[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 135 (Monday, September 29, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12138-S12139]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DAYTON (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. 
        Johnson, and Mr. Durbin):
  S. 1670. A bill to expand the Rest and Recuperation Leave program for 
members of the Armed Forces serving in the Iraqi theater of operations 
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom to include travel and 
transportation to the members' permanent station or home; to the 
Committee on Armed Services.
  Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation, S. 
1670, which would pay for the travel of U.S. troops stationed in Iraq, 
or in that theater, to and from their homes for the 2-weeks leave they 
are being granted.
  Incredibly, while asking the Congress for an additional $87 billion 
for the war in Iraq, the Department of Defense wants to drop soldiers 
on leave off at the Baltimore Airport and then make them pay for their 
transportation home and back. Those service men and women are serving 
with great courage in 115-degree temperatures and other truly awful 
conditions. They are being given 2 weeks leave--many of them--because 
they are in the Reserves or National Guard and they have just had their 
5- or 6-month tour extended by another 6 months. This will be the only 
time that many of them will have a chance to see their families during 
an entire year.
  The least we can do is get them home and back at Government expense. 
If all 138,000 troops who are stationed in Iraq were to take this leave 
to travel to their homes, the total cost would be approximately $69 
million. My legislation would not increase the $87 billion requested by 
the President, it would just direct that up to $69 million be available 
to be expensed for this purpose.
  Last week, I also cosponsored legislation introduced by Senator Bob 
Graham, which exempted soldiers wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan from 
having to pay for meals while they are hospitalized. I was astonished 
to learn that the military would otherwise dock their pay for the cost 
of their meals. We are appropriating over $400 billion for our military 
operations next year through the regular appropriations and 
supplemental bills. Surely, that provides enough money that U.S. troops 
who are fighting, risking their lives, being wounded, and dying can be 
treated compassionately and fairly, not nickeled and dimed with travel 
and meal costs while on leave, or, even worse, while being hospitalized 
with combat wounds and injuries.
  The American people are generous enough to support our troops 
properly and care for the wounded compassionately. The Department of 
Defense should not have to be required to do the right thing. It should 
be obvious enough to them, but if not, they should give me a call and I 
will let them know.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1670

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

     SECTION 1. EXPANSION OF REST AND RECUPERATION LEAVE PROGRAM 
                   TO INCLUDE TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION TO 
                   PERMANENT STATION OR HOME.

       (a) Expansion.--The Secretary of Defense shall expand the 
     Central Command Rest and Recuperation Leave program to 
     provide travel and transportation allowances to each member 
     of the Armed Forces participating in the program in order to 
     permit such member to travel at the expense of the United

[[Page S12139]]

     States from an original airport of debarkation to the 
     permanent station or home of such member.
       (b) Allowances Authorized.--The travel and transportation 
     allowances that may be provided under subsection (a) are the 
     travel and transportation allowances specified in section 
     404(d) of title 37, United States Code.
       (c) Construction With Other Allowances.--Travel and 
     transportation allowances provided for travel under 
     subsection (a) are in addition to any other travel and 
     transportation or other allowances that may be provided for 
     such travel by law.
       (d) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) The term ``Central Command Rest and Recuperation Leave 
     program'' means the Rest and Recuperation Leave program for 
     certain members of the Armed Forces serving in the Iraqi 
     theater of operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 
     as established by the United States Central Command on 
     September 25, 2003.
       (2) The term ``original airport of debarkation'' means an 
     airport designated as an airport of debarkation for members 
     of the Armed Forces under the Central Command Rest and 
     Recuperation Leave program as of the establishment of such 
     program on September 25, 2003.
                                 ______