[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 72 (Thursday, May 26, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1133-E1134]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 25, 2005

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1815) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2006 for military 
     activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe 
     military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2006, and for 
     other purposes

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this legislation. I 
am especially pleased that the amendment I will offer later today has 
been accepted. I will support this bill because it contains several 
important provisions that are good for our troops, good for our 
national security, and good for Connecticut's economy.
  Every Member of this body understands our troops represent the very 
best of America. The bill authorizes additional funding for equipment 
so desperately needed by troops serving in Iraq and those fighting the 
war on terror in Afghanistan and elsewhere--up-armored Humvees, 
tactical wheeled vehicle recapitalization and I modernization programs, 
night vision devices and improvised explosive device (IED) jammers. The 
bill also provides our troops with a 3.1 percent pay raise for members 
of the armed forces and increases bonuses for active duty enlistments, 
reserve enlistments and active duty re-enlistments. Each

[[Page E1134]]

of these measures is necessary to stem the decline in recruiting and 
retention among our Armed Forces.
  This legislation also makes good on our obligations to provide for 
the families of those who make the ultimate sacrifice for their 
country. It increases the death gratuity to $100,000, allows dependents 
of deceased servicemembers to continue receiving housing benfits for 
one year, and expands travel authorizations for families of 
hospitalized servicemembers. This is the right thing to do, and I 
strongly support these provisions.
  The bill also contains an important provision requested by myself and 
several of my colleagues regarding the Marine One helicopter program. 
It ensures that the Navy will not procure the helicopter until it can 
certify that its design is essentially complete. In doing so, this 
provision ensures this program does not waste taxpayer dollars in the 
rush to field the President's helicopter.
  Unfortunately, there are other provisions in this bill that I believe 
are not in the best interests of the American people or our national 
security.
  First, over the objections of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, it restricts 
the role of women in combat. Congress ought to charge the military with 
the responsibility to move people into jobs and positions based on 
merit. But excluding women from combat effectively creates two classes 
of servicemember, which is both bad for morale and may ultimately limit 
the ability of women to receive promotions in the future. Regrettably, 
the military already suffers from a case of not having enough women in 
senior positions, and this bill threatens to make that problem worse, 
not better.
  And this bill misses two real opportunities to make a tangible 
difference in the lives of the men and women of our Armed Services and 
their families. Firstly, it does nothing to expand the availability of 
health care to members of the Reserves and their families, even though 
there are more than 100,000 Reservists and National Guardsmen currently 
on the front lines of Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world.
  And incredibly, this bill does nothing about the military families 
tax and the disabled veterans tax. At a time when Congress has repealed 
the tax on inherited wealth--the estate tax--it is unconscionable that 
we would continue to tax those who have become disabled in service to 
their country and the survivors benefits of those killed in combat. To 
my mind, that is the real ``death tax,'' Mr. Speaker--taxing the 
families of those whose loved ones gave their lives and their 
livelihoods to this great country of ours. They deserve better.
  Of course, the alternative to the bill is delay. And we cannot afford 
to put off the much-deserved pay raise for our troops in this bill or 
the purchase of new equipment that they so desperately need. Because we 
have an obligation to act now, I support the bill. But it is my hope 
that Congress will address these important issues--and soon.

                          ____________________