[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 103 (Thursday, July 22, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H6561]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT WASTES A LOT OF MONEY

  (Mr. DUNCAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, almost every Member of this Congress wants 
us to have a strong military, and we all want to support our troops. 
Yet almost everyone realizes, too, that the Defense Department 
unfortunately wastes a lot of money.
  It seems to me that we have an obligation to the taxpayers to speak 
out against this waste, or it will get even worse.
  Now national news organizations and publications have reported that 
the Defense Department has paid for 556 breast enlargements and 1,592 
liposuctions for soldiers and dependents from 2000 through the first 3 
months of 2004. These are very expensive operations.
  I realize the Federal bureaucrats can rationalize or justify almost 
any expense, especially since it is not coming out of their pockets, 
but soldiers have an obligation to stay in shape and meet physical 
fitness requirements and should not need liposuction for severe 
obesity.
  Certainly, it does not make any sense to say that breast enlargements 
will make women better soldiers.

                          ____________________