[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 146 (Friday, October 9, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2647, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR 
                            FISCAL YEAR 2010

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                               speech of

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 8, 2009

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, providing for the common defense is one 
of the federal government's most important duties. I take my duty to 
rigorously review the Defense budget very seriously, supporting defense 
spending that is smart and sustainable and speaking out against funding 
that is wasteful or misdirected. As such, I support the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010.
  My first priority remains the protection of our forces already on the 
ground, including the Oregon National Guard's 41st Combat Brigade, and 
equipping our military to face current threats. I have been pleased 
with the Obama administration's willingness to begin a tough review of 
the U.S. military, requesting additional equipment and healthcare 
support for our service-men and -women--especially our Guard and 
Reserve, while requesting cutbacks on outdated programs. Although 
difficult in the short-term, cutting unnecessary programs to orient our 
military to face today's threats is the right thing to do and keeps us 
safer in the long run.
  Part of this also involves empowering the military to clean up its 
widespread environmental legacy. In every state, communities must deal 
with former training grounds contaminated with live bombs, leftover 
shells, and leaking chemicals. I'm frankly disappointed that in the 
past there has been a distinct lack of political will needed to clean 
up our backyards within our lifetime, and I will continue to support 
increased Environmental Restoration funding. However, I'm pleased that 
two bipartisan amendments I offered with my colleague Ginny Brown-Waite 
remain in this bill. These provisions will increase the transparency of 
programs responsible for clean-up and require the Department to start 
thinking strategically about ways to lessen the longer-term health and 
environmental consequences of war and training. I thank the Chairman 
and the Committee staff for working with me on these points.
  In addition, I am proud to support the inclusion of the Matthew 
Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention provision in this 
bill. This bipartisan, long-awaited legislation will help prevent 
violence and ensure that justice is served for perpetrators of these 
hateful acts, chipping away at violent intolerance and protecting all 
our citizens.
  I am continually mindful of the fact that today's threats--extremism, 
economic upheaval, pandemics, and environmental devastation--cannot be 
addressed by military force alone. In addition to supporting this 
legislation, I will continue to advocate for national security 
strategies that also address issues of poverty, intolerance, and 
mismanagement.

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