[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 154 (Friday, September 26, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2017-E2018]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 DUNCAN HUNTER NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009

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                               speech of

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT-

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 24, 2008

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill.
  We've all read the stories about wounded troops being forced to repay 
enlistment or reenlistment bonuses. Chairman Skelton is to be commended 
for including a provision that ensures that any servicemember who is 
retired or separated for a combat-related disability will not be 
required to repay any portion of a bonus or other benefit. The same 
provision ensures that the survivor of a member who dies on active duty 
will likewise not have to repay any bonus or benefit their deceased 
loved one was entitled to. I am also pleased this bill authorizes a 
much needed and well deserved 3.9 percent pay raise for our troops.
  Today we are also ensuring that active duty families, military 
retirees, and their dependents are not socked with higher TRICARE fees 
or co-pays by extending the prohibition on such increase. The bill also 
encourages beneficiaries to use preventive health services by waiving 
copayments for preventive services.
  We've all been troubled and saddened by the increased rates of 
suicide among

[[Page E2018]]

servicemembers and veterans. To address this crisis, the bill 
establishes a Task Force on the Prevention of Suicide by Members of the 
Armed Forces to bring together experts from both within and outside of 
the military to assess current service suicide prevention programs and 
policies and to examine the risk factors that can lead to suicide. The 
Secretary of Defense is required to develop a plan to improve suicide 
prevention based upon the recommendations of the task force. I urge 
Secretary Gates to convene this task force immediately and for the task 
force to complete its work as quickly as possible.
  Mr. Speaker, as is always the case in bills crafted by Chairman 
Skelton, this bill also authorizes additional necessary funds for key 
systems designed to help protect our troops. Two programs are of 
particular note. For example, the bill authorizes $1.7 billion to 
procure, sustain, transport, and field Mine Resistant Ambush Protected, 
MRAP, vehicles for our troops overseas. Additionally, the bill 
authorizes $2.2 billion for the Joint Improvised Explosive Device 
Defeat Organization, JIEDDO, and urges that $10 million be used for 
Marine Corps and Army development of specialized counter IED dog teams. 
The bill also requires that the Director of the JIEDDO to develop a 
science and technology investment strategy for countering the threat of 
IEDs.
  Additionally, I'm pleased this bill requires the Defense Department 
to take additional steps to reduce its energy consumption, consistent 
with mission and operational requirements. The bill establishes the 
position of Director for Operational Energy Plans and Programs and 
creates senior operational energy officials within each service. It 
also authorizes $90 million for energy conservation programs on 
military installations.
  I regret that a number of provisions that were in the House version 
of the bill were not included in the bill before us, including 
provisions dealing with the use of private security contractors and 
detainee interrogation-related activities. I am especially disappointed 
that the current bill does not include the detainee videorecording 
provision I authored and that was included in the House version of this 
bill. I look forward to working with Chairman Skelton in the next 
Congress to correct this deficiency.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill; I will vote for it, and I urge my 
colleagues to do likewise.

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