very serious problem.
  There will always be some elements of disagreement in any piece of 
legislation, but there is no disagreement that the committee continues 
to strive to compensate our Nation's service men and women for their 
hard work and dedication. Though we have a long way to go, I am pleased 
with this year's progress and the committee's authorization of an 
across-the-board military pay raise of 3.7 percent and an additional 
targeted pay raise for certain experienced mid-personnel, ranging from 
5.25 percent to 6.25 percent, for an overall raise of 4.15 percent. I 
am also encouraged to see that the committee has provided for an 
increase in the family separation to see that the committee has 
provided for an increase in the family separation allowance from $100 
per

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month to $250 per month and an increase in the special pay for duty 
subject to hostile fire or imminent danger from $150 per month to $225 
per month.
  I would also like to direct the Senate's attention to some for the 
unsung heroes who have played such important roles in American military 
victories. These are the thousands of men and women who work in our 
Nation's depots. They have worked tirelessly to make sure that the 
weapons, aircraft, and ammunition that our forces use are properly 
maintained and in fantastic condition. They are the backbone of our 
military force and they deserve commendation for the tremendous role 
they have played. Appropriately, when the committee was considering 
proposals to undermine the strength of our depot system, it was the 
Senate Air Force Depot Caucus, of which I am proud to be a member, and 
Senators Inhofe, Chambliss, Bennett, and Nickles, who rose to protect 
our depots. We have so far been successful in our efforts but we 
realize that we must be forever vigilant to protect these critical 
military resources.
  Again I would like to thank the chairman, ranking Democratic member 
and all of the members of the committee for their work on this bill. It 
will be of great service in the support of our Nation's service men and 
women.

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