[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 27, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10232-S10233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           NATIONAL SECURITY

  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to be able to advise the 
Senate that the Appropriations Committee has completed our work on the 
bill providing funds for the Department of Homeland Security and the 
Department of Defense for the next fiscal year which begins on October 
1.
  Yesterday, the other body approved the Defense appropriations 
conference report, which provides new spending authority for the 
Department of Defense. Included in this bill is $70 billion in 
additional appropriations to fund operations related to the global war 
on terror. I expect the majority leader will call up this conference 
report later today for approval by the Senate.
  I commend the excellent leadership and hard work of the distinguished 
Senators from Alaska and Hawaii, the chairman of the Defense 
Appropriations Subcommittee and the ranking Democrat on that 
subcommittee, for putting together a bill that carefully considers the 
requests made by the administration for this massive undertaking of 
defending our country, identifying the challenges that we face, which 
threaten our security at home and abroad. It is a daunting task, but 
they have brought to this challenge a lot of experience, a lot of keen 
insight into the needs of our country, and the way the Department has 
to receive funding on a predictable and regular basis to achieve its 
goals and carry out its important mission.
  It is also my hope that the Homeland Security conference report will 
soon be filed in the House. It includes $34.8 billion in discretionary 
spending. It also reflects hard work by the conferees on that 
subcommittee, the distinguished Senator from New Hampshire, Mr. Gregg, 
and the distinguished Senator from West Virginia, Mr. Byrd, who were 
the chairman and ranking minority member of that subcommittee. Our 
conferees completed work on this bill, and we expect that it will be 
filed in the House, as I have suggested, I hope, very soon.

[[Page S10233]]

  The Homeland Security appropriations bill for fiscal year 2007 
appropriates $1.8 billion, designated as emergency funding for border 
security, to help make our borders more secure. I commend the President 
and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for their 
leadership and their efforts to help strengthen the capability of 
protecting our homeland. Four thousand new border agents have been 
added. Detention facilities have been constructed. Cargo inspection has 
been improved. Coast Guard equipment and capabilities have been 
upgraded and modernized. New vehicles for agents have been acquired. 
New technologies have been acquired, as well, to help control illegal 
immigration. The capacity to detect weapons of mass destruction have 
been improved.
  The timely consideration of both of these appropriations conference 
reports is very important to our Nation's security. The bills provide 
the funding to protect our Nation from those who would threaten us.
  I commend the conferees and the staff members who worked very hard to 
complete our work on these bills. I appreciate President Bush's 
leadership in sending the requests to Congress that were comprehensive, 
very carefully considered. I applaud the leadership of the 
administration for successfully protecting our homeland.
  Protecting our homeland is a huge challenge. Every year there are 
over 500 million people who cross our borders. There are 118 million 
vehicles and 16 million cargo containers that enter the United States 
annually. We have 95,000 miles of coastlines, 2,000 miles of common 
border with Mexico, and 5,000 miles of common border with Canada. These 
are under the jurisdiction of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the 
Transportation Security Administration, and the Coast Guard.
  While efforts are being made at home to protect ourselves and our 
borders, demanding work is being done abroad by our military forces to 
defeat the terrorists. They have expressed their intention to kill 
Americans and anyone who stands in their way.
  The Defense appropriations bill fully funds military pay for our 
troops and includes an across-the-board pay raise that was requested by 
the President, as well as procurement of necessary aircraft, ships, and 
ground equipment to ensure that our military forces are the best in the 
world.
  The Defense appropriations bill contains $70 billion of supplemental 
funding to ensure that our troops have the resources needed to succeed 
in the global war on terrorism.
  Mr. President, I commend the good work of our conferees, and I am 
hopeful that both conference reports will be passed by the Senate this 
week. It will permit the timely transition to the new fiscal year and 
prevent potential funding delays that could result in a disruption of 
programs that are very important to our national security.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas is recognized.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, how much time is remaining on our side 
for morning business?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Fifteen and a half minutes.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I will take such time as I may 
consume, but I will be perfectly willing to vitiate our time if we are 
going to a cloture vote that was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. I will go 
with the flow.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas is recognized.

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