[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 98 (Friday, June 26, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1593]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CANDICE S. MILLER

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 24, 2009

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration of the bill (H.R. 2047) to 
     authorize appropriation for fiscal year 2010 for military 
     activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe 
     military personnel strength for fiscal yea 2010, and for 
     other purposes:

  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of 
National Defense Authorization Act of 2009.
  The Department of Defense directed the Army to restructure its 
premier modernization program known as Future Combat Systems--FCS 
program--which includes a network of new sensors, radios, robotic 
vehicles and a fleet of new combat vehicles.
  I personally commend the thousands of dedicated soldiers, department 
of defense civilians and their defense industry partners who worked on 
the project.
  More than 1,000 of these dedicated men and women that do the 
engineering work for the FCS program live and work in my district. Some 
10,000 employees in 74 Michigan companies worked to provide the Army a 
new ground combat vehicle fleet.
  Many of them will be economically disadvantaged, despite their best 
efforts, by termination of the combat vehicle project.
  Legislation passed by the Armed Services committee recognizes the 
restructuring of the FCS program and provides guidance on how the Army 
should proceed.
  Providing for the national defense is in the preamble of the 
Constitution of the United States, it is this body's most solemn duty 
and responsibility. We must ensure that the men and women we send into 
harm's way have the very best training and equipment we can provide.
  It's imperative that we move rapidly to provide the Army a new ground 
combat vehicle that protects American soldiers against IEDs, road side 
bombs and anti-tank munitions. We must not lose the momentum gained 
during six years of research and development and the multibillion 
dollar taxpayer investment on this project.
  Any new program must consider both Army and Marine Corps needs for 
manned ground combat vehicles now and in the future. It must build on 
what we have learned from three separate FCS ground vehicle designs as 
well as lessons learned from combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  We have the best trained and dedicated Armed Forces in the world. 
Will we ask them to go to combat with vehicles that are nearly two 
generations old, designed for a different enemy and more conventional 
warfare?
  Instead, let's build on the work that has already been done; ensure 
that billions of taxpayer dollars already spent are not wasted by 
starting from scratch, and provide U.S. Soldiers and Marines vehicles 
and systems that provide increased situational awareness for the 
conflicts of the future.
  I urge the members to make a new combat vehicle the centerpiece of 
Army's research and development efforts in a restructured program.

                          ____________________