[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 191 (Thursday, December 13, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2584]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 1585, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR 
                            FISCAL YEAR 2008

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 12, 2007

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this final, 
bipartisan Defense Authorization agreement for the critical investments 
it makes in our military readiness, troop protection and wounded 
warrior care. I am also proud that this conference report cracks down 
on contractor fraud, provides a 3.5 percent pay increase and improves 
health care benefits for our military families and restores workplace 
fairness for the Defense Department's hardworking civilian employees. 
Finally, consistent with this Congress' commitment to chart a new 
direction on the war in Iraq, this legislation requires the DOD to 
regularly brief Congress on its planning to responsibly redeploy our 
forces out of that misguided conflict.
  To help restore our nation's military readiness, this bill creates a 
$1 billion Strategic Readiness Fund to address equipment shortfalls and 
provides an additional $980 million to properly equip our National 
Guard and Reserve.
  We authorize $17.6 billion--an increase of $865 million--for the Mine 
Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles that have been so successful 
protecting our men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. We commit 
$4.8 billion for anti-IED efforts. And we allocate a total of $6 
billion to up-armor our Humvees, add armor to other combat vehicles and 
provide body armor for our troops.
  Because we must never force those who have been wounded abroad to 
battle bureaucratic red tape in order to get the care they need when 
they come home, this legislation includes the Wounded Warrior Act, 
designed to correct the disgraceful conditions uncovered at the Walter 
Reed Army Medical Center and ensure seamless, high-quality care that 
our returning veterans have earned and deserve.
  Improving accountability through more regular and vigorous oversight 
is a consistent and recurring theme of the new Congress. Consistent 
with that commitment, this bill requires the DoD and Department of 
State to issue detailed regulations governing the conduct of private 
security contractors employed by the federal government. Additionally, 
to enhance our accountability efforts, we strengthen whistleblower 
protections for those willing to bring waste, fraud and abuse to the 
public's attention.
  I am particularly pleased that this legislation prohibits fee 
increases in the TRICARE program, and the 3.5 percent pay increase 
provided to our military families--while larger than the President's 
request--is really the least we can do. Moreover, I am gratified that 
the NDAA conferees saw fit to include important contracting out and 
workplace protections for DoD's civilian employees in this final 
report. They go to work every day to serve their country, and it is 
only appropriate that the nation treat them with the dignity and 
respect they deserve.
  Finally, having worked for several years to reconstitute the core 
functions of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, AFIP, in the 
aftermath of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure, BRAC, Commission, I 
am delighted by the establishment of a Joint Pathology Center mandated 
by this report. Furthermore, I believe the expanded nursing program 
housed at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 
USUHS, will be a valuable resource to military medicine, and I welcome 
the program to my district.