[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 174 (Friday, November 9, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2381]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 3222, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS 
                               ACT, 2008

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 8, 2007

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this FY 2008 
Defense Appropriations Conference Report because it ensures that our 
troops get the protection they need and the benefits they have earned. 
Additionally, as an opponent of the decision to go to war in Iraq, and 
an advocate of the responsible redeployment of our combat forces, I 
appreciate that the contentious question of how Congress will proceed 
with the President's pending funding request for the Iraq War will be 
addressed in another legislative vehicle, on another day.
  H.R. 3222 fully funds the increased personnel, equipment, and 
training costs associated with growing the Army and Marines by 7000 and 
5000 troops, respectively. Moreover, and importantly, it allocates 
$11.6 billion in emergency funding for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected 
(MRAP) vehicles that are playing such an important role protecting our 
troops from deadly IEDs. And it responds to the historic strain on our 
National Guard and Reserves by providing an additional $980 million to 
meet the equipment demands of their deployment overseas and first 
responder role at home.
  In recognition of our military's service and sacrifice to country, 
this spending bill provides our military families with a 3.5 percent 
pay raise--.5 percent above the President's request. It rejects the 
President's proposed $1.9 billion increase in premiums and fees in the 
TRICARE program and adds $900 million to strengthen military health 
care for our servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. And it 
provides critical support to our military families through an infusion 
of $237 million for counseling and child care, as well as $615.7 
million for facility and infrastructure upgrades throughout our bases 
in the United States, Europe, and Korea.
  Finally, H.R. 3222 affirms American values by banning the use of 
torture while including important accountability measures for military 
and security contractors. It asks the DoD to include the entirety of 
its war funding in the President's 2009 Budget Request. And it meets 
important emergency needs in Louisiana and elsewhere as our fellow 
citizens continue the hard work of rebuilding their lives in the 
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
  Mr. Speaker, this conference report is worthy of the broad, 
bipartisan support I expect it to receive.

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