[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 144 (Wednesday, September 26, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12082-S12083]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION

  Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I rise to express my grave concern about 
the misplaced agenda we appear to be pursuing in the Senate: Taking us 
off of a Defense authorization bill that we have spent 15 days on--more 
than 2 weeks--to take up special interest legislation that has nothing 
to do with providing the equipment and the pay raises and the dignified 
treatment to our wounded warriors that the Defense authorization bill 
is designed to provide.
  Unfortunately, we see the distinguished majority leader has now 
introduced an amendment relating to hate crimes on a Defense 
authorization bill. We are told the majority whip now plans to 
introduce a bill with regard to immigration, the so-called DREAM Act.
  I would submit there is a time and a place for everything. This is a 
deliberative body, where we are happy to talk about and debate and air 
our differences on any piece of legislation any Senator might want to 
propose that comes to the floor, but there is a time and a place for 
everything. This is not the time and not the place to divert our 
attention from the important provision of pay raises, the important 
provision of equipment, and the important public policy changes with 
regard to how we treat our wounded warriors.
  One of the Hill newspapers has reported that today, a Government 
report is being released that concludes the wounded warriors from Iraq 
and Afghanistan are still getting the runaround from the Pentagon and 
Department of Veterans Affairs, despite big promises of change made 
after last February's revelations about the scandalous conditions at 
Walter Reed Army Medical Center. As a member of the Senate Armed 
Services Committee, I am proud of the work we have been able to do on a 
bipartisan basis to move legislation forward that would address the 
causes for concern first uncovered as a result of those sad and 
embarrassing revelations at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
  Today, it is reported the Government Accountability Office, the 
investigative arm of Congress, says that delays for disability payments 
for veterans still average 177 days--nearly 6 months--with no 
indication that any dramatic improvement is in the offing. The General 
Accounting Office also

[[Page S12083]]

found continuing frustrations and shortfalls in care for the increasing 
number of military returnees from Iraq. Delayed decisions, confusing 
policies, and the perception that the Department of Defense and 
Veterans' Administration disability ratings result in inequitable 
outcomes and have eroded the credibility of the system, according to 
the General Accounting Office. Thus, it is imperative, the GAO 
concludes, that the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs take 
prompt steps to address fundamental system weaknesses.
  Well, I agree. This is intolerable. That is the reason why we need to 
pass the Defense authorization bill, which has previously been pulled 
from the floor for consideration and has returned and now is being 
hijacked for special interest legislation that has nothing to do with 
providing help to our men and women in uniform during a time of war.
  Let me talk briefly about what the Defense authorization bill would 
do if we ever get it passed. It would authorize increases in end 
strengths to the Army and U.S. Marine Corps. As my distinguished 
colleague from Arkansas knows, that has been one of the major concerns 
we have all had about the stress and strain on our military that is too 
small for the challenges we have today, resulting in lengthy 
deployments and absences away from family members. This bill would 
authorize an increase of 13,000 in end strength for the Army and 9,000 
for the Marine Corps. But what do we do instead of passing the 
legislation that would provide that additional authorization? We hijack 
this Defense authorization bill to talk about hate crimes and perhaps 
immigration and other unrelated issues. This bill authorizes a pay 
increase of $135 billion for our men and women in uniform, people who 
deserve everything we can do for them when it comes to providing for 
them or reducing some of their financial burdens. This bill authorizes 
$135 billion in additional pay.
  But what does the majority leader do? He says we are going to take 
another timeout after 15 days and we are going to talk about hate 
crimes, potentially immigration, and who knows what else, further 
burdening this bill with amendments which may jeopardize our ability to 
pass it in the end.
  This bill also provides for a 3.5-percent increase in pay for all our 
troops. To the point of the GAO report, which I cited that has been 
reported in one of the Hill newspapers today, this bill would authorize 
$24.6 billion for the Defense health program, including a $1.9 billion 
adjustment to fund TRICARE benefits for fiscal year 2008.
  That is exactly what we ought to be doing. I, similar to my other 
colleagues, have visited our wounded warriors at Walter Reed and 
Bethesda, places such as the Brooks Army Medical Center in San Antonio, 
and places such as Darnall Medical Center at Fort Hood and Killeen. We 
need to make sure we do everything in our power to take care of 
our wounded warriors. But what are we doing? We are apparently taking a 
timeout from that important work that is urgently needed and diverting 
our attention to other matters that have nothing to do with taking care 
of our troops.

  What else would this Defense authorization bill do? Well, it would 
authorize $4 billion for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles. As 
my colleagues know, these are the V-shaped hull vehicles that have a 
way of dispersing improvised explosive device attacks in a way that 
will save lives and protect our troops from further injury as a result 
of improvised explosive devices. But what do we do? We dillydally 
around after 15 days of not taking care of our business and divert our 
attention to other unrelated matters that have nothing to do with 
protecting our troops. I think it is shameful.
  Further evidence the agenda is misplaced in the Senate is the fact 
that we will, this week, have to consider a continuing resolution. That 
means passing legislation to keep the doors of Government open until 
November 16 because this Congress has not passed, nor has the President 
signed, appropriations bills to pay Congress's bills. Now, this is not 
a surprise. September 30 we know is the end of the fiscal year. What 
would happen if we were a small business--or a big business, for that 
matter--that didn't take care of its affairs and didn't pay its bills? 
Well, it would shut down. But not the Federal Government, because we 
have the power to wave a magic wand and pass a continuing resolution. 
But 13 appropriations bills affecting the lives of each and every one 
of 300 million Americans in this country has simply been neglected, 
pushed to the back burner, because we are diverting our attention to 
matters that we should leave for a later date.
  So I implore the majority leader, I implore the new management of 
this Senate that was elected to the majority status after the last 
election, let's take care of business. Let's take care of our troops. 
Let's take care of our military families that, in an all-volunteer 
military, are absolutely essential to our ability to protect and defend 
the United States. I think it is shameful we are changing the subject 
to take care of special interest legislation at a time such as this, 
when it is so critical, at a time of war. I implore the majority leader 
to reconsider his misguided agenda for the Senate.
  I yield the floor.
  Mrs. LINCOLN. Madam President, how much time remains in morning 
business on each side?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican side has 6 minutes 41 seconds, 
and the Majority side has 5 minutes 57 seconds.
  The Senator from Florida is recognized.

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