[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 168 (Thursday, December 22, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2642-E2643]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2863, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS 
                               ACT, 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. BOB ETHERIDGE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Sunday, December 18, 2005

  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in reluctant support for the 
conference report on the Fiscal Year 2006 Department of Defense 
Appropriations bill.
  As a veteran of the U.S. Army and as the Representative for Fort 
Bragg, Pope Air Force Base and numerous Guard and Reserve units, I 
strongly support our men and women in uniform and their families. This 
bill contains needed funding for such necessary items as the military 
pay raise, body armor for our troops in Iraq and vehicle armor for the 
vehicles that carry them. The base bill is important legislation, and I 
strongly support it.

[[Page E2643]]

  However, I deeply regret that the Republican Congressional Leaders 
have inserted into this bill the extraneous provision to permit oil and 
natural gas exploration in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). I 
oppose the exploitation ANWR through drilling for oil, and I have 
repeatedly voted against that provision when it has been considered in 
this House. Unfortunately, the Republican Leaders have decided on a 
cynical strategy to sneak ANWR into the defense bill. This underhanded 
maneuver represents the arrogant abuse of power that all too often 
characterizes the operating style of the current Majority.
  I support the defense appropriations conference report, but I 
encourage my colleagues to defeat the rule so we can take the ANWR 
provisions out and pass a clean defense bill.

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