[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 130 (Monday, October 11, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1966]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1966]]
   CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4200, RONALD W. REAGAN NATIONAL DEFENSE 
                 AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 8, 2004

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of adoption of this 
conference report which authorizes $447.2 billion for the U.S. Defense 
Department (DOD) and the national security programs of the U.S. 
Department of Energy (DOE).
  As is always the case, there are many provisions in the final version 
of this massive bill every year which I enthusiastically support and 
others that I do not. On balance, this conference report has more 
merits than shortcomings.
  First, I am pleased that it provides more generous pay and benefits 
for the men and women who currently serve in our armed forces and for 
those who have done so in the past.
  It authorizes a 3.5 percent across-the-board pay raise for our 
troops. This is the sixth consecutive year that Congress will have 
provided a pay raise for our men and women in uniform greater than the 
level of private sector pay raises. This will help to further reduce 
the gap between average military and private sector pay. Similarly, it 
makes permanent the increased rates for imminent danger pay from $150 
to $225 per month, and the family separation allowance from $100 to 
$250 per month, while also eliminating out-of-pocket housing expenses.
  For members of the National Guard and Reserves, it extends several 
special pay provisions and bonuses through December 31, 2005, including 
bonuses for enlistment, reenlistment, and prior service. Reservists and 
family members will also receive enhanced TRICARE benefits.
  For our Nation's military retirees and their survivors, this 
legislation goes further in protecting their financial security. It 
will eliminate the Social Security offset under the Survivor Benefit 
Plan (SBP) by increasing in stages the annuities paid to survivors of 
military retirees who are 62 years of age or older from 35 percent of 
retired pay.
  Last year's version of this legislation, made significant and overdue 
strides in redressing the disparity by which disabled military retirees 
have their pension benefits reduced, dollar for dollar, by the amount 
of disability benefits they receive from the U.S. Department of 
Veterans Affairs (VA). It authorized full concurrent receipt to be 
phased in over 10 years. This bill makes further progress by removing 
disabled retirees, who are rated as 100 percent disabled, from the 10-
year phase-in period. These deserving military retirees will be 
authorized for full concurrent receipt effective next January.
  Second, we now know that our troops were poorly served by Pentagon 
war planners in advance of the invasion of Iraq. Many of them were sent 
into harm's way without adequate supplies of body armor, armed Humvees, 
and other essential equipment. This bill will help correct these 
inexcusable miscalculations by providing a $572 million increase to 
speed the production of up-armored Humvees plus $100 million for add-on 
armor kits for Humvees already in use.

  Third, it is no secret that current troop strength is inadequate and 
our troops in Iraq and elsewhere are stretched too thin. To redress 
this military manpower shortage, this bill increases active Army end 
strength from the present level of 482,400 to 502,400 in 2005 and 
authorizes further increases to 512,400 by 2009. Similarly, it 
increases the Marine Corps from its current level of 175,000 to 178,000 
in 2005 and to 184,000 by 2009.
  Fourth, in their recent presidential debate, both President Bush and 
U.S. Senator John Kerry spoke about the importance of stepping up 
nonproliferation efforts to curb the spread of weapons of mass 
destruction (WMD) and to lessen the danger of terrorists acquiring 
these horrible weapons. While I'd have preferred a higher level of 
funding, this bill provides $409.2 million for the Cooperative Threat 
Reduction Initiative that will help dismantle, secure, and eliminate 
WMD and WMD facilities in the former Soviet Union.
  On the negative side, this legislation provides $10 billion for a 
bogus missile defense program. In defiance of physics, this Congress 
continues to shovel ever increasing sums of taxpayer funds to deploy a 
missile defense system that has not been tested adequately nor 
demonstrated to work.
  There is continued authority and funding in this legislation for 
further research on new tactical nuclear weapons. Specifically, it 
provides an additional $27.9 million for the Robust Nuclear Earth 
Penetrator--the so-called nuclear bunker buster, plus an additional $9 
million for advanced concept initiatives. While these sums may not seem 
all that significant in a $447.2 billion bill, they continue our nation 
down a dangerous and destabilizing path. By continuing to fund this 
type of research; the U.S. is opening Pandora's box and encouraging 
other nations to develop and deploy supposedly more usable nuclear 
weapons.
  Finally, I am disappointed that a provision authored by U.S. Senators 
Boxer and Collins was dropped from this conference report that would 
have afforded stronger protection for women serving in our armed forces 
who are victims of rape. More specifically, it would have permitted 
women victimized by rape to receive medical abortions without having to 
pay for the procedures themselves.
  Recent statistics from DOD reveal that as many as 6 percent of 
active-duty service women report having been sexually assaulted. There 
have been 112 reports of sexual misconduct over the past 18 months in 
Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan.
  U.S. Army officials recently issued a policy statement to Army 
medical professionals clarifying their position on care for victims of 
sexual assault. In it, they instructed that ``the Army has existing 
medical and legal policies and programs to assist leaders. Use these 
resources to provide victims with immediate medical care, follow-up 
counseling, and seamless victim assistance.'' However, by banning 
abortion funding for rape victims in the military, this provision will 
severely impede the ability of rape victims to receive the appropriate 
medical care and assistance they need. This ban further injures the 
women who are bravely defending our country, and keeps victims who have 
already suffered an unspeakable assault from exercising their 
constitutionally-protected right to choose.
  On balance this legislation will enhance our Nation's security.

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