[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 87 (Tuesday, June 22, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H4685-H4707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 683 and rule 
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House 
on the State of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 4613.

                              {time}  1455


                     In the Committee of the Whole

  Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the 
Whole House on the State of the Union for the consideration of the bill 
(H.R. 4613) making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2005, and for other purposes, with Mr. 
Camp in the chair.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered as having 
been read the first time.
  Under the rule, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) and the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis).
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  It is my privilege today to present to the House the appropriations 
for National Defense for Fiscal Year 2005. This bill includes a total 
amount for the Defense Department of $416.1 billion. Within that dollar 
amount, which is an enormous amount, there also is included 
approximately $25 billion that is a part of a bridge fund amendment 
providing funds for operations in Iraq. This recognizes that the 
Congress may be in recess for an extended period of time, perhaps even 
adjourn for the year for a period of time, before we have another 
supplemental coming forward. That additional funding is to make certain 
that we do not have any of the funds that are very important in terms 
of meeting our world challenges today run short or run dry.
  Indeed, this bill is a package that is designed to meet the country's 
need in this ever-shrinking and ever-complex world. It is a very, very 
important bill, that first and foremost is designed to support our 
troops wherever they may be deployed around the world. Most 
significantly, in doing that, we are providing the funding that is 
necessary to carry forward the current effort in Iraq and around 
Afghanistan as well.
  I would like to outline just briefly what the bill does. It supports 
those operations in Iraq, as I have suggested; but it also supports our 
troops by making certain that funding is there for their housing, for 
their training needs, their clothing needs, et cetera. But above and 
beyond that, it provides for full funding for the 3.5 percent pay 
increase that is a part of the President's budget.
  The bill further increases additional funding for readiness for our 
troops, providing for the training as well as the equipment of their 
efforts worldwide.
  The bill provides a very significant level of funding for our 
intelligence efforts, including an increase beyond the President's 
original budget. Further than that, within the supplemental package 
that is here, there is a very significant addition to our Intelligence 
funding. The bill provides for funding for a number of very important 
assets across the board, including funding for the Virginia-class 
submarine, for example, funding for the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-22 
fighter, et cetera.
  This bill also includes language that is designed to improve or 
increase the reporting requirements that we provide

[[Page H4686]]

for the Department of Defense and the various branches to make sure 
that the Congress is getting the kind of oversight that allows us all 
the assurance we need that the funding that has been appropriated by 
the Congress is being spent along those guidelines that the Congress 
has extended.
  At this point, Mr. Chairman, I would like to provide for the Record a 
summary of the funding provided in this bill.

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  Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Florida (Mr. Young), the chairman of the full committee.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding me the time.
  Under the rules of the majority party in the House, the gentleman 
from California (Chairman Lewis) is term limited in his subcommittee 
chairmanship. And, in fact, this is the last time that he will present 
this defense appropriations bill to the House.
  In the 6 years that he has chaired this subcommittee, and I think he 
would agree with me that it is probably the best job in the whole 
Congress, he has done an outstanding job. His leadership has been 
evident at every step and opportunity.
  His partnership with the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) has 
served this Nation well; has served our security well, and has served 
well the men and women who serve in the uniform of our armed services 
well.
  So I wanted to take this time to pay tribute to and compliment the 
gentleman from California (Chairman Lewis) the outstanding job that he 
has done. He and his partner, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Murtha), have presented another outstanding defense bill that meets the 
requirements to the best of our ability during a time of war, a war in 
Afghanistan, a war in Iraq, and a war against terrorism, wherever it 
may raise its ugly head.
  And other than being able to bring a conference report back to us 
shortly we hope, this is my colleague's last bill as chairman of this 
subcommittee. Again, I just want to compliment him and pay tribute to 
the outstanding job that he has done.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I cannot tell my colleague how much I appreciate his remarks and his 
great support throughout the development of this bill. And to say the 
least, to suggest that he is a partner in this subcommittee's work 
would be understating it, for he not only has been chairman of this 
subcommittee but as full committee chairman, he has been absolutely 
fantastic.
  I would further say the same about my colleague the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha). This partnership has produced very positive 
results over the years and, indeed, it has been my great privilege and 
honor to work with the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha).
  Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to my colleague from California (Mr. 
Cunningham), who would probably like to do the same.
  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Chairman, being his last time at bat on this 
particular committee, I want the American public to know how my two 
colleagues have worked together, not just in his tenure but even when 
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) was there as well.
  I would not say this about too many people on the other side of the 
aisle, but it does not matter who is in the majority if the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) was the chairman of it. I do not 
necessarily want that, but he has been a friend. And people say, well, 
you have friendships but you disagree. We have a friendship and we do 
not disagree on that many issues. I am very proud to know him.
  I want the public to know what he has done has saved the military. 
Just as an example, the F-22 of putting people on notice of the fraud, 
the waste, and abuse, DOD has fraud, waste, and abuse like anything 
else. But between the two of them, they have really worked to make sure 
we get the best bang for the dollar.
  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, I just want to say we did the best we could 
do with the amount of money we have available.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I 
might consume for purposes of having a colloquy with the gentleman from 
Idaho (Mr. Simpson).
  Mr. Chairman, as chairman of the Committee on Appropriations 
Subcommittee on Defense, I have the privilege of working closely with 
the Department of Defense. I see in here firsthand the skill, 
commitment, and bravery of our men and women serving in Iraq and 
elsewhere in the world.
  We all know of the enormous contributions of our allies as well. And 
I must say the contribution of the United Kingdom is hard to overstate, 
but we have had great assistance from other allies, for example, Italy 
has 2,800 personnel working in Iraq and has donated some $210 million 
to the process that is here. We have had help from countries like 
Portugal, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland, and Kuwait.
  So across the board, I must say that we have been helped greatly by 
allies who were willing to step up and pay a piece of the price of this 
very important venture.
  I particularly wanted to mention the role played by our friends, the 
Japanese. For over the years, the Japanese have been very hesitant in 
the military front since World War II. But in this circumstance, they 
have really been a great ally. There are presently 1,000 Japanese 
troops known as the Self-Defense Forces, including some 600 ground 
troops in Iraq today. They have consistently indicated a willingness to 
support us in our effort there. I cannot compliment them enough.
  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, would the gentleman yield?
  Mr. LEWIS. I would be happy to yield to my colleague who has similar 
feelings and wants to have some discussion about this.
  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, first let me thank the chairman for his 
support as he completes his term as chairman of the Committee on 
Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. I add my congratulations to 
those that have already been stated for the great job that he has done 
for America and for our military.
  I appreciate the Chairman's raising the important issue of Japan's 
contributions in Iraq and join with him in acknowledging their historic 
role. As he mentioned, this operation is unprecedented and has been 
severely tested during the recent hostage crisis. However, Tokyo's 
commitment has not changed. In fact, Japan has just dispatched the 2nd 
Contingent of its Ground Self-Defense Forces to Iraq.
  I also understand the Japanese forces have recently commenced airlift 
operations between Iraq and Kuwait. Other humanitarian and 
infrastructure projects include food and medicine and construction or 
repair of seaports, power plants, hospitals, and schools.
  In fact, on May 26, Japan played a leading role as the chair of the 
second meeting of the Donor's Committee of the International 
Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq at Doha.
  Prime Minister Koizumi has been a key ally on the war on terrorism. 
On June 8, Prime Minister Koizumi and President Bush had a bilateral 
meeting on the occasion of the Sea Island G-8 Summit meeting. During 
the meeting, the Prime Minister announced Japan's full support for the 
U.S. policy on Iraq through the continued dispatch of Self-Defense 
Forces as well as financial assistance through the government's 
official development assistance.
  We highly value the contribution of Japan and other allies. I hope 
that all Members will read the Fact Sheet from Japan's assistance that 
I will insert into the Record at this point.

                      Japan's Assistance for Iraq

       The attached Fact Sheet outlines Japan's very significant, 
     and continuing, efforts in providing critical assistance to 
     Iraq. Following are some of the highlights of the fact sheet:
       The total number of Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) 
     participating in the reconstruction of Iraq is approximately 
     1,000, including nearly 600 ground troops. Several naval 
     vessels and aircraft are also present. This is an historic 
     operation, the first of its kind for SDF since World War II.
       Japan has decided to fund both bilateral and multilateral 
     projects as part of the implementation of the $1.5 billion 
     grant out of the $5 billion Japan pledged in Madrid last 
     fall. Such humanitarian and infrastructure projects include 
     food and medical assistance, employment, and construction or 
     repair of key seaports, power plants, hospitals, schools and 
     other facilities.
       Japan's Self-Defense Forces have commenced airlift 
     operations between Iraq and Kuwait, and are now providing 
     humanitarian assistance in Samawah, Iraq.
       Japan's commitment was severely tested during the recent 
     hostage crisis. Fortunately, that crisis was resolved 
     favorably. Here is what Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said 
     on April 22 on the subject:
       ``This hostage taking has not undermined Japan's firm 
     resolve to engage in humanitarian and reconstruction 
     assistance in Iraq.

[[Page H4693]]

     It is precisely because the situation in Iraq makes the 
     activities of ordinary individuals impossible that the Self-
     Defense Forces (SDF) have been dispatched to engage in 
     humanitarian and reconstruction assistance in Iraq.''
       On April 15, the Embassy of Japan in Baghdad reported that 
     the three Japanese were released in Baghdad and were under 
     secure custody of Embassy officials. The Embassy of Japan 
     would like to extend its sincere gratitude for the efforts of 
     those concerned in Iraq and for the support from all over the 
     world. Foreign Minister Kawaguchi's statement can be found on 
     the following website: http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/
announce/2004/4/0415.html


                japan's assistance for iraq (fact sheet)

                  (Note: All number are approximate.)

       1. Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance to Iraq 
     (total: $846.35 million).
       (A) Assistance in cooperation with international 
     organizations ($91.4 million).
       (1) Humanitarian Assistance for Iraq ($29.5 million) (2003 
     March 20 and April 9).
       (a) World Food Programme (WFP): food supply.
       (b) United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF): child 
     protection, education, water/sanitation.
       (c) International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): 
     medical assistance, provision of food and life supplies, 
     restoration of water supply facility.
       (d) United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): 
     assistance for refugees.
       (2) Protection and Preservation of Cultural Heritage, 
     Education ($2 million) (2003 April 23).
       (a) Restoration and preservation of cultural heritages ($1 
     million, in cooperation with UNESCO).
       (b) Education ($1 million, in cooperation with UNESCO).
       (3) Umm Qasr Port Project ($2.5 million) (2003 April 25).
       Activities: carry out an emergency dredging of Umm Qasr 
     Port (In cooperation with UNDP).
       Impact: realize effective port operations and smooth 
     delivery of humanitarian assistance.
       (4) Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance in Iraq 
     ($57.4 million) (2003 May 16, 21, July 4, Oct 17; 2004 Jan 
     16, Jan 26).
       (a) Iraq Reconstruction and Employment Program ($6 million, 
     in cooperation with UNDP).
       Activities: employ Iraqis in Baghdad to perform functions 
     such as debris removal, garbage collection and rehabilitation 
     of buildings.
       Impact: creation of 35,000 jobs, improvement of the 
     sanitary conditions in Baghdad.
       (b) Project for Reactivation of Primary Education in Iraq 
     ($10 million, in cooperation with UNICEF).
       Activities: rehabilitate schools and provide school 
     supplies in Baghdad, Mosul, Najaf and the surrounding areas.
       Impact: 1 million children in 3 cities and their suburbs 
     will benefit.
       (c) Rehabilitation of the National Dispatch Centre ($5.55 
     million, in cooperation with UNDP).
       Activities: rehabilitate the National Dispatch Centre and 
     provide it with necessary equipment and materials.
       Impact: improve provision of electricity to the 
     institutions such as hospitals which are essential for 
     humanitarian needs by proper control on the power 
     distribution.
       (d) Project for Emergency Rehabilitation of Al-Kadhimiya 
     Teaching Hospital ($3.64 million, in cooperation with UNDP).
       Activities: rehabilitate the Al-Kadhimiya Teaching Hospital 
     and provide materials and equipment.
       Impact: improve the hospital's medical services and the 
     lives and hygienic conditions of the people.
       (e) Project for the Emergency Rehabilitation of the Hartha 
     Power Station ($8 million, in cooperation with UNDP).
       Activities: rehabilitate the Hartha Power Station and 
     transmission in Basra region.
       Impact: increase electricity supply and improve the life 
     and hygiene of the civilians in Basra region.
       (f) School rehabilitation Project ($6.1 million, in 
     cooperation with UN-HABITAT).
       Activities: rehabilitate 271 schools in Basra, Samawa, 
     Nashiria and Amarra.
       Impact: resume lessons and create job opportunities.
       (g) Community Rehabilitation Project ($2.7 million, in 
     cooperation with UN-HABITAT).
       Activities: rehabilitate a total of 3,000 damaged houses 
     and/or community facilities in Baghdad, Samawa and Kirkuk. 
     Beneficiaries will be selected from vulnerable groups 
     particularly from households headed by women.
       Impact: improve community neighborhood through 
     rehabilitation of infrastructure and create job 
     opportunities.
       (h) Iraq Reconstruction and Employment Program ($15.4 
     million, in cooperation with UNDP).
       Activities: hire local Iraqi people for restoration of 
     water/sewage systems, garbage collection, clean-up activities 
     etc.
       Impact: hire local Iraqi people etc.
       (B) Direct Assistance to Iraq ($227 million).
       (a) Provision of 1150 Police vehicles to be deployed in 27 
     cities. 40 vehicles will be deployed to Samawa. ($29 million) 
     (04 Jan 16).
       (b) Provision of 27 mobile substations throughout Iraq ($72 
     million) (04 Mar 26).
       (c) Rehabilitation and provision of equipment to 4 
     hospitals (Nasiriyah, Najaf, Diwaniyah and Samawah) $51 
     million) (04 Mar 26).
       (d) Provision of 30 compact water treatment units to the 
     city of Baghdad ($55 million) (04 Mar 26).
       (e) Provision of 70 firetrucks to Baghdad, Al Basra and 
     Muthanna ($20 million) (04 March 26).
       (C) Assistance through funds ($500 million).
       (a) International Reconstruction Fund Facility For Iraq 
     ($490 million).
       $360 million to the Fund administered by the UN.
       $90 million to the Fund administered by the WB.
       Additional $40 million will be also available to the Fund 
     administered by the WB after the approval of FY2004 budget.
       (b) IFC small business finance facility ($10 million).
       (D) Assistance in cooperation with NGOs ($27.9 million).
       (1) Assistance for the emergency medical activities of NGOs 
     ($3.3 mil) (2003 March 20).
       (a) Japan Platform Joint Team operating in Jordan.
       (b) Peace Winds Japan operating in Northern Iraq.
       (2) Assistance to the following NGO activities ($21 
     million) (2003 May 16, 21, Dec 11, 2004 Feb 8, Feb 20 and 
     March 4).
       (a) Medical projects and distribution of emergency supplies 
     in Iraq carried out by Japan Platform (Japanese NGOs, 2003 
     May 21).
       (b) Project distributing medical supplies including 
     antibiotics in Iraq run by Hashemite Charity Organization 
     (Jordanian NGO, 2003 May 16).
       (c) Project distributing medical equipment such as Infant 
     Intravenous Kits run by CARE International (International 
     NGO, 2003 May 16).
       (d) Emergency Rehabilitation of public facilities by Japan 
     Platform (Japanese NGOs, 2003 Dec 11).
       (e) Cultural Grassroots Projects to the Iraq Football 
     Association (Iraqi NGO, 2004 Feb 8).
       (f) Emergency Aid of Medical Equipment to Samawa Maternity 
     & Children Hospital (Japanese NGO, 2004 Feb 20).
       (g) Emergency aid for Iraq to the NGO unit of Japan 
     Platform (Japanese NGOs).
       (3) Humanitarian and Recovery Assistance ($3.6 million) 
     (Grassroots Assistance).
       (a) The Project for Humanitarian Operation in the Umm Qasr 
     Community $90,000.
       (b) The Project for the Equipment Supply for Rashid RF 
     Community Council $73,000.
       (c) The Project for Improvement of Schools in the Rashid 
     District $206,000.
       (d) The Project for Improving Hibatoallah Institute for 
     Down Syndrome $42,000.
       (e) The Project for Reconstruction of Mustakbal Secondary 
     School in Mosul City $375,000.
       (f) The Project for Construction of Wastewater Treatment 
     Plants in Mosul City $460,000.
       (g) The Project for Rehabilitation of Water Treatment 
     Plants in Nineveh Governorate $230,000.
       (h) The Project for Improvement of Medical Transportation 
     in Nineveh Governorate $620,000.
       (i) The Project of supplying Water Tankers to the 
     Governorate of Al-Muthanna $800,000 (for 12 water tanks).
       (j) The project for Provision of Emergency Medical Supplies 
     to Al Samawaha General Hospital $770,000.
       (E) Others.
       (a) Assistance for supplying TV program ``Oshin'' by Japan 
     Foundation (the broadcast started from 2003 Oct 27).
       (b) With regard to the friendly football match between the 
     Japanese national team and the Iraqi national team hosted by 
     the Japan Football Association, GOJ provides approximately 
     10 million as the travel expenses of the Iraqi team 
     through the Japan Foundation.
       (c) Provision of Judo equipment to the Iraq Judo Foundation 
     and its transportation ($50,000).
       (d) Provision of football equipment to the youth and sports 
     department in the governorate of Muthanna ($41,000).
       ((e) Dispatch of research missions for grant aid projects 
     formulation to Jordan and other surrounding countries (from 
     Jan 2004).
       (f) Provision of 240 tents to the Governorate of Al-
     Muthanna to counter the flooding of the Euphrates River in Al 
     Muthanna.
       2. Consolidating broad based solidarity among the 
     International Community.
       (a) GOJ believes that an international conference for 
     assisting Iraq should be organized with broad participation 
     of countries and international organizations. To this end, 
     GOJ has urged relevant international organizations such as 
     the UN and others, to take an active role in organizing 
     such a conference. As a result, the International Donors' 
     Conference for the reconstruction of Iraq was held in 
     Madrid, Spain, in 23-24 October. The Conference was able 
     to send a united and strong message of the international 
     community that the international community should actively 
     implement the assistant to Iraq in order not to make Iraq 
     the ``failure state.''
       (b) Former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto visited France 
     and Germany last December, as Prime Minister Koizumi's 
     special envoy, and emphasized to the leaders of the both 
     countries the importance of broad based solidarity among the 
     international community on assisting reconstruction of Iraq. 
     As a result, France, Germany, and Japan have agreed with 
     pursuit of cooperation among the three countries regarding 
     reconstruction assistance to Iraq. GOJ is consulting with 
     France and Germany through

[[Page H4694]]

     the framework of trilateral consultations on reconstruction 
     assistances to Iraq in such areas as cultural affairs and 
     police personnel training.
       3. Cooperation under the Special Measures Law for 
     Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance for Iraq.
       GOJ dispatched Self Defense Forces to Iraq and surrounding 
     countries and areas to provide humanitarian and 
     reconstruction assistance for people of Iraq.
       4. Coordination with CPA.
       GOJ extends personnel cooperation through the Coalition 
     Provisional Authority.
       5. Cooperation with Arab and neighboring countries.
       GOJ will promote such cooperation, for example, by 
     promoting medical assistance through the Hashemite Charity 
     Organization of Jordan, and Japan-Egypt Joint Medical 
     Cooperation. As for the Japan-Egypt Joint Medical 
     Cooperation, it is planned to start training of approximately 
     100 medical related Iraqi personnel in Egypt.
       6. Cooperation under the International Peace Co-operation 
     Law.
       (1) In-kind contribution to UNHCR (2003 March 28).
       Tents for 1,600 refugees were transported by 2 special 
     government aircraft, and handed over to UNHCR in Jordan.
       (2) Transportation cooperation.
       Operation of JSDF Aircraft (C-130H) between Brindisi 
     (Italy) and Amman (Jordan) for transportation of humanitarian 
     relief materials (140 tons) of UN from 17 July 2003 till 12 
     August 2003.
       7. Assistance for neighboring countries and others ($322.25 
     million).
       (1) Jordan: grant assistance ($100 million) (2003 March 
     23).
       (2) Palestine: food aid ($4.2 million) (2003 March 23).
       (3) Palestine: announcement of a new assistance package 
     ($22.25 million, including the above-mentioned food aid) 
     (2003 April 29).
       (4) Egypt: loans and grants (over $200 million) (2003 May 
     24).

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this Defense 
Appropriations bill. This bill is flawed for many reasons. It gives 
money to programs that don't need more money and advances policies that 
ought to be ended. But most egregious of all, it slips in a provision 
that has nothing to do with Defense Appropriations: raising the Federal 
government's debt limit.
  Why have the Republicans hidden this provision in the bill? Because 
they're embarrassed--they're embarrassed that their economic policies 
require such a huge increase in our national debt. And they're afraid. 
They're afraid that if the American people hear a debate on raising the 
debt limit, it will expose their failed policies and damage their 
chances for re-election. How cynical. How embarrassing indeed.
  Republicans have so failed in their economic policies that they have 
to hide a provision like this in a Defense bill, hoping that our debate 
on defense policy will overshadow their shenanigans. This is one more 
debacle to add to the Republicans' long list of governing failures.
  Just 4 weeks ago, I voted against the Defense Authorization bill 
because it called for billions in funding for Star Wars, continued the 
Pentagon's addiction to wasteful and duplicative projects that pad the 
pockets of big defense contractors, and authorized $25 billion for Iraq 
without a clear or articulated exit strategy. This bill provides more 
of the same.
  The bill provides $9.7 billion for missile defense on top of the $130 
billion American taxpayers have already shelled out since 1983. Wasting 
more money on this program is absurd. It has proven to be completely 
inoperable and the idea that it will ever work is the dream of a mad 
scientist. This bill also calls for nearly $680 million for procurement 
and upgrades of the Trident II nuclear missile. These Cold War era 
weapons do not help us defend against terrorists, they only raise the 
nuclear ante around the world.
  The bill provides $3.6 billion for 24 F-22 Raptors, despite GAO 
reports showing cost overruns and technical problems. In fact, the cost 
of these fighters has actually increased from $200 to $300 million per 
plane. Boneheaded marine general would continue to use a plane that 
doesn't work. This bill also continues to fund the Osprey, a plane so 
dangerous and which has led to so many American deaths, it is 
inconceivable that the Pentagon would continue to use them.
  Imagine what we could provide our children--the next generation--if 
we discontinued these programs. Already, the Nation's public schools 
have been denied $27 billion dollars promised them when Congress passed 
No Child Left Behind.
  Imagine what you could do for working families. In my district in 
California, low-income families are being evicted because the Federal 
government has cut funding for housing subsidies. Others throughout 
Alameda County face the specter of losing their health care coverage.
  Mr. Chairman, our Nation certainly needs to spend money on its 
defense. But defense means more than just guns and planes. It means 
defending our children from ignorance through education, defending our 
sick from disease through health care, and defending our elderly from 
poverty through Social Security. It is time we incorporate our other 
vital national priorities into our Defense Budget. I cannot in good 
conscience vote for a bill that wastes money and threatens to waste the 
future we owe our children.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise to discuss this 
important legislation, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 
2005, especially in light of this country's current situation in Iraq 
and Afghanistan as well as its relationship with the international 
community. Because of the very small difference between the amount 
requested by President Bush in his Budget and that recommended by the 
Committee in this legislation, that is, $1.6 billion relative to the 
total amount recommended of $416 billion, my colleagues and I 
understand that we must grapple with the same fundamental differences 
that we had with the Administration's proposal when considering this 
legislation.
  Congress has appropriated around $150 billion to date in military and 
reconstruction funding for the Iraq war. It has been estimated that the 
total amount expended for this situation will grow to a quarter of a 
trillion dollars for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are 
clearly many other urgent initiatives that demand these funds without 
the trade-off in American lives.
  Many thanks go to the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee 
for his leadership and work. He successfully won passage of an 
amendment that will require a detailed report from the Department of 
Defense and the White House Office of Management and Budget for their 
best estimates on long-term war and reconstruction costs of our 
operations in Iraq and Afghanistan by October 1, 2004. The American 
people have waited long enough for this information and deserves 
continued updates on the spending of its money.
  It is unfortunate that this bill does not provide appropriations for 
military housing because homelessness has become a very real crisis 
among military veterans as well as for families of some who are in 
active duty.
  Unfortunately, about one-third of the adult homeless population has 
served this country in the Armed Services. As many as 250,000 male and 
female veterans now live on the streets or in shelters, and about twice 
as many of those who live on the streets experience homelessness at 
some point during the course of a year. Many other veterans are 
considered near homeless or at risk because of their poverty, lack of 
support from family and friends, and dismal living conditions in cheap 
hotels or in overcrowded or sub-standard housing.
  Currently, the number of homeless male and female Vietnam era 
veterans is greater than the number of service persons who died during 
that war. Furthermore, a small number of Desert Storm veterans are also 
appearing in the homeless population.

  Almost all homeless veterans are male (about three percent are 
women), the vast majority are single, and most come from poor, 
disadvantaged backgrounds. Similar to the general population of 
homeless adult males, about 45 percent of homeless veterans suffer from 
mental illness and slightly more than 70 percent suffer from alcohol or 
other drug abuse problems. Moreover, roughly 56 percent are African 
American or Hispanic.
  Furthermore, the amount in this bill includes a $25 billion 
supplement to cover costs of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our 
policy in these regions is severely misguided, as evidenced by the 
repeated brutal slayings of American military personnel and civilians. 
Incidents such as the horrific beheading of the New Jersey-born 
engineering contractor for Lockheed Martin in Saudi Arabia should give 
this Administration an added sense of duty and responsibility to ensure 
that these monies are spent to improve our relations, our reputation, 
and our efficiency in the region.
  The original President's request, prior to the emergency 
supplemental, did not include funds for Iraq and Afghanistan 
operations. It also failed to include some of the essential needs of 
our troops such as additional personnel, protective gear, and repair or 
replacement of weapons systems that have been damaged in the war to 
date.
  The apparent confused policy evidenced by the miscalculation of what 
the war would cost, placing some 40,000 of our troops in Iraq without 
adequate supplies or support, and more recently, on May 28, Attorney 
General Ashcroft's announcement of new threat alerts unbeknownst to the 
Secretary of Homeland Security and the Commander in Chief corroborate 
Ranking Member Obey's statement in the Committee Report (108-553, p. 
409) that ``[t]he Administration and the Pentagon have abused the trust 
that the Congress and the American people placed in them.''
  Mr. Chairman, this bill does not adequately address the needs that 
have arisen as a result of the Administration's hasty actions and 
commitments. We must now do what is necessary

[[Page H4695]]

to curtail the death of American troops, civilians, and members of the 
international community.
  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to share my 
thoughts on this extremely important piece of legislation. H.R. 4613, 
the Fiscal Year 2005 (FY05) Defense Appropriations Act, provides for 
our national security interests, as well as for the men and women in 
uniform who are serving overseas and at home to preserve and protect 
those interests. I commend my distinguished colleagues from California 
and Pennsylvania, the Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the 
Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, for the outstanding focus and 
effort they have obviously devoted to this bill. I also commend the 
Chairman and Ranking Member of the full committee for quickly 
delivering this necessary legislation to the floor.
  I would like to call attention to some aspects of the bill that are 
particularly noteworthy: H.R. 4613 fully funds the budget request for a 
3.5 percent military pay raise. As importantly, it would reduce the 
average out-of-pocket housing expenses for military members from 3.5 
percent to 0 (zero) in FY05; The bill provides $2.3 billion for force 
protection requirements, including Up-Armored HMMWVs (``Humvees''), 
that are absolutely vital to our men and women serving in Operations 
IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM; H.R. 4613 also fully funds the 
Administration's request for operational training, such as flying 
hours, ship steaming days, and ground forces exercises, that are 
essential for the readiness of our forces; The bill includes funding 
for personnel costs related to the Army and Marine Corps end strength 
increase for FY05 found in H.R. 4200, the House version of the National 
Defense Authorization Act that passed the full House last month; With 
respect to combat and tactical vehicles used by the Army and Marine 
Corps, the bill provides $2.2 billion above the budget request. I am 
pleased that $330 million of this amount would support Guard and 
Reserve vehicle needs; H.R. 4613 also provides more than a quarter-
billion dollars above the budget request for shipbuilding.
  I am pleased that the bill fully funds the Administration's request 
for Virginia-class submarine procurement and CVN-21 aircraft carrier 
research and development, two programs that must stay on track if our 
Navy is to maintain its supremacy on and beneath the seas into the 21st 
Century.
  I am also pleased that the bill's support for procurement of an 
additional Burke-class destroyer (DDG-51) in the FY06-07 window shows 
the committee's awareness of the perils associated with any production 
gap between the end of DDG-51 construction and the start of DD(X) 
construction, which threatens our domestic shipbuilding capability.
  I am reassured that the report language confirms the committee's 
concern with the threat to our national security associated with 
erosion of our unique shipbuilding skill sets, which are a must-have if 
we are to ensure that our warships are built at home and not overseas. 
Furthermore, with respect to the strength of naval force structure, 
which I hope we all agree is an inimitable part of our national defense 
today and tomorrow, the observation in the report language that 
``operational requirements of the Navy necessitate the construction of 
at least one more DDG-51'' is a very positive and welcome sign.
  However, I must state my serious concern with the $248 million 
reduction in development of DD(X), the next-generation, multi-mission 
destroyer. I am concerned that delaying construction by one year will 
significantly hurt development of this program, which is a vital 
requirement for the fleet.
  The Chief of Naval Operations commented last month on DD(X): ``This 
program will form the cornerstone of our Nation's future Surface Navy. 
It provides war fighting capabilities that our Navy needs now, plus it 
brings important shipbuilding growth and opportunities for our 
industrial base. . . . I am confident that we are . . . being good 
stewards of the taxpayer dollar, and producing much needed capabilities 
that will ensure our Navy/Marine Corps team remains preeminent well 
into the next century. I ask that you reconsider and fully restore 
funding for DD(X).''
  It is imperative that Congress help the Navy by funding DD(X) 
sufficiently to keep the program on schedule.
  I want to thank the Chairman for his hard work on this bill, and I 
urge my colleagues to remember the importance of this program to our 
Navy and to our national security.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chairman, I rise to urge my colleagues to support a 
provision regarding cluster munitions that I have included in the 
Manager's Amendment to the Fiscal Year 2005 Defense Appropriations 
bill.
  I also want to thank you, Chairman Lewis, and Ranking Member Murtha 
for recognizing the unintended collateral damage and human damage 
caused by cluster munitions.
  The provision would require that the Department of Defense issue to 
Congress a written report on steps being taken to reduce the dangerous, 
unintended consequences of cluster munitions and submunitions. In 
particular, it will help hold the Pentagon accountable to their own 
policy standards and to the American people by helping ensure cluster 
munitions have a failure rate, or ``dud-rate'', of 1 percent or less.
  Cluster munitions are large weapons that contain hundreds of smaller 
submunitions, which upon release spread across a broad footprint and 
explode. These weapons continue to be used extensively by the U.S. 
military, even while alternatives and advanced technology exists.
  The use of cluster bombs in populated areas has taken a tremendous 
humanitarian toll. According to USA Today, one Iraqi father, after 
witnessing a U.S. cluster bomb strike in Iraq that killed his son, said 
``Regular shells would hit only one spot, not every place just like a 
rain of death.''
  Cluster munitions strike without distinction. They rain hundreds of 
thousands of smaller submunitions. Many of these submunitions have high 
dud rates--as high as 10 percent to 30 percent in certain instances--
which leave large numbers of unexploded submunitions that become de 
facto landmines that continue to kill and main, even long after the 
conflict is over.
  Extremely hazardous, these unexploded ``duds'' have been lethal for 
U.S. soldiers, peacekeepers, and local civilians. Children, especially, 
are often tempted to pick up these weapons since submunitions are small 
and can appear to be an intriguing object to play with.
  The use of cluster munitions is widespread. In Iraq, for example, 
Human Rights Watch used Pentagon figures to estimate that the use of 
cluster munitions in populated areas in Iraq caused more civilian 
casualties than any other factor in the coalition's conduct of major 
military operations.
  U.S. and British forces used almost thirteen thousand cluster 
munitions, containing nearly two million submunitions that killed or 
wounded more than one thousand civilians.
  Cluster munitions also take a toll on U.S. service personnel. A 
tragic example, reported by the Associated Press, involves U.S. Army 
Sergeant Troy Jenkins.
  After seeing an Iraqi child pick up a cluster submunition off the 
ground. Sergeant Jenkins rushed over to take the cluster submunition 
from the child. The ``bomblet'' then exploded and Sergeant Jenkins was 
killed.
  Today, countless U.S. service personnel encounter this unexploded 
ordnance. It makes their job extremely difficult and much more 
dangerous than it already is.
  The Pentagon has recognized the dangers of cluster munitions and has 
looked for solutions. In 1999, then-Secretary William Cohen issued a 
department-wide policy memorandum stating that all submunitions that 
reach full rate production during the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2005 
must meet a failure rate standard of 1 percent or less. I ask unanimous 
consent to put a copy of Secretary Cohen's memo into the Congressional 
Record to accompany my statement.
  Despite this action, the Pentagon continues to produce and procure 
cluster munitions that have high ``dud'' rates when other alternatives 
are available. The Department's budget for the coming fiscal year 
contains several procurement requests for weapons programs that do not 
meet the 1 percent or lower standard. This is unacceptable. It is time 
for the Pentagon to stop buying or using cluster weapons that employ 
old technology.
  Mr. Chairman, our troops in the field, their families and the 
American people deserve accountability and answers from the Pentagon. 
It is time for the Pentagon to purge our arsenal of legacy submunitions 
and move toward the 1 percent dud rate. This report will help in these 
efforts, but it is not nearly enough.
  In the end, I believe we must find a way to ensure cluster munitions 
are never used in populated areas and we must do more to address the 
unintended consequences of these weapons. Our troops, their families 
and the innocent victims living in post-conflict areas deserve our full 
attention.
  Again, I thank Chairman Lewis and Ranking Member Murtha for their 
support of this provision, I urge its passage.

                                     The Secretary of Defense,

                                 Washington, DC, January 10, 2001.
     Memorandum for the Secretaries of the Military Departments.
     Subject: DoD Policy on Submunition Reliability (U).
       Submunition weapons employment in Southwest Asia and 
     Kosovo, and major theater war modeling, have revealed a 
     significant unexploded ordnance (UXO) concern. The following 
     establishes the Department's policy regarding submunition 
     weapons acquisition. The policy applies to systems delivered 
     by aircraft, cruise missiles, artillery, mortars, missiles, 
     tanks, rocket launchers, or naval guns that are designed to 
     attack land-based targets and that deploy payloads of 
     submunitions that detonate via target acquisition, impact, or 
     altitude, or self-destruct (or a combination thereof). It is 
     the

[[Page H4696]]

     policy of the DoD to reduce overall UXO through a process of 
     improvement in submunition system reliability--the desire is 
     to field future submunitions with a 99% or higher functioning 
     rate. Submunition functioning rates may be lower under 
     operational conditions due to environmental factors such as 
     terrain and weather.
       Program Managers shall include the non-recurring cost of 
     increasing the overall functioning rate; the operational use 
     costs, including the cost of clearing UXO on test and 
     training ranges in accordance with DoD policy and operational 
     requirements; and disposal costs, as part of the life-cycle 
     costs of all future submunition weapons. The Program Manager 
     should establish submunition functioning thresholds and 
     objectives that advance the process of improvement in system 
     reliability, and that take into consideration the benefits 
     from reduced UXO (i.e., a cost-benefit analysis of increasing 
     the functioning rate (cost) and the resulting reduction in 
     UXO (benefit)).
       The Services may retain ``legacy'' submunitions until 
     employed or superseded by replacement systems in accordance 
     with the above policy. The designation ``legacy'' would apply 
     to submunition weapon acquisition programs reaching Milestone 
     III prior to the First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2005.
       The Services shall evaluate ``legacy'' submunition weapons 
     undergoing reprocurement, product improvement, or block 
     upgrades to determine whether modifications should be made to 
     bring them into compliance with the above policy.
       The Services shall design and procure all future 
     submunition weapons in compliance with the above policy. A 
     ``future'' submunition weapon is one that will reach 
     Milestone III in FY 2005 and beyond. Waivers to this policy 
     for future ACAT I and II submunition weapons programs, shall 
     require approval by the JROC.
       This policy applies to all acquisition category submunition 
     weapons programs. Compliance with this policy shall be 
     assessed by the Component or Defense Acquisition Executive, 
     as appropriate.
                                                       Bill Cohen.

  Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 4613, the 
Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2005. This piece of 
legislation is the most significant component of our wartime budget for 
America. It is the third bill we are considering pursuant to the 302(b) 
allocations adopted by the Appropriations Committee. I am pleased to 
report that it is consistent with the levels established in the 
conference report to S. Con. Res. 95, the concurrent resolution on the 
budget for fiscal year 2005, which the House adopted as its fiscal 
blueprint on May 19th.
  The budget resolution set aside $420.8 billion in discretionary 
budget authority for the national defense function in 2005. In 
addition, the budget resolution set aside $50 billion for overseas 
contingency operations. As members recall, the administration's initial 
budget submission did not provide funding for Iraq and Afghanistan; but 
in consultation with the membership we decided that providing a mid-
range estimate for those operations was the only way to construct a 
meaningful budget blueprint.
  H.R. 4613 funds the bulk of the national defense commitment. The rest 
is funded in the military construction bill and the energy and water 
bill.
  H.R. 4613 provides $390.9 billion in new discretionary budget 
authority towards funding the President's February 3rd defense budget 
request. It also contains $25 billion requested by the President as a 
fiscal year 2005 Iraq war supplemental, the repeal of $1.8 billion in 
rescission authority provided to the President in last year's omnibus 
appropriations bill, $685 million in additional funds for the State 
Department, and $95 million for international disaster relief and 
migration assistance. The bill provides that if this spending occurs in 
fiscal year 2004 it will be designated as an emergency and will not 
count against the budget limits; if it occurs in 2005 it will be 
counted against the $50 billion contingency for war-related operations 
provided for in the budget resolution.
  Excluding the overseas reserve portion, the bill's funding shows a 
6.6-percent increase from the previous year, and it builds on a 5-year 
average annual growth rate of 7.2 percent for defense appropriations. 
The base amount is equal to the 302(b) allocation to the House 
Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
  Accordingly, the bill complies with section 302(f) of the Budget Act, 
which prohibits consideration of bills in excess of an appropriations 
subcommittee's 302(b) allocation of budget authority and outlays 
established in the budget resolution.
  This bill represents the House's support for the nearly 160,000 U.S. 
troops performing courageous duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill 
also contains the largest research and development funding ever, and 
the largest procurement funding since 1990.
  H.R. 4613 does have one aspect that is a potential cause for concern: 
the bill reduces funding for operations and maintenance in by $1.8 
billion from the President's February request. While there is a 
widespread belief that any potential operations and maintenance 
shortfall can simply be made up for in a future supplemental, I would 
raise a caution that Congress ought not to make it a regular practice 
to budget by supplemental for predictable events.
  With that reservation, I express my support for H.R. 4613.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Chairman Lewis and 
Ranking Member Murtha for agreeing to include my amendment in the 
Managers Amendment.
  Today, we are considering the $418 billion Department of Defense 
appropriations bill that is solely funded by American taxpayers. It is 
estimated that between $200 to $225 billion of this funding will be 
spent on Federal contracts, and at least $20 billion will be allocated 
for contracts performed overseas. Unfortunately, there are no 
requirements to ensure that American small businesses have an 
opportunity to compete for these overseas contracts.
  The amendment I am offering today will give small businesses this 
chance. It will simply require that large companies submit a 
subcontracting plan prior to being awarded a DoD contract for work 
overseas--which they are currently required to do for domestic 
contracts.
  Throughout our Nation's history, small businesses have been 
systematically shut out of the Federal procurement process. Government 
agencies continue to fail to meet statutory goals designed to ensure 
fair and equitable small business participation in the Federal 
marketplace--costing small firms billions of dollars in lost 
contracting opportunities.
  The size of Federal contracts keeps increasing as small jobs are 
combined into large procurement packages, where only big corporations 
are capable of meeting all of the product and service requirements. As 
a result, small businesses that can provide some of these services 
cannot compete for the contract, even if they offer greater savings to 
the American taxpayer.
  Nowhere is this more apparent than at the Defense Department, which 
accounts for 65 percent of the entire Federal procurement market. DoD 
has substantially increased its contract volume over the last several 
years, yet the number of small businesses receiving these contracts has 
significantly declined. In FR 2003, the top ten corporations receiving 
DoD contracts were awarded nearly half of the agency's entire 
procurement budget.
  Clearly, small companies already face difficult obstacles when trying 
to do business with the DoD. And now, we are considering a multi-
billion spending bill that makes it almost impossible for small 
businesses to have a shot at winning any part of the billions of 
dollars in contracts for overseas work.
  We have more than 700 overseas military bases in over 40 countries 
across the globe. Whether providing medical equipment to Ramstein Air 
Force Base in Germany, office supplies for the Marine Corp's Camp 
Butler in Japan, designing security technology for new military 
installations in the Middle East and Central Asia, or planning and 
constructing possible new bases in West Africa and Eastern Europe--U.S. 
small businesses have products and services to offer and should have 
that opportunity.
  My amendment gives small businesses access to this expanding market 
by ensuring that large corporations are subject to the same 
subcontracting requirements for international contracts, as they are 
for contracts here at home.
  Under current law, large contractors in the U.S. are required to have 
a plan in place on how they will use small businesses prior to 
receiving contract awards. In these plans, a contractor must simply 
identify small business goals and demonstrate that they made every 
practical effort to offer subcontracts to small companies.
  By providing subcontracting opportunities, we ensure that the company 
that can do the work for the lowest price wins the contract--whether a 
multinational conglomerate or a small U.S. business.
  Small businesses are the backbone of our Nation's economy. They 
account for 97 percent of all companies, provide three-quarters of all 
new jobs, and make up half of our GDP. Unlike their corporate 
counterparts that benefit from cheap foreign labor, we can count on 
small businesses to create jobs in our communities.
  Our small businesses are more than capable of providing services and 
products in the global market. In fact, 97 percent of U.S. merchandise 
exporters are small- and medium-sized companies.
  Whether domestic projects or overseas work, our Nation's small 
businesses deserve access to these Federal contracting opportunities. 
There should be no double standard.
  Again, I thank Chairman Lewis and Ranking Member Murtha for agreeing 
to include this critical provision in the Managers Amendment. I look 
forward to continuing to work with the Committee to ensure that small 
businesses have the opportunity to grow and expand our national 
economy.

[[Page H4697]]

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 4613, 
the Defense Appropriations Act of FY 2005. The bill spends $418 
billion--including $25 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
Congress could spend tens of billions less and still easily protect our 
nation. And continued funding of military operations in Iraq keeps the 
US in the long running quagmire.
  If the administration's request of more than $447 billion, including 
military construction and energy spending, is approved, overall defense 
spending, in real terms, would be about 18 percent higher than the 
average Cold War budget. Moreover, if current long-term administration 
plans are realized, defense spending would increase by 23 percent from 
2004 to 2009, or about 23 percent above average Cold War levels. None 
of these figures include additional FY 2005 funding expected for 
operations in Iraq.
  The bill provides $9.7 billion for national missile defense programs 
(NMD); $632 million, 7 percent, more than the current level. The NMD 
has not completed its development tests, much less its critical 
operational tests performed under realistic combat conditions. As a 
result, there is no way of knowing if the system will be successful. 
Thomas Christie, director of the Pentagon's Office of Operational Test 
and Evaluation, confirmed in a March 11 hearing that there is no way to 
determine if the system will work. In an April 2004 report, the GAO 
stated: ``As a result of testing shortfalls and the limited time 
available to test the BMDS [Ballistic Missile Defense System] being 
fielded, system effectiveness will be largely unproven when the initial 
capability goes on alert at the end of September 2004.''
  NMD provides no defense against the most likely future attacks on 
U.S., which would not be delivered by missiles. The methods of delivery 
have already been demonstrated at the World Trade Center in New York, 
the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, the U.S.S. Cole, the U.S. 
embassies in Africa, the trains in Madrid and the subway in Tokyo. A 
nuclear weapon is much more likely to be delivered on a truck than a 
ballistic missile.
  The bill wrongly spends $3.6 billion on the controversial 24 F/A-22 
Raptor fighter, the most expensive jet fighter every built. The F-22, 
continues to be plagued by cost over-runs, technical problems, and 
questions about whether the Air Force should be directing its resources 
to expensive aircraft when newer strategies might be more effective and 
less costly. The aircraft also continues to be plagued by technical 
problems, including a weak horizontal tail, perpetual overheating and 
overly complex avionics software that has often failed during testing. 
The F-22 is now 10 years behind schedule and is over four times more 
expensive than the F-15 and F-16 it is meant to replace. Shifting to 
the F-22 means a smaller airforce that is paradoxically more expensive 
to procure and maintain.

  The bill permits the Pentagon to proceed with its wrong-headed plan 
to lease or buy 100 KC-767A refueling tankers for the Air Force. The 
plan represents an enormous subsidy for Boeing and delivers planes the 
Air Force does not need. Last month, a report by the Defense Science 
Board found no ``compelling material or financial reason'' to buy or 
lease 100 of the aircraft. The report followed a study released last 
month by the department's inspector general claiming that alternatives 
to the current plan should be re-examined.
  Among the many other objectionable provisions, the bill funds an 
increase of 13,000 active-duty Army and Marine Corps personnel. And the 
measure provides for an average pay hike of 3.5 percent for military 
personnel, but only 1.5 percent for civilian Defense Department 
employees.
  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of our small 
businesses and in favor of my colleague's amendment. If we are going to 
keep America strong--we must make sure that we keep our small 
businesses strong. Our current contracting practices will not keep our 
small businesses solvent.
  As many of you know, small businesses employ almost 60 percent of our 
private, non-farm work force. They generate more than half of our 
Nation's private, gross domestic product, and create a major share of 
our new jobs every year. This is why our continued efforts to bundle 
more and more contracts for federal services concern me. Of course, it 
is easier to give more work to a smaller number of contractors. That 
means there are fewer contracts to work and less time spent in 
administration, but this is only half of the issue.
  While we are making life easier for the contract administrators, we 
are limiting the number of companies competing for these larger 
contracts. Small businesses are unable to compete for most of these 
bundled contracts because the contract amount is too large or because 
the contract covers too large of a geographic area. In the end, there 
is a loss of competition and an environment where a few large 
businesses control the market.
  The Federal government should not abandon the competitive and 
pioneering small business market for more convenient contract 
administration. This is not good for our small businesses or for our 
country.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in support of this amendment and 
our small businesses.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The CHAIRMAN. All time for general debate has expired.
  Pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment 
under the 5-minute rule and the amendment printed in House Report 108-
559 is adopted.
  During consideration of the bill for amendment, the Chair may accord 
priority in recognition to a Member offering an amendment that he has 
printed in the designated place in the Congressional Record. Those 
amendments will be considered read.
  The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the 
     following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the 
     Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 2005, for military functions 
     administered by the Department of Defense, and for other 
     purposes, namely:

                                TITLE I

                           MILITARY PERSONNEL

                        Military Personnel, Army

       For pay, allowances, individual clothing, subsistence, 
     interest on deposits, gratuities, permanent change of station 
     travel (including all expenses thereof for organizational 
     movements), and expenses of temporary duty travel between 
     permanent duty stations, for members of the Army on active 
     duty, (except members of reserve components provided for 
     elsewhere), cadets, and aviation cadets; and for payments 
     pursuant to section 156 of Public Law 97-377, as amended (42 
     U.S.C. 402 note), and to the Department of Defense Military 
     Retirement Fund, $29,507,672,000.

  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, I just want to take a few moments to express one 
concern I have about this bill. I want to make clear I will vote for 
the bill on passage. But I want to say this before I do: If a Nation is 
going to be led into war, its leaders owe the public an explanation of 
our choices and an estimate of the costs of the acts that we are about 
to incur. We have not been getting that from this administration with 
respect to Iraq.
  The administration's response to every question has been ``Trust us! 
and Oh, by the way, please get out of the way.'' To wage war, the 
administration asked first of all that we provide an unfettered lump 
sum of money. The Congress declined to do that. The administration then 
provided the Congress with faulty intelligence.
  When we asked the administration for an estimate of the cost of the 
war over the long term, the Secretary of Defense responded by saying, 
quote, ``that is unknowable,'' despite the fact that the Pentagon has 
always had their own internal estimates of what long-range costs are 
supposed to be.
  When we asked the military leadership of this country how many troops 
it would take to pacify Iraq, General Shinseki was honest enough to 
tell us: ``about 200,000.'' The administration said, ``No, no, no. That 
is not right.'' And they, in effect, punished the good general for his 
frankness.
  When the State Department prepared long-term plans for post-war Iraq, 
the DOD brushed aside those plans. They did not know the cost of their 
own plans but they knew more than everybody else did.
  The administration rushed into war with inadequate supplies of body 
armor, and jammers, they needed for remotely detonated devices, and 
inadequately armored Humvees. Now there are 800 dead or more. The Army 
is stretched to the breaking point. We have effectively, for the Guard 
and Reserve forces who are seeing their tours of duty extended, we have 
effectively for them reinstituted the draft.
  And the country is still wondering where we are going and how we are 
going to get there.
  We spent $150 billion so far on the effort. We now have a $390 
billion defense bill before us. At first the administration admitted no 
need whatsoever for additional funding. Now they are at least ``fessing 
up'' to the fact that the first quarter costs will be $25 billion. In 
fact, the Pentagon's internal estimates indicate that it will cost at 
least $50 billion more than we are being told.
  If this bill fessed up to the full year cost of funding this war, we 
would be

[[Page H4698]]

appropriating at least $50 billion more than we are appropriating 
today. No doubt after the election, the public will be told what the 
facts are on the installment plan. Then little by little, we will learn 
what the estimated real costs are.
  Now, I understand that the administration cannot give us down to the 
last jot and tittle what the final cost will be, but they can certainly 
give us estimates about a range of cost expectations, given their own 
internal planning. The country has a right to that. And if we were 
determined to provide the public with full information, that is what we 
would be doing today. I wish we were but we are not.
  Let me simply say I am pleased that the bill does contain language 
which was accepted by the committee to require the administration to 
give us their best judgment about what the range of cost will be of 
this war. Regardless of whether we are for it or against it, regardless 
of whether the administration was right or wrong, we are there, we need 
to know what the plans are for dealing with the problem and we need to 
know what a reasonable expectation of cost is so that we can make 
realistic judgments about other national priorities, so that we can 
make realistic judgments about how much in tax cuts the country can 
afford. Otherwise we are simply going to be adding all of this to the 
tab and asking our kids to pay it down the line.
  So I congratulate the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) and 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) for producing a reasonable 
bill under the circumstances. But let us not kid ourselves, if the 
taxpayers want to know what the real cost of this bill will be once the 
full cost of the war will be factored in, you will have to up it by at 
least $50 billion. You are going to be looking at a total cost for that 
war, which is approaching $250 billion, without factoring in what 
additional costs we will have the next 5 years. It is a huge, huge 
price to pay for a mistake.
  The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                        Military Personnel, Navy

         For pay, allowances, individual clothing, subsistence, 
     interest on deposits, gratuities, permanent change of station 
     travel (including all expenses thereof for organizational 
     movements), and expenses of temporary duty travel between 
     permanent duty stations, for members of the Navy on active 
     duty (except members of the Reserve provided for elsewhere), 
     midshipmen, and aviation cadets; and for payments pursuant to 
     section 156 of Public Law 97-377, as amended (42 U.S.C. 402 
     note), and to the Department of Defense Military Retirement 
     Fund, $24,416,157,000.

                    Military Personnel, Marine Corps

         For pay, allowances, individual clothing, subsistence, 
     interest on deposits, gratuities, permanent change of station 
     travel (including all expenses thereof for organizational 
     movements), and expenses of temporary duty travel between 
     permanent duty stations, for members of the Marine Corps on 
     active duty (except members of the Reserve provided for 
     elsewhere); and for payments pursuant to section 156 of 
     Public Law 97-377, as amended (42 U.S.C. 402 note), and to 
     the Department of Defense Military Retirement Fund, 
     $9,591,102,000.

                     Military Personnel, Air Force

         For pay, allowances, individual clothing, subsistence, 
     interest on deposits, gratuities, permanent change of station 
     travel (including all expenses thereof for organizational 
     movements), and expenses of temporary duty travel between 
     permanent duty stations, for members of the Air Force on 
     active duty (except members of reserve components provided 
     for elsewhere), cadets, and aviation cadets; and for payments 
     pursuant to section 156 of Public Law 97-377, as amended (42 
     U.S.C. 402 note), and to the Department of Defense Military 
     Retirement Fund, $24,291,411,000.

  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last 
word.
  Mr. Chairman, it is my understanding that the $25 billion Iraq 
supplemental title of this bill includes 95 million for relief in 
Sudan. $25 million for refugees and 70 million for disaster assistance. 
In 1994, this country, along with the rest of the world, stood and 
watched as 800,000 men and women and children were slaughtered in 
Rwanda. Two months ago, the world community marked the 10-year 
anniversary of a modern-day genocide in Rwanda and said, ``never 
again.''
  In Sudan by conservative estimates at least 10,000 people have been 
killed in the last year in Darfur, the Western region of Sudan, more 
than 1 million black Sudanese have been forced from their homes by 
government-backed militias.

                              {time}  1515

  Lack of food and water and the approach of the rainy season will 
surely wreak havoc on the lives of these people. U.S. AID Administrator 
Natsios has said that even if relief efforts were accelerated, more 
than 300,000 forced from their homes would die of starvation and 
disease. If the Sudanese Government and their militias keep blocking 
aid, or foreign governments hesitate, Natsios said, the ``death rates 
could be dramatically higher, approaching 1 million people.''
  I want to commend the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf), the 
chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State Judiciary and 
Related Agencies, for doing so much to bring attention to Sudan. I also 
want to thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe), the chairman of 
the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related 
Programs, and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), the ranking 
member, and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the full committee 
chairman, and the gentleman from California (Chairman Lewis), as well 
as the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), for including this 
most vital funding.
  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman should take full credit. He 
is the one who asked and the one that recognized it, and we are 
certainly glad for the Subcommittee on Foreign Operation, Export 
Financing and Related Programs; but he is the guy that made sure that 
this got in there.
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha).
  It is a critically important start. I hope, Mr. Chairman, in future 
bills we can discuss including food aid since the 200,000 Sudanese 
refugees who have fled to Chad and the 1 million internally displaced 
have missed the planting season this year.
  Again, I thank the chairman and the ranking member, and I want to 
work with both of them throughout the process to prevent another 
Rwanda.
  The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                        Reserve Personnel, Army

       For pay, allowances, clothing, subsistence, gratuities, 
     travel, and related expenses for personnel of the Army 
     Reserve on active duty under sections 10211, 10302, and 3038 
     of title 10, United States Code, or while serving on active 
     duty under section 12301(d) of title 10, United States Code, 
     in connection with performing duty specified in section 
     12310(a) of title 10, United States Code, or while undergoing 
     reserve training, or while performing drills or equivalent 
     duty or other duty, and for members of the Reserve Officers' 
     Training Corps, and expenses authorized by section 16131 of 
     title 10, United States Code; and for payments to the 
     Department of Defense Military Retirement Fund, 
     $3,719,990,000.

                        Reserve Personnel, Navy

       For pay, allowances, clothing, subsistence, gratuities, 
     travel, and related expenses for personnel of the Navy 
     Reserve on active duty under section 10211 of title 10, 
     United States Code, or while serving on active duty under 
     section 12301(d) of title 10, United States Code, in 
     connection with performing duty specified in section 12310(a) 
     of title 10, United States Code, or while undergoing reserve 
     training, or while performing drills or equivalent duty, and 
     for members of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, and 
     expenses authorized by section 16131 of title 10, United 
     States Code; and for payments to the Department of Defense 
     Military Retirement Fund, $2,108,232,000.

                    Reserve Personnel, Marine Corps

       For pay, allowances, clothing, subsistence, gratuities, 
     travel, and related expenses for personnel of the Marine 
     Corps Reserve on active duty under section 10211 of title 10, 
     United States Code, or while serving on active duty under 
     section 12301(d) of title 10, United States Code, in 
     connection with performing duty specified in section 12310(a) 
     of title 10, United States Code, or while undergoing reserve 
     training, or while performing drills or equivalent duty, and 
     for members of the Marine Corps platoon leaders class, and 
     expenses authorized by section 16131 of title 10, United 
     States Code; and for payments to the Department of Defense 
     Military Retirement Fund, $653,073,000.

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise to engage today in a colloquy with the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), the ranking member of the Subcommittee 
on Defense appropriations.
  First, let me just thank the gentleman for the very hard work that he

[[Page H4699]]

consistently does for the security of our Nation. I appreciate this 
opportunity to discuss an issue that is of great importance, that is, 
ensuring that our Federal defense dollars are not used to support 
groups or individuals engaged in efforts to overthrow democratically 
elected governments.
  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. LEE. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  I want to assure the gentlewoman from California I agree with her on 
the point and appreciate her intention in raising this issue, and I 
want to assure the gentlewoman that as the bill moves forward we will 
be mindful of this issue and work with her and her staff to do 
everything we can to help.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, let me just thank the gentleman for his 
attention to this issue and so many issues that are important to our 
Nation.
  The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                      Reserve Personnel, Air Force

       For pay, allowances, clothing, subsistence, gratuities, 
     travel, and related expenses for personnel of the Air Force 
     Reserve on active duty under sections 10211, 10305, and 8038 
     of title 10, United States Code, or while serving on active 
     duty under section 12301(d) of title 10, United States Code, 
     in connection with performing duty specified in section 
     12310(a) of title 10, United States Code, or while undergoing 
     reserve training, or while performing drills or equivalent 
     duty or other duty, and for members of the Air Reserve 
     Officers' Training Corps, and expenses authorized by section 
     16131 of title 10, United States Code; and for payments to 
     the Department of Defense Military Retirement Fund, 
     $1,451,950,000.

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  For the last 230 years, the United States has evolved from a ragtag 
collection of determined colonials who were able to meet the most 
powerful military in the world to today being the most powerful Nation. 
There are many chapters to that story. It was achieved at tremendous 
cost in human life and sacrifice, many lessons that we have learned, 
sometimes painfully.
  This long, rich, varied history created the power that is the United 
States today and is, frankly, too little understood. We have tallied 
and documented the casualties, the missing and the maimed; but it does 
not tell the full story.
  Our Nation's military history has a footprint that extends across the 
country and across the globe. Our military is the largest user of 
energy in the world. It is the largest manager of infrastructure, but 
250 years of fighting and training around the country and around the 
world has produced a toxic legacy today.
  People have forgotten about the unexploded bombs used in training, 
the discarded munitions, particularly in times past when our country 
appeared so large, the installation so remote, and the challenges we 
faced so dire. The cleanup of our toxic legacy has always been left to 
the future. It is my hope today that Congress will send a signal that 
when it comes to the toxic legacy of the past, the future is now; we 
will no longer avoid our responsibilities and look the other way.
  There are many reasons for addressing the cleanup other than just the 
arguments of the environmentalists. There are clear and conservative, 
fiscal and military imperatives. These problems do not go away. We have 
millions of acres that are off limits and potentially contaminated. 
There are vast challenges from yesterday's legacy. Until these dangers 
are cleaned up, the longer we wait, the greater the cost to the 
taxpayer through escalating costs, as munitions decompose, toxins 
migrate in the groundwater and memories fade as to where the bombs 
might be. Cleanup delayed inevitably makes cleanup more expensive as 
the problems get worse and inflation drives the prices higher.
  Mr. Chairman, I had an amendment that I was seeking to offer that 
would do something about it, to be able to enable us to do a better 
job. The first thing we ought to have done was put one person in 
charge. My amendment would have established a separate line item for 
cleanup of UXO in the Defense appropriation bill, entitled ``Military 
Munitions Response Program,'' separating UXO from the hazardous waste 
cleanup to provide the focus that the UXO efforts needed.
  The amendment would also have established an assistant Deputy Under 
Secretary of Military Munitions Response to the Deputy Under Secretary 
for Defense Installations and Environment at the Department of Defense. 
I have been trying for the last 5 years to be able to help us get a 
handle on this by having one person in charge and be able to know 
exactly what the status is. Unfortunately, despite working through both 
the authorizing and the Committee on Appropriations, we still face the 
situation today where it is fractured, where no one person is in 
charge. I hope that our failure to act on this toxic legacy can be 
reversed.
  I will not offer the amendment because I know that it would be ruled 
out of order, but I wanted to make the point as we are dealing with 
this massive bill.
  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, there is no one who has worked harder on 
this issue than the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer). The 
committee is very aware of it, and we put report language in to make 
sure to try and go in the direction the gentleman tried to. We made a 
slight increase in the amount of money available. We know it is a 
massive problem. This committee has been in the forefront of trying to 
address this problem. We appreciate the gentleman's concern. He has 
brought it to our attention over and over again, and we are doing the 
best we can.
  We know some of the things the gentleman pointed out, we put into the 
language to say we have got to get it straightened out. So we 
appreciate the gentleman's hard work and dedication in trying to solve 
this very difficult problem.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman's kind 
words. I appreciate the difficult task that his subcommittee has.
  As I think of the challenges that we face, I cannot think of anybody 
with a more difficult challenge today, and my heart goes out to the 
difficulty my colleague has in terms of providing for the needs of our 
constituents that are overseas.
  But, as I say, I will not offer this amendment because I think it 
would be ruled out of order. I want to make the point that nobody in 
the Department of Defense to this day is in charge. There is no 
separate account that enables an appropriate accounting; and in the 
course of the debate this afternoon, I look forward to offering up some 
alternatives that may, in a small way, help my distinguished friends on 
this subcommittee who have what I truly believe is a difficult task; 
but I want Congress to no longer be missing in action on unexploded 
ordnance and military toxins that pollute millions of acres around this 
country. In fact, nobody knows how many are polluted.
  The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                     National Guard Personnel, Army

       For pay, allowances, clothing, subsistence, gratuities, 
     travel, and related expenses for personnel of the Army 
     National Guard while on duty under section 10211, 10302, or 
     12402 of title 10 or section 708 of title 32, United States 
     Code, or while serving on duty under section 12301(d) of 
     title 10 or section 502(f) of title 32, United States Code, 
     in connection with performing duty specified in section 
     12310(a) of title 10, United States Code, or while undergoing 
     training, or while performing drills or equivalent duty or 
     other duty, and expenses authorized by section 16131 of title 
     10, United States Code; and for payments to the Department of 
     Defense Military Retirement Fund, $5,915,229,000.

                  National Guard Personnel, Air Force

       For pay, allowances, clothing, subsistence, gratuities, 
     travel, and related expenses for personnel of the Air 
     National Guard on duty under section 10211, 10305, or 12402 
     of title 10 or section 708 of title 32, United States Code, 
     or while serving on duty under section 12301(d) of title 10 
     or section 502(f) of title 32, United States Code, in 
     connection with performing duty specified in section 12310(a) 
     of title 10, United States Code, or while undergoing 
     training, or while performing drills or equivalent duty or 
     other duty, and expenses authorized by section 16131 of title 
     10, United States Code; and for payments to the Department of 
     Defense Military Retirement Fund, $2,536,742,000.

                                TITLE II

                       OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

                    Operation and Maintenance, Army


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       For expenses, not otherwise provided for, necessary for the 
     operation and maintenance

[[Page H4700]]

     of the Army, as authorized by law; and not to exceed 
     $11,144,000 can be used for emergencies and extraordinary 
     expenses, to be expended on the approval or authority of the 
     Secretary of the Army, and payments may be made on his 
     certificate of necessity for confidential military purposes, 
     $25,820,311,000: Provided, That of the funds appropriated in 
     this paragraph, not less than $355,000,000 shall be made 
     available only for conventional ammunition care and 
     maintenance: Provided further, That of funds made available 
     under this heading, $2,500,000 shall be available for Fort 
     Baker, in accordance with the terms and conditions as 
     provided under the heading ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Army'', in Public Law 107-117.

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) and I were 
originally going to offer an amendment, but we are not going to do 
that. We are withdrawing the amendment; and instead, we look forward to 
engaging in a colloquy with the chairman and the ranking member.
  Mr. Chairman, the issue that we are discussing today is of 
extraordinary importance. In the midst of Iraq and Afghanistan, let us 
never forget that 100,000 veterans from the first Gulf War continue to 
suffer from a yet not fully understood debilitating illness commonly 
known as Gulf War Illness.
  The gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) and I for a number of 
years have been working together on this issue, and I want to applaud 
him for his leadership. The fact of the matter is that over the years, 
while the Congress has appropriated many, many millions of dollars to 
research and tried to understand Gulf War Illness, in fact, much of 
that money has not been effective in getting us to better understand 
this problem.
  As many will recall, at the beginning of this discussion, the DOD and 
the VA were both saying, hey, there is no problem; and then more and 
more veterans came forward and they said, well, there is a problem, but 
it is stress related. Finally, after many, many years, I think both the 
VA and the DOD now understand that we have a very serious physical 
problem.
  Mr. Chairman, I am happy to inform my colleagues that the good news 
is that real progress is now being made in our understanding of Gulf 
War Illness. Medical researchers like Dr. Robert Haley of the 
University of Texas and other researchers can now measure real physical 
neurological damage in many Gulf War Illness sufferers. These injuries 
are likely the result of low-level exposure to chemical nerve agents 
during the first Gulf War. Much of the evidence suggests that exposure 
to these nerve agents is the direct result of the destruction of a 
major chemical weapons dump in Iraq by the U.S. military that created a 
plume of chemicals that may have exposed hundreds of thousands of U.S. 
military personnel and civilians in the region.
  In hearings held by the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) in the 
last couple of weeks, we heard from Dr. Haley about the status of his 
research. Dr. Haley's findings were corroborated at the hearing by Dr. 
Paul Greengard, a 2000 Nobel Laureate and head of the Laboratory of 
Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience at the Rockefeller University. He 
agreed that research into neurological damage caused by low-level nerve 
agents is the most promising in terms of finding a cause and a 
treatment for Gulf War Illness.
  There has also been a change in attitude in the Pentagon and the VA 
about this illness. It appears that both now acknowledge that this is a 
very real physical injury. Secretary of VA Anthony Principi has taken 
an active interest in supporting Gulf War Illness research and has 
committed $15 million to continuing the fight.
  Mr. Chairman, I would introduce into the Record at this point a 
letter from Jim Binns, who is the chairman of the Research Advisory 
Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses, who supports this line of 
research.

                                                 VA Eastern Kansas


                                            Healthcare System,

                                        Topeka, KS, June 22, 2004.
     Hon. Christopher Shays,
     Chairman, Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats 
         and International Relations, Committee on Government 
         Reform, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for the opportunity to testify 
     before your subcommittee on June 1. As you could tell from 
     the hearing, we are at a moment of truth on Gulf War 
     illnesses. On the one hand, the science is finally there to 
     show that this is a medical problem, an important component 
     of which is neurological in nature. Furthermore, researchers 
     like Dr. Paul Greengard of Rockefeller University are waiting 
     in the wings with projects that have a real chance of 
     producing a cure. As you know, Dr. Greengard received the 
     Nobel Prize in medicine in 2000 for his work to uncover the 
     brain mechanisms involved in Parkinsons disease and to 
     develop a treatment for that disease, and he testified that 
     the same approach can succeed in Gulf War illnesses. In 
     response to these new scientific findings, research managers 
     at VA and DoD recognize the opportunity to pursue this type 
     of research.
       On the other hand, while Secretary Principi is going to 
     increase VA funding to $15 million, DoD, which has 
     historically funded three-quarters of Gulf War illnesses 
     research, is currently funding no new projects in this area 
     because of its internal priorities. In addition to the 
     financial implications, this withdrawal of DoD from Gulf War 
     illnesses research dramatically limits the universe of 
     researchers whose talents can be brought to bear, because VA 
     by law can only fund VA internal research. Unlike DoD or NIH, 
     VA cannot give grants to outside researchers. Thus, 
     researchers like Dr. Greengard and others who have done 
     important, DoD-funded work in the past, cannot be funded with 
     the possible exception of minor sub-contractor roles. Other 
     respected scientists with relevant expertise similarly cannot 
     be engaged unless they work for VA. So just as there is 
     finally something solid to research, and a willingness on the 
     part of the research managers to spend in the right places, 
     funding is dramatically down, and the cadre of potential 
     researchers is dramatically limited.
       On behalf of the membership of the Research Advisory 
     Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses, I urgently request 
     you to seek an amendment to the DoD appropriations bill to 
     provide $30 million to the U.S. Army Medical Research and 
     Materiel Command for Gulf War illnesses research in FY 2005. 
     I have been told that Gulf War illnesses formerly was a line 
     item in the DoD budget, in the period when federal spending 
     was at the $45 million annual level (direct and indirect) in 
     1999-2002.
       It would also be constructive to include language requiring 
     that ninety percent of this funding be placed with non-
     governmental researchers, that DoD develop with VA and NIH 
     (specifically the National Institute of Neurological 
     Disorders and Stroke) a comprehensive federal research plan 
     for Gulf War veterans illnesses, and that DoD seek the input 
     and review of the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War 
     Veterans Illnesses in the creation of this plan and decisions 
     on which research to fund in pursuit of the plan.
       I apologize not to have brought this matter to your 
     attention earlier, but our energies have been focuses on VA. 
     Thank you for your consideration of this request at this 
     critical juncture.
           Respectfully,

                                               James H. Binns,

                                       Chairman, Research Advisory
                         Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses.

  Mr. Chairman, I would also enter into the Record at this point a 
letter from Ross Perot, who has been one of the leaders on this issue 
over the years, who also understands that we are dealing with 
neurological illness.

                                                    Plano, TX,

                                                    June 22, 2004.
     Congressmen Bernie Sanders and Chris Shays,
     Congress of the United States,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressmen Sanders and Shays: As you both know, I 
     have long been active in promoting and funding research to 
     find treatments and a cure for Gulf War Illness--which now 
     affects over 100,000 veterans of the first Gulf War.
       In recent years, great strides have been made in our 
     understanding of the actual physical harm that these veterans 
     have suffered. Researchers like Dr. Haley and others have 
     been able to detect brain damage that likely resulted from 
     exposure to low levels of sarin nerve agents.
       While the advances have been impressive, so much more still 
     needs to be done. That is why I am pleased to support your 
     amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations bill to 
     provide $30 million in Gulf War Illness research.
       Not only will this type of research help victims of Gulf 
     War Illness, but it could provide us with knowledge that 
     would increase our ability to defend soldiers and civilians 
     against future chemical attacks.
       This research could also provide clues to other illnesses 
     in both the military and civilian context that may be caused 
     by low level chemical exposure.
       Once again, I strongly support this amendment and look 
     forward to working together to end the terrible suffering 
     that so many Gulf War veterans are suffering.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Ross Perot.

  Mr. Chairman, I now move into the colloquy between the chairman and 
the ranking member, if I might.
  Am I correct that the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) and the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) are committing to work with 
the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) and me to secure additional

[[Page H4701]]

funding for Gulf War Illness research when the bill goes to conference?
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. SANDERS. I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Vermont and 
the gentleman from Connecticut have both been very active in the fight 
for a cure and treatment of Gulf War Illness for many years, and the 
committee will work with both of them to increase funding for research 
in this area.
  Mr. SANDERS. Does that commitment include the gentleman's willingness 
to support higher funding for Gulf War Illness research that might be 
included in the Senate version of the bill?
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Yes.
  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, would the gentlemen be willing to work 
with the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) and me to develop 
conference report language that would indicate the conference's 
expectation that the Department of Defense make a significant 
commitment to continue the breakthrough research which has recently 
indicated that the neurological damage associated with Gulf War Illness 
is caused by low-level chemical exposure?
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Yes.
  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman and the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) very, very much for their 
support for this important breakthrough.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. SANDERS. I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Chairman, I just take the floor to thank both the 
chairman and ranking member for their assistance.
  The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                    Operation and Maintenance, Navy

       For expenses, not otherwise provided for, necessary for the 
     operation and maintenance of the Navy and the Marine Corps, 
     as authorized by law; and not to exceed $4,525,000 can be 
     used for emergencies and extraordinary expenses, to be 
     expended on the approval or authority of the Secretary of the 
     Navy, and payments may be made on his certificate of 
     necessity for confidential military purposes, 
     $29,570,090,000.

                Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps

       For expenses, not otherwise provided for, necessary for the 
     operation and maintenance of the Marine Corps, as authorized 
     by law, $3,605,815,000.

                  Operation and Maintenance, Air Force

       For expenses, not otherwise provided for, necessary for the 
     operation and maintenance of the Air Force, as authorized by 
     law; and not to exceed $7,699,000 can be used for emergencies 
     and extraordinary expenses, to be expended on the approval or 
     authority of the Secretary of the Air Force, and payments may 
     be made on his certificate of necessity for confidential 
     military purposes, $27,994,110,000: Provided, That 
     notwithstanding any other provision of law, that of the funds 
     available under this heading, $750,000 shall only be 
     available to the Secretary of the Air Force for a grant to 
     Florida Memorial College for the purpose of funding minority 
     aviation training.

                Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide


                     (including transfer of funds)

       For expenses, not otherwise provided for, necessary for the 
     operation and maintenance of activities and agencies of the 
     Department of Defense (other than the military departments), 
     as authorized by law, $17,346,411,000, of which not to exceed 
     $25,000,000 may be available for the Combatant Commander 
     Initiative Fund; and of which not to exceed $40,000,000 can 
     be used for emergencies and extraordinary expenses, to be 
     expended on the approval or authority of the Secretary of 
     Defense, and payments may be made on his certificate of 
     necessity for confidential military purposes: Provided, That 
     notwithstanding any other provision of law, of the funds 
     provided in this Act for Civil Military programs under this 
     heading, $500,000 shall be available for a grant for Outdoor 
     Odyssey, Roaring Run, Pennsylvania, to support the Youth 
     Development and Leadership program and Department of Defense 
     STARBASE program: Provided further, That of the funds made 
     available under this heading, $3,000,000 shall be available 
     only for a Washington-based internship and immersion program 
     to allow U.S. Asian-American Pacific Islander undergraduate 
     college and university students from economically 
     disadvantaged backgrounds to participate in academic and 
     educational programs in the Department of Defense and related 
     Federal defense agencies: Provided further, That none of the 
     funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act 
     may be used to plan or implement the consolidation of a 
     budget or appropriations liaison office of the Office of the 
     Secretary of Defense, the office of the Secretary of a 
     military department, or the service headquarters of one of 
     the Armed Forces into a legislative affairs or legislative 
     liaison office: Provided further, That $4,000,000, to remain 
     available until expended, is available only for expenses 
     relating to certain classified activities, and may be 
     transferred as necessary by the Secretary to operation and 
     maintenance appropriations or research, development, test and 
     evaluation appropriations, to be merged with and to be 
     available for the same time period as the appropriations to 
     which transferred: Provided further, That any ceiling on the 
     investment item unit cost of items that may be purchased with 
     operation and maintenance funds shall not apply to the funds 
     described in the preceding proviso: Provided further, That 
     the transfer authority provided under this heading is in 
     addition to any other transfer authority provided elsewhere 
     in this Act.

                              {time}  1530

  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last 
word.
  Mr. Chairman, I will just take a minute. I want to thank the chairman 
and the ranking member for working with me and with other of my 
colleagues, the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), certainly 
the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird). We have been working 
throughout the last several months on addressing the issue of our 
veterans from our war, both in Afghanistan and Iraq and other places 
where they are fighting around the world, and like every other 
conflict, we have had to learn this lesson over and over again, that in 
the course of battle, our men and women in uniform are not only 
injured, their legs are not only injured, their arms are not only 
injured, their other body parts are not only injured, but their psyche 
is injured as well.
  And one of the things that we are very concerned about is any time 
you put a human being in the conditions that our young men and women 
are being called on to serve in, that you really jeopardize their 
psychological well-being. They come back, and many people would say, 
well, they do not look like they are injured. We do not see any injury. 
Then they must not be injured.
  Quite frankly, Mr. Chairman, we have seen in the Vietnam War, in 
World War II, in World War I, it was called shell shock. It has been 
called post-traumatic stress disorder, and we are worried that in this 
war we do not learn from the lessons of the past and not put together 
the best ability in order to address this issue when our veterans are 
returning home to this country, particularly our Gulf War veterans, who 
are in the Guard and Reserve, because many of them when they come back, 
they go right back to civilian life with very little transition between 
the time they were in active combat and the time that they are back in 
their regular lives.
  And what concerns me, Mr. Chairman, is that we need to do more to 
make sure that they are reviewed properly before they are released from 
the military to ensure that any potential wounds that they may have 
suffered in the course of the battle that they have fought on behalf of 
this country, that those wounds be tended to just as much as the other 
wounds they may have suffered throughout the Gulf War.
  I thank the Chairman for the time. I look forward to continuing to 
work with the chairman and ranking member to make sure we address this 
issue in the coming months.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise to engage in a colloquy on the coordination of 
the Defense Department's Family Advocacy Program and the Veteran 
Administration's Transition Assistance Program.
  Last year on the floor, as you may recall, you accepted my amendment 
to the supplemental bill, H.R. 3289, to put $50 million into the Family 
Advocacy Program. My intent was to provide resources for families who 
have loved ones transitioning back into civilian life or military life. 
The Family Advocacy Program provides support services to families that 
are transitioning from the front line to the home front. This 
additional funding enables military families to get personal and 
marriage counseling, which will work to reduce the incidence of 
domestic violence and suicide among the military.
  As we are all aware, domestic violence occurs within all groups and 
levels of society. However, the military

[[Page H4702]]

presents families with particular challenges not normally found in 
civilian society.
  Today I want to take this issue a step further. The Veterans 
Administration oversees a similar program, the Transition Assistance 
Program, which provides a variety of transition services for military 
members and their spouses, including computerized job banks, resume 
writing assistance and help with the employment interviewing process. 
These transition services are made available to military spouses and 
family members without restrictions.
  Mr. Chairman, it is well known that one of the leading contributors 
to domestic violence is financial troubles at home. It is my hope that 
coordinating these two programs, these two agencies, we can get more 
out of our resources and provide more comprehensive services and 
assistance to our men and women who are transitioning back into 
society. I ask that the Defense Department and the Veterans 
Administration work jointly in providing a report to Congress that 
outlines a strategic plan in which these two agencies and programs can 
better coordinate these very important transition services.
  The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                Operation and Maintenance, Army Reserve

       For expenses, not otherwise provided for, necessary for the 
     operation and maintenance, including training, organization, 
     and administration, of the Army Reserve; repair of facilities 
     and equipment; hire of passenger motor vehicles; travel and 
     transportation; care of the dead; recruiting; procurement of 
     services, supplies, and equipment; and communications, 
     $1,976,128,000.

                Operation and Maintenance, Navy Reserve

       For expenses, not otherwise provided for, necessary for the 
     operation and maintenance, including training, organization, 
     and administration, of the Navy Reserve; repair of facilities 
     and equipment; hire of passenger motor vehicles; travel and 
     transportation; care of the dead; recruiting; procurement of 
     services, supplies, and equipment; and communications, 
     $1,233,038,000.

            Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps Reserve

       For expenses, not otherwise provided for, necessary for the 
     operation and maintenance, including training, organization, 
     and administration, of the Marine Corps Reserve; repair of 
     facilities and equipment; hire of passenger motor vehicles; 
     travel and transportation; care of the dead; recruiting; 
     procurement of services, supplies, and equipment; and 
     communications, $187,196,000.

              Operation and Maintenance, Air Force Reserve

       For expenses, not otherwise provided for, necessary for the 
     operation and maintenance, including training, organization, 
     and administration, of the Air Force Reserve; repair of 
     facilities and equipment; hire of passenger motor vehicles; 
     travel and transportation; care of the dead; recruiting; 
     procurement of services, supplies, and equipment; and 
     communications, $2,227,190,000.

             Operation and Maintenance, Army National Guard

       For expenses of training, organizing, and administering the 
     Army National Guard, including medical and hospital treatment 
     and related expenses in non-Federal hospitals; maintenance, 
     operation, and repairs to structures and facilities; hire of 
     passenger motor vehicles; personnel services in the National 
     Guard Bureau; travel expenses (other than mileage), as 
     authorized by law for Army personnel on active duty, for Army 
     National Guard division, regimental, and battalion commanders 
     while inspecting units in compliance with National Guard 
     Bureau regulations when specifically authorized by the Chief, 
     National Guard Bureau; supplying and equipping the Army 
     National Guard as authorized by law; and expenses of repair, 
     modification, maintenance, and issue of supplies and 
     equipment (including aircraft), $4,376,886,000.

             Operation and Maintenance, Air National Guard

       For expenses of training, organizing, and administering the 
     Air National Guard, including medical and hospital treatment 
     and related expenses in non-Federal hospitals; maintenance, 
     operation, and repairs to structures and facilities; 
     transportation of things, hire of passenger motor vehicles; 
     supplying and equipping the Air National Guard, as authorized 
     by law; expenses for repair, modification, maintenance, and 
     issue of supplies and equipment, including those furnished 
     from stocks under the control of agencies of the Department 
     of Defense; travel expenses (other than mileage) on the same 
     basis as authorized by law for Air National Guard personnel 
     on active Federal duty, for Air National Guard commanders 
     while inspecting units in compliance with National Guard 
     Bureau regulations when specifically authorized by the Chief, 
     National Guard Bureau, $4,438,738,000.

            Overseas Contingency Operations Transfer Account


                     (including transfer of funds)

       For expenses directly relating to Overseas Contingency 
     Operations by United States military forces, $5,000,000, to 
     remain available until expended: Provided, That the Secretary 
     of Defense may transfer these funds only to military 
     personnel accounts; operation and maintenance accounts within 
     this title; the Defense Health Program appropriation; 
     procurement accounts; research, development, test and 
     evaluation accounts; and to working capital funds: Provided 
     further, That the funds transferred shall be merged with and 
     shall be available for the same purposes and for the same 
     time period, as the appropriation to which transferred: 
     Provided further, That upon a determination that all or part 
     of the funds transferred from this appropriation are not 
     necessary for the purposes provided herein, such amounts may 
     be transferred back to this appropriation: Provided further, 
     That the transfer authority provided in this paragraph is in 
     addition to any other transfer authority contained elsewhere 
     in this Act.

          United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces

       For salaries and expenses necessary for the United States 
     Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, $10,825,000, of which 
     not to exceed $5,000 may be used for official representation 
     purposes.

                    Environmental Restoration, Army


                     (including transfer of funds)

       For the Department of the Army, $400,948,000, to remain 
     available until transferred: Provided, That the Secretary of 
     the Army shall, upon determining that such funds are required 
     for environmental restoration, reduction and recycling of 
     hazardous waste, removal of unsafe buildings and debris of 
     the Department of the Army, or for similar purposes, transfer 
     the funds made available by this appropriation to other 
     appropriations made available to the Department of the Army, 
     to be merged with and to be available for the same purposes 
     and for the same time period as the appropriations to which 
     transferred: Provided further, That upon a determination that 
     all or part of the funds transferred from this appropriation 
     are not necessary for the purposes provided herein, such 
     amounts may be transferred back to this appropriation.

                    Environmental Restoration, Navy


                     (including transfer of funds)

       For the Department of the Navy, $266,820,000, to remain 
     available until transferred: Provided, That the Secretary of 
     the Navy shall, upon determining that such funds are required 
     for environmental restoration, reduction and recycling of 
     hazardous waste, removal of unsafe buildings and debris of 
     the Department of the Navy, or for similar purposes, transfer 
     the funds made available by this appropriation to other 
     appropriations made available to the Department of the Navy, 
     to be merged with and to be available for the same purposes 
     and for the same time period as the appropriations to which 
     transferred: Provided further, That upon a determination that 
     all or part of the funds transferred from this appropriation 
     are not necessary for the purposes provided herein, such 
     amounts may be transferred back to this appropriation.

                  Environmental Restoration, Air Force


                     (including transfer of funds)

       For the Department of the Air Force, $397,368,000, to 
     remain available until transferred: Provided, That the 
     Secretary of the Air Force shall, upon determining that such 
     funds are required for environmental restoration, reduction 
     and recycling of hazardous waste, removal of unsafe buildings 
     and debris of the Department of the Air Force, or for similar 
     purposes, transfer the funds made available by this 
     appropriation to other appropriations made available to the 
     Department of the Air Force, to be merged with and to be 
     available for the same purposes and for the same time period 
     as the appropriations to which transferred: Provided further, 
     That upon a determination that all or part of the funds 
     transferred from this appropriation are not necessary for the 
     purposes provided herein, such amounts may be transferred 
     back to this appropriation.

                Environmental Restoration, Defense-Wide


                     (including transfer of funds)

       For the Department of Defense, $26,684,000, to remain 
     available until transferred: Provided, That the Secretary of 
     Defense shall, upon determining that such funds are required 
     for environmental restoration, reduction and recycling of 
     hazardous waste, removal of unsafe buildings and debris of 
     the Department of Defense, or for similar purposes, transfer 
     the funds made available by this appropriation to other 
     appropriations made available to the Department of Defense, 
     to be merged with and to be available for the same purposes 
     and for the same time period as the appropriations to which 
     transferred: Provided further, That upon a determination that 
     all or part of the funds transferred from this appropriation 
     are not necessary for the purposes provided herein, such 
     amounts may be transferred back to this appropriation.

         Environmental Restoration, Formerly Used Defense Sites


                     (including transfer of funds)

       For the Department of the Army, $216,516,000, to remain 
     available until transferred: Provided, That the Secretary of 
     the Army shall, upon determining that such

[[Page H4703]]

     funds are required for environmental restoration, reduction 
     and recycling of hazardous waste, removal of unsafe buildings 
     and debris at sites formerly used by the Department of 
     Defense, transfer the funds made available by this 
     appropriation to other appropriations made available to the 
     Department of the Army, to be merged with and to be available 
     for the same purposes and for the same time period as the 
     appropriations to which transferred: Provided further, That 
     upon a determination that all or part of the funds 
     transferred from this appropriation are not necessary for the 
     purposes provided herein, such amounts may be transferred 
     back to this appropriation.

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, earlier I had mentioned my concerns about Congress no 
longer being missing in action when it comes time to clean up 
unexploded ordnance.
  It is astounding to me how little awareness there is on the part of 
most of my colleagues how dire the situation is and how serious it is 
around the country. I have here one chart, Mr. Chairman, that speaks to 
the sites that we have, number of properties in various States and the 
territories around the country. One can see that it is every State in 
the union, every territory, and we are having a serious situation now, 
Mr. Chairman, in terms of losing ground. We have 2,300 sites, and we 
are still counting. At today's rate, it will take between 75 and 300 
years in order to clean these up.
  There have been references to our doing the best we can, and I agree. 
There are lots of efforts that have been undertaken to try and deal 
with this problem, but how it breaks out in terms of these 2,300 sites 
around the country, we are dealing here with only $204 million total in 
proposed budget for 2005. That is less than we had in 2003 by a 
substantial margin, barely more than we had last year. Even though 
inflation continues, the costs go up.
  If I can put it in perspective, in terms of where we are spending the 
money, I have a chart here in terms of how much we are spending. We 
have 52 of these sites where we are spending $.5 million. Basically, it 
is kind of hold your own. It is kind of a maintenance effort. There are 
less than 2 dozen sites that are funded for over $1 million. And, Mr. 
Chairman, if this chart was to scale, the number of sites that we are 
spending nothing on would go from the bottom all the way to the 
ceiling, over 1,400 sites.
  This is serious business. In Southern California, there were two 8-
year-old boys who were injured after discovering a live shell in Terra 
Sana, a northern San Diego neighborhood. Following the tragedy, the 
Navy swept 300 acres and discovered 184 shells. This was, sadly, 20 
years ago, the tragedy that killed those two boys. When I took to the 
floor yesterday, I talked about a situation in North Carolina, right 
now at Fort Butner, where a family is forced to move out of their home 
when they find a bomb in the front yard, a year and a half later they 
cannot live in it, they cannot sell it, and they are on the verge of 
bankruptcy.
  There are thousands of acres around there that are now in private 
hands and are being sold where there will be liability in the future.
  Here in Washington, D.C., a 30-minute bicycle ride from where we are 
standing right now, on the campus of American University, is the site 
of where we manufactured and tested chemical weapons during World War 
I. They are still working on it. Three times they thought they were 
done. They just recently extended the deadline between 2008 and 2010. 
And you know what, they are stopping work this year because there is 
not enough money to finish the job. The child care center at American 
University is still vacant because of the arsenic levels. It has not 
been fully cleared to be used. And they are working in home after home 
in some of the most expensive neighborhoods in our Nation's Capital.
  I could go on at great length, going over the problems that are here 
that we are not addressing. I would offer up an amendment that would 
permit us to move in the direction of being able to have some wide area 
assessment so that we can go out and at least clear some of these 
properties so that they will no longer have to be off limits.
  I invite you to look at some of the material that is being put out by 
the Corps of Engineers: Coloring books for children telling them not to 
pick up unexploded ordnance. Now, I am sorry, Larry the Lizard is a 
great guy, but he is no substitute for Congress stepping up and putting 
money behind the cleanup on our public lands.
  Three times since I have been in Congress, we have had to pull 
firefighters out of the forests because the heat has exploded bombs 
around them. From New York to Arizona to Alaska. I would respectfully 
suggest the adoption of this amendment so that we can have some 
opportunity to clear millions of acres so that at least we will not 
have to have Larry the Lizard telling our children what they have to do 
when they visit our Nation's parks.
  The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

             Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid

       For expenses relating to the Overseas Humanitarian, 
     Disaster, and Civic Aid programs of the Department of Defense 
     (consisting of the programs provided under sections 401, 402, 
     404, 2557, and 2561 of title 10, United States Code), 
     $59,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2006.

              Former Soviet Union Threat Reduction Account

       For assistance to the republics of the former Soviet Union, 
     including assistance provided by contract or by grants, for 
     facilitating the elimination and the safe and secure 
     transportation and storage of nuclear, chemical and other 
     weapons; for establishing programs to prevent the 
     proliferation of weapons, weapons components, and weapon-
     related technology and expertise; for programs relating to 
     the training and support of defense and military personnel 
     for demilitarization and protection of weapons, weapons 
     components and weapons technology and expertise, and for 
     defense and military contacts, $409,200,000, to remain 
     available until September 30, 2007.


                 Amendment No. 8 Offered by Ms. Woolsey

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Amendment No. 8 offered by Ms. Woolsey:
       Page 19, line 4, after the dollar amount insert the 
     following: ``(increased by $15,000,000)''.
       Page 33, line 19, after the dollar amount insert the 
     following: ``(reduced by $15,000,000)''.

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Chairman, my amendment to the defense appropriation 
bill will increase funds by $15 million for the Cooperative Threat 
Reduction, CTR, program, known here as Nunn-Lugar. This program has 
succeeded at reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the States of 
the former Soviet Union. My amendment will take $15 million from the 
Missile Defense Program, the single largest defense program in our 
Nation's history, and transfer it to CTR. We are taking funds from a 
program that has not been proven successful and we are transferring 
them to a program that has been proven extremely successful.
  Mr. Chairman, in November 1991, to address the massive quantity of 
nuclear material left over in the former Soviet Union, Congress 
initiated CTR, and as I said, commonly referred to as the Nunn-Lugar 
program. CTR enlists the Department of Defense with the task of 
dismantling nuclear warheads, reducing nuclear stockpiles, securing 
nuclear weapons and materials in the former Soviet Union and elsewhere. 
The Defense Authorization Act of 2004 specifically authorized $50 
million for proliferation threat reduction projects outside the former 
Soviet Union.

                              {time}  1545

  The extra $15 million for CTR could be used to engage Iran and North 
Korea. It would take the first steps toward working to demolish their 
nuclear weapons and infrastructure.
  Mr. Chairman, in 1991, an estimated 30,000 nuclear weapons existed 
throughout the former Soviet Union. These conditions raised the serious 
concern that nuclear materials could be smuggled beyond the borders of 
the former Soviet Union or that Soviet nuclear scientists might be able 
to export their expertise or actual nuclear materials to rogue nations 
or terrorist groups.
  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. WOOLSEY. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, we have $409 million in this program. I 
think it is premature what she asks here. But if the gentlewoman would 
withdraw her amendment, we will certainly take it into consideration 
and try to work something out here because there is no question it 
could be a

[[Page H4704]]

problem in the future, and I think what she is addressing is a very 
important issue. But I think it would be premature, and I hate to see 
her turned down when we have got $409 million there.
  If the gentlewoman would withdraw the amendment, I assure her we will 
do everything we can to work something out in relation to what she is 
trying to do, which would be to put $15 million into Iran in case it 
comes up, or Iraq. I do not anticipate it is going to come up on Iraq, 
but certainly Iran.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. And North Korea.
  Mr. MURTHA. And North Korea, absolutely.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Chairman, I will withdraw my amendment and save 
everybody a lot of time. Is the chairman willing to talk with me on 
this, too?
  Mr. LEWIS of California. If the gentlewoman will yield, I will be 
very happy to work with the gentlewoman. I appreciate her withdrawing 
her amendment.
  The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, the amendment is withdrawn.
  There was no objection.
  The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               TITLE III

                              PROCUREMENT

                       Aircraft Procurement, Army

       For construction, procurement, production, modification, 
     and modernization of aircraft, equipment, including ordnance, 
     ground handling equipment, spare parts, and accessories 
     therefor; specialized equipment and training devices; 
     expansion of public and private plants, including the land 
     necessary therefor, for the foregoing purposes, and such 
     lands and interests therein, may be acquired, and 
     construction prosecuted thereon prior to approval of title; 
     and procurement and installation of equipment, appliances, 
     and machine tools in public and private plants; reserve plant 
     and Government and contractor-owned equipment layaway; and 
     other expenses necessary for the foregoing purposes, 
     $3,107,941,000, to remain available for obligation until 
     September 30, 2007, of which $320,600,000 shall be for the 
     Army National Guard and Army Reserve.

                       Missile Procurement, Army

       For construction, procurement, production, modification, 
     and modernization of missiles, equipment, including ordnance, 
     ground handling equipment, spare parts, and accessories 
     therefor; specialized equipment and training devices; 
     expansion of public and private plants, including the land 
     necessary therefor, for the foregoing purposes, and such 
     lands and interests therein, may be acquired, and 
     construction prosecuted thereon prior to approval of title; 
     and procurement and installation of equipment, appliances, 
     and machine tools in public and private plants; reserve plant 
     and Government and contractor-owned equipment layaway; and 
     other expenses necessary for the foregoing purposes, 
     $1,327,000,000, to remain available for obligation until 
     September 30, 2007, of which $29,400,000 shall be for the 
     Army National Guard and Army Reserve.

        Procurement of Weapons and Tracked Combat Vehicles, Army

       For construction, procurement, production, and modification 
     of weapons and tracked combat vehicles, equipment, including 
     ordnance, spare parts, and accessories therefor; specialized 
     equipment and training devices; expansion of public and 
     private plants, including the land necessary therefor, for 
     the foregoing purposes, and such lands and interests therein, 
     may be acquired, and construction prosecuted thereon prior to 
     approval of title; and procurement and installation of 
     equipment, appliances, and machine tools in public and 
     private plants; reserve plant and Government and contractor-
     owned equipment layaway; and other expenses necessary for the 
     foregoing purposes, $2,773,695,000, to remain available for 
     obligation until September 30, 2007, of which $13,700,000 
     shall be for the Army National Guard and Army Reserve.

                    Procurement of Ammunition, Army

       For construction, procurement, production, and modification 
     of ammunition, and accessories therefor; specialized 
     equipment and training devices; expansion of public and 
     private plants, including ammunition facilities authorized by 
     section 2854 of title 10, United States Code, and the land 
     necessary therefor, for the foregoing purposes, and such 
     lands and interests therein, may be acquired, and 
     construction prosecuted thereon prior to approval of title; 
     and procurement and installation of equipment, appliances, 
     and machine tools in public and private plants; reserve plant 
     and Government and contractor-owned equipment layaway; and 
     other expenses necessary for the foregoing purposes, 
     $1,608,302,000, to remain available for obligation until 
     September 30, 2007, of which $215,900,000 shall be for the 
     Army National Guard and Army Reserve.

                        Other Procurement, Army

       For construction, procurement, production, and modification 
     of vehicles, including tactical, support, and non-tracked 
     combat vehicles; the purchase of passenger motor vehicles for 
     replacement only; communications and electronic equipment; 
     other support equipment; spare parts, ordnance, and 
     accessories therefor; specialized equipment and training 
     devices; expansion of public and private plants, including 
     the land necessary therefor, for the foregoing purposes, and 
     such lands and interests therein, may be acquired, and 
     construction prosecuted thereon prior to approval of title; 
     and procurement and installation of equipment, appliances, 
     and machine tools in public and private plants; reserve plant 
     and Government and contractor-owned equipment layaway; and 
     other expenses necessary for the foregoing purposes, 
     $4,868,371,000, to remain available for obligation until 
     September 30, 2007, of which $900,000,000 shall be for the 
     Army National Guard and Army Reserve.

                       Aircraft Procurement, Navy

       For construction, procurement, production, modification, 
     and modernization of aircraft, equipment, including ordnance, 
     spare parts, and accessories therefor; specialized equipment; 
     expansion of public and private plants, including the land 
     necessary therefor, and such lands and interests therein, may 
     be acquired, and construction prosecuted thereon prior to 
     approval of title; and procurement and installation of 
     equipment, appliances, and machine tools in public and 
     private plants; reserve plant and Government and contractor-
     owned equipment layaway, $8,841,824,000, to remain available 
     for obligation until September 30, 2007, of which $89,846,000 
     shall be for the Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve.

                       Weapons Procurement, Navy

       For construction, procurement, production, modification, 
     and modernization of missiles, torpedoes, other weapons, and 
     related support equipment including spare parts, and 
     accessories therefor; expansion of public and private plants, 
     including the land necessary therefor, and such lands and 
     interests therein, may be acquired, and construction 
     prosecuted thereon prior to approval of title; and 
     procurement and installation of equipment, appliances, and 
     machine tools in public and private plants; reserve plant and 
     Government and contractor-owned equipment layaway, 
     $1,993,754,000, to remain available for obligation until 
     September 30, 2007.

            Procurement of Ammunition, Navy and Marine Corps

       For construction, procurement, production, and modification 
     of ammunition, and accessories therefor; specialized 
     equipment and training devices; expansion of public and 
     private plants, including ammunition facilities authorized by 
     section 2854 of title 10, United States Code, and the land 
     necessary therefor, for the foregoing purposes, and such 
     lands and interests therein, may be acquired, and 
     construction prosecuted thereon prior to approval of title; 
     and procurement and installation of equipment, appliances, 
     and machine tools in public and private plants; reserve plant 
     and Government and contractor-owned equipment layaway; and 
     other expenses necessary for the foregoing purposes, 
     $885,340,000, to remain available for obligation until 
     September 30, 2007, of which $27,130,000 shall be for the 
     Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve.

                   Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy

       For expenses necessary for the construction, acquisition, 
     or conversion of vessels as authorized by law, including 
     armor and armament thereof, plant equipment, appliances, and 
     machine tools and installation thereof in public and private 
     plants; reserve plant and Government and contractor-owned 
     equipment layaway; procurement of critical, long leadtime 
     components and designs for vessels to be constructed or 
     converted in the future; and expansion of public and private 
     plants, including land necessary therefor, and such lands and 
     interests therein, may be acquired, and construction 
     prosecuted thereon prior to approval of title, as follows:
       Carrier Replacement program (AP), $626,084,000;
       NSSN, $1,581,143,000;
       NSSN (AP), $871,864,000;
       SSGN, $469,226,000;
       SSGN (AP), $48,000,000;
       CVN Refueling Overhauls (AP), $333,061,000;
       SSN Submarine Refueling Overhauls (AP), $19,368,000;
       SSBN Submarine Refueling Overhauls, $262,229,000;
       SSBN Submarine Refueling Overhauls (AP), $63,971,000;
       DDG-51 Destroyer, $3,444,950,000;
       DDG-51 Destroyer (AP), $125,000,000;
       DDG-51 Modernization, $100,000,000;
       LHD-8, $236,018,000;
       LPD-17, $966,559,000;
       LCU(X), $25,048,000;
       Service Craft, $38,599,000;
       LCAC Landing Craft Air Cushion SLEP, $90,490,000;
       Prior year shipbuilding costs, $484,390,000; and
       For outfitting, post delivery, conversions, and first 
     destination transportation, $403,327,000.
       In all: $10,189,327,000, to remain available for obligation 
     until September 30, 2009: Provided, That additional 
     obligations may be incurred after September 30, 2009, for 
     engineering services, tests, evaluations, and other such 
     budgeted work that must be performed in the final stage of 
     ship construction: Provided further, That none of the funds 
     provided under this heading for the construction or 
     conversion of any naval vessel to be constructed in shipyards 
     in the United States shall be expended in foreign facilities 
     for the construction of major components of such vessel: 
     Provided further, That none of the

[[Page H4705]]

     funds provided under this heading shall be used for the 
     construction of any naval vessel in foreign shipyards.

                        Other Procurement, Navy

       For procurement, production, and modernization of support 
     equipment and materials not otherwise provided for, Navy 
     ordnance (except ordnance for new aircraft, new ships, and 
     ships authorized for conversion); the purchase of passenger 
     motor vehicles for replacement only; expansion of public and 
     private plants, including the land necessary therefor, and 
     such lands and interests therein, may be acquired, and 
     construction prosecuted thereon prior to approval of title; 
     and procurement and installation of equipment, appliances, 
     and machine tools in public and private plants; reserve plant 
     and Government and contractor-owned equipment layaway, 
     $4,980,325,000, to remain available for obligation until 
     September 30, 2007, of which $37,373,000 shall be for the 
     Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve: Provided, That funds 
     available in this appropriation may be used for TRIDENT 
     modifications associated with force protection and security 
     requirements.

                       Procurement, Marine Corps

       For expenses necessary for the procurement, manufacture, 
     and modification of missiles, armament, military equipment, 
     spare parts, and accessories therefor; plant equipment, 
     appliances, and machine tools, and installation thereof in 
     public and private plants; reserve plant and Government and 
     contractor-owned equipment layaway; vehicles for the Marine 
     Corps, including the purchase of passenger motor vehicles for 
     replacement only; and expansion of public and private plants, 
     including land necessary therefor, and such lands and 
     interests therein, may be acquired, and construction 
     prosecuted thereon prior to approval of title, 
     $1,462,703,000, to remain available for obligation until 
     September 30, 2007, of which $55,608,000 shall be available 
     for the Marine Corps Reserve.

                    Aircraft Procurement, Air Force

       For construction, procurement, and modification of aircraft 
     and equipment, including armor and armament, specialized 
     ground handling equipment, and training devices, spare parts, 
     and accessories therefor; specialized equipment; expansion of 
     public and private plants, Government-owned equipment and 
     installation thereof in such plants, erection of structures, 
     and acquisition of land, for the foregoing purposes, and such 
     lands and interests therein, may be acquired, and 
     construction prosecuted thereon prior to approval of title; 
     reserve plant and Government and contractor-owned equipment 
     layaway; and other expenses necessary for the foregoing 
     purposes including rents and transportation of things, 
     $13,289,984,000, to remain available for obligation until 
     September 30, 2007, of which $303,700,000 shall be available 
     for the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve: Provided, 
     That amounts provided under this heading shall be used for 
     the procurement of 15 C-17 aircraft: Provided further, That 
     amounts provided under this heading shall be used for the 
     advance procurement of not less than 15 C-17 aircraft: 
     Provided further, That the Secretary of the Air Force shall 
     fully fund the procurement of not less than 15 C-17 aircraft 
     in fiscal year 2006.

                     Missile Procurement, Air Force

       For construction, procurement, and modification of 
     missiles, spacecraft, rockets, and related equipment, 
     including spare parts and accessories therefor, ground 
     handling equipment, and training devices; expansion of public 
     and private plants, Government-owned equipment and 
     installation thereof in such plants, erection of structures, 
     and acquisition of land, for the foregoing purposes, and such 
     lands and interests therein, may be acquired, and 
     construction prosecuted thereon prior to approval of title; 
     reserve plant and Government and contractor-owned equipment 
     layaway; and other expenses necessary for the foregoing 
     purposes including rents and transportation of things, 
     $4,425,013,000, to remain available for obligation until 
     September 30, 2007.

                  Procurement of Ammunition, Air Force

       For construction, procurement, production, and modification 
     of ammunition, and accessories therefor; specialized 
     equipment and training devices; expansion of public and 
     private plants, including ammunition facilities authorized by 
     section 2854 of title 10, United States Code, and the land 
     necessary therefor, for the foregoing purposes, and such 
     lands and interests therein, may be acquired, and 
     construction prosecuted thereon prior to approval of title; 
     and procurement and installation of equipment, appliances, 
     and machine tools in public and private plants; reserve plant 
     and Government and contractor-owned equipment layaway; and 
     other expenses necessary for the foregoing purposes, 
     $1,346,557,000, to remain available for obligation until 
     September 30, 2007, of which $150,500,000 shall be for the 
     Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

                      Other Procurement, Air Force

       For procurement and modification of equipment (including 
     ground guidance and electronic control equipment, and ground 
     electronic and communication equipment), and supplies, 
     materials, and spare parts therefor, not otherwise provided 
     for; the purchase of passenger motor vehicles for replacement 
     only; lease of passenger motor vehicles; and expansion of 
     public and private plants, Government-owned equipment and 
     installation thereof in such plants, erection of structures, 
     and acquisition of land, for the foregoing purposes, and such 
     lands and interests therein, may be acquired, and 
     construction prosecuted thereon, prior to approval of title; 
     reserve plant and Government and contractor-owned equipment 
     layaway, $13,199,607,000, to remain available for obligation 
     until September 30, 2007, of which $198,300,000 shall be for 
     the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

                       Procurement, Defense-Wide

       For expenses of activities and agencies of the Department 
     of Defense (other than the military departments) necessary 
     for procurement, production, and modification of equipment, 
     supplies, materials, and spare parts therefor, not otherwise 
     provided for; the purchase of passenger motor vehicles for 
     replacement only; expansion of public and private plants, 
     equipment, and installation thereof in such plants, erection 
     of structures, and acquisition of land for the foregoing 
     purposes, and such lands and interests therein, may be 
     acquired, and construction prosecuted thereon prior to 
     approval of title; reserve plant and Government and 
     contractor-owned equipment layaway, $3,028,033,000, to remain 
     available for obligation until September 30, 2007.

                    Defense Production Act Purchases

       For activities by the Department of Defense pursuant to 
     sections 108, 301, 302, and 303 of the Defense Production Act 
     of 1950 (50 U.S.C. App. 2078, 2091, 2092, and 2093), 
     $27,015,000, to remain available until expended.

                                TITLE IV

               RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION

            Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army

       For expenses necessary for basic and applied scientific 
     research, development, test and evaluation, including 
     maintenance, rehabilitation, lease, and operation of 
     facilities and equipment, $10,220,123,000, to remain 
     available for obligation until September 30, 2006: Provided, 
     That of the amounts provided under this heading, $10,000,000 
     for Molecular Genetics and Musculoskeletal Research in 
     program element 0602787A shall remain available until 
     expended.

            Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy

       For expenses necessary for basic and applied scientific 
     research, development, test and evaluation, including 
     maintenance, rehabilitation, lease, and operation of 
     facilities and equipment, $16,532,361,000, to remain 
     available for obligation until September 30, 2006: Provided, 
     That funds appropriated in this paragraph which are available 
     for the V-22 may be used to meet unique operational 
     requirements of the Special Operations Forces: Provided 
     further, That funds appropriated in this paragraph shall be 
     available for the Cobra Judy program.

         Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force

       For expenses necessary for basic and applied scientific 
     research, development, test and evaluation, including 
     maintenance, rehabilitation, lease, and operation of 
     facilities and equipment, $21,033,622,000, to remain 
     available for obligation until September 30, 2006.

  Mr. LEWIS of California (during the reading). Mr. Chairman, I ask 
unanimous consent that the remainder of the bill through page 33, line 
9, be considered as read, printed in the Record, and open to amendment 
at any point.
  The CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from 
California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. OLVER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise today simply to applaud the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lewis) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) 
for including the appropriation that was added in the supplemental 
portion of this bill to deal with the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur 
region of Sudan. By adding $70 million in disaster and famine relief 
and another $25 million for refugee aid, we are addressing the most 
immediate and urgent human rights and humanitarian disaster in the 
world today.
  Mr. Chairman, the Janjaweed, a Sudanese Government-backed militia, is 
committing human rights atrocities on a massive scale in Darfur and the 
population there is in grave danger. Hundreds of villages have been 
razed, thousands of women have been raped and branded, and crops have 
been systematically destroyed. More than 1 million people have been 
forced to flee their homes and an estimated 30,000 people have been 
killed. According to the U.N., it will require $250 million to save the 
lives of the 2 million people that it estimates are now in acute need.
  The Sudanese Government has a 15-year record of curbing genocidal 
activity only when it becomes the source of public condemnation and 
exposure. By approving these emergency funds today, the House sends a 
message to the Sudanese regime in Khartoum that it must stop the 
genocide in Darfur.

[[Page H4706]]

  I again applaud the chairman and the ranking member for including 
this funding in this legislation.
  The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

        Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide

       For expenses of activities and agencies of the Department 
     of Defense (other than the military departments), necessary 
     for basic and applied scientific research, development, test 
     and evaluation; advanced research projects as may be 
     designated and determined by the Secretary of Defense, 
     pursuant to law; maintenance, rehabilitation, lease, and 
     operation of facilities and equipment, $20,851,271,000, to 
     remain available for obligation until September 30, 2006.


               Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Blumenauer

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The Chairman. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Amendment No. 3 offered by Mr. Blumenauer:
       Page 33, line 19, insert after the dollar amount the 
     following: ``(reduced by $5,000,000)(increased by 
     $5,000,000)''.

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order on 
the gentleman's amendment.
  The CHAIRMAN. A point of order is reserved.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, what I am suggesting in this regard is 
to redirect a mere $5 million from the research account to be able to 
deal with the wide area assessment. This is one of the numerous 
studies. This was done by the Defense Science Board task force on 
unexploded ordnance. This is for the Department of Defense itself. They 
have been looking under the direction of the Office of the Under 
Secretary of Defense, what do you do with the 10 or 15 million acres? 
Remember a few minutes ago I talked about ``Larry the Lizard,'' the 
coloring book to try and tell children not to pick up exploded 
ordnance. There is a way that we can find out where the problems exist 
and what the unexploded ordnance report for the Defense Science Board 
concluded was having a wide area assessment.
  What they recommended was to do $200 million a year. With $200 
million a year over 5 years, we could assess 10 million acres. That 
would not tell us what type of ordnance is under the acres that are 
polluted, but what it would do would tell us areas that there is not 
ordnance. Their estimate is that by doing this simple billion dollars 
over 5 years, $200 million a year, we could open up 8 million acres 
that could be used safely. We would not have to be telling kids through 
Larry the Lizard. Or I have a great one here that tells people when 
they go to the park in the Jefferson proving area in Indiana that you 
have to sign a waiver to use the park because of exploded ordnance, and 
they tell you if you find unexploded ordnance on the trail, do not use 
your cell phone because it might detonate it, in our Nation's parks.
  With all due respect, I would suggest that by starting with a simple 
assessment, not $200 million but merely $5 million, so my colleagues 
would actually see that it works, that we can have an opportunity to 
start eliminating, because $5 million, frankly, is a scandal in my 
judgment, out of over $400 billion, we can protect our children, we can 
protect our forest rangers, our firefighters and be able to do an 
assessment that would take it all.
  Mr. Chairman, I would respectfully request the adoption of this 
amendment to have $5 million for the pilot study on the wide area 
assessment. But I hope that this minimal initial step is something that 
will encourage the House of Representatives to start taking this 
seriously and not consign Larry the Lizard to take care of our children 
or wait a quarter of a millennium or more to do what we should be doing 
today.
  I urge the adoption of the amendment.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, first I withdraw my point of 
order.
  The CHAIRMAN. The point of order is withdrawn.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last 
word. I am very empathetic to the gentleman's concern as expressed 
here. We have discussed it on many occasions between the two of us. The 
fact is that currently the DOD is spending some $200 million a year in 
this arena. There is $204 million already in the bill. It seems 
senseless to me to say withdraw $5 million from other accounts and pass 
it here. It seems to me that this is unnecessary; and because of that, 
I would oppose the amendment.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. LEWIS of California. I yield to the gentleman from Oregon.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, the point I was trying to make earlier, 
with all due respect, is that the couple of hundred million dollars 
that we have here leaves the vast majority of sites with no expenditure 
whatsoever. Over 1,400, no expenditure. I just mentioned on the floor 
that we are having to suspend the work on the campus of American 
University and in Spring Valley because they are running out of money.
  My question is, why should we be continuing to play this sort of 
shell game when for a reasonable expenditure of funds we could clear 8 
million acres or more from having this signage and having this risk?
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I am very empathetic to the 
Member's expression of concern in this arena. There is report language 
in the bill that says the following that I would bring to his 
attention:
  ``The Defense Science Board and the General Accounting Office both 
express concerns with the efficiency of the Department of Defense plan 
for remediation of UXO, unexploded ordnance. Therefore, in the fiscal 
year 2005 DOD appropriations report, we have requested a comprehensive 
plan and cost estimates from the department on all identified sites by 
April 1, 2005.''
  We are attempting, Mr. Chairman, to deal with this problem by dealing 
with the Department. We recognize that they are not as efficient as we 
might like.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. If the gentleman will yield further, I have four 
studies here now from 2001 that detail the deficiencies and 
inadequacies of the program. I am wondering what the gentleman expects 
to be accomplished by one more study that has not been already 
highlighted, documented and discussed with the gentleman and the 
committee over the course of the last 4 years?
  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. LEWIS of California. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. MURTHA. I would just say to the gentleman, we are trying to 
figure out exactly what he wants to do because no one has been more on 
the forefront of this particular issue than he has. We want to help 
him. We understand it. We know how serious it is. We have done this in 
a number of different places. If this will clear 8 million acres, we 
certainly want to help.
  If the gentleman will withdraw his amendment, we will find a way to 
take care of his 8 million acres.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. The amount of money that is required according to the 
Defense Science Board to be able to do the 10 million acres which could 
free up an estimated 8 million is $200 million a year. The $5 million 
that I was talking about was a pilot study that would maybe demonstrate 
to people the effectiveness of it. It is not going to solve the problem 
at all, but it would move us in a direction so that maybe we could 
demonstrate to people the effectiveness and we could get to the point 
where we are spending serious money. My colleagues know what serious 
money is. They spend billions. They spend billions on things that are 
controversial even within defense experts. I am trying to get a little 
bit of money, serious money but small in the scheme of things, that 
would actually make a difference. I do not know if that is responsive.
  Mr. MURTHA. I would hope we would be able to work this out. I do not 
know if we will add to the $204 million, but we certainly can take this 
$5 million if the gentleman thinks it is this important. He has been 
involved in this for so long. We will try to work it out. Otherwise, we 
go to a vote, and whether you win or not, I do not know; but the point 
is, we will try to work it out.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. I appreciate the gentleman's offer of help.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. As we have discussed before, I am always 
willing to try to help the gentleman.
  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of

[[Page H4707]]

words, and I yield to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, what I am trying to get at is to not be 
at the same place next year that we are now. Last year we were trying 
to get a little money for research, but we were trying to focus some 
attention so we would do more. Where I see the problem is that we are 
actually spending less than we did 2 years ago, that we have reasonable 
proposals from the Department of Defense for doing something about it, 
and now I am back here hearing that here is $5 million for a pilot 
project and we will have a study and come back next year.
  Mr. MURTHA. Wait a minute. The gentleman says it is a little project. 
This is a project you are advocating. This is not a little project. It 
is a project you are advocating. It is $5 million.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. I wanted to explain what I hope to accomplish. My 
goal is to be in a situation where we can actually make some 
significant progress for expenditures to solve the problem, not to 
continue to study it or to do tests.

                              {time}  1600

  I appreciate the courtesy that has been offered by the Chair and 
ranking member to try to help out for 5 million. I am trying to respond 
to this question about what I am trying to achieve. I do not want to be 
back here next year and see the funding level going down, the cost 
going up, needs unmet, and people looking at me like it is hard to 
understand what I am trying to achieve. That is what I am trying to do.
  Mr. MURTHA. We want to help.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, I will seek to work with the committee, 
but my ironclad commitment is to help make sure that there is a way 
that we focus on the floor so we are not back here with another study 
and a pilot project, no increase in funding and a problem that 
continues to get worse year after year after year.
  Mr. CASE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the amendments 
offered by my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Oregon, Mr. 
Blumenauer, relative to unexploded ordnance. I completely agree with 
the underlying assertion of his amendments that our country is failing 
its obligation to clean up unexploded ordnance (UXO) throughout our 
states and in fact, throughout the world.
  My own Hawai`i is a classic example. Our military has made extensive 
use of my state for military training and preparedness for at least a 
century, and we in Hawai`i accept that use as an obligation that we owe 
to our country.
  However, according to the Department of Defense's FY2002 Defense 
Environmental Restoration Program Annual Report to Congress, today 
there remain throughout Hawai`i over fifty Department of Defense-
registered locations that have not been cleaned up, presenting ongoing 
public safety risks. These include 10 separate sites at Lualualei Naval 
Magazine on the Waianae Coast, one ten acre site at the Pacific Missile 
Range Facility at Barking Sands on the island of Kaua`i, five sites at 
Marine Corps Base Hawai`i at Kaneohe Bay, four sites on the island of 
Lana`i, and many smaller locations throughout the state. I can only 
believe that there are a number of other states in the same situation.
  Let me take the specific example of the military's past use of a 
large portion of the Island of Hawai`i in and around the current 
residential communities of Waimea and Waikoloa. During and after World 
War II, the United States military, primarily the Navy and Marine 
Corps, utilized an area of approximately 123,000 acres on the western 
side of the Island of Hawai`i as an artillery range, military training 
cap, and general military grounds. This former Waikoloa Maneuver/Nansay 
Combat Range lies in and around the Coast resort area, and remains 
littered with related debris including UXO. This UXO has already 
resulted in civilian deaths and injuries and represents a continuing 
threat to residents and visitors and renders large portions of the area 
effectively unusable.
  In 1992, the United States Army Corps of Engineers determined that 
the site was eligible for the Defense Environmental Restoration Program 
for designation as a Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS). In 2002, the 
Corps completed an engineering evaluation/cost analysis which 
designated the entire site for potential ordnance health and safety 
risk and estimated total cleanup at an excess of $600,000,000.
  Of that amount, the Corps analysis estimated cleanup costs for the 
three highest areas of potential risk, in and immediately adjacent to 
existing and pending residential communities at $250,000,000. A 
comprehensive plan for utilization of such funds to those purposes 
requested by the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC Report 107-151), 
completed, and submitted to the Secretary of the Army. Same amounts 
have been expended and other have been allocated in effectuation of 
that plan, but much less of the $250,000,000 estimate and far short 
then the estimated costs of total cleanup in excess of $600,000,000.
  On April 12, 2004, I met with official from the United States Army 
Corps of Engineers on the Big Island of Hawai`i. At that meeting, I was 
given an update on the Corps of Engineers' ongoing efforts to clear 
high priority sites within the Waikoloa Maneuver Area. A small project 
now underway has begun to clear UXO around Waikoloa Village and Waimea 
Town--two relatively populated areas on the Big Island. This cleanup 
project is located in an area that was once used as a military training 
cap and artillery range.
  Both on and off the record, I have heard many excuses about the 
reasons we cannot fund UXO: the war, the deficit, the President's tax 
cuts. But, these excuses and past Congressional and Executive 
mishandling of the UXO issue are no excuse for the country--for this 
Congress--to ignore a concept espoused by parents, coaches and camp 
counselors alike: Leave any place you visited cleaner than when you 
arrived. The Army Corps of Engineers is ready and willing to begin the 
process of cleanup; it is now up to all of us in Congress to 
appropriate the funds for this much-needed action.
  Mr. Chairman, our military needs places where they can train fully to 
protect our country, but when they've completed their mission it's only 
right that they clean up and assure that those of us that come after 
them can use the land safely. These amendments offered by the gentleman 
from Oregon are an essential first step towards cleaning up the many 
communities which are littered with UXO. I urge their adoption by the 
House.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the 
amendment.
  The CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from 
Oregon?
  There was no objection.
  The CHAIRMAN. The Committee will rise informally to receive a message 
from the President.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson) assumed the Chair.

                          ____________________