[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 83 (Friday, May 28, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E994]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2011

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                               speech of

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 27, 2010

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5136) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2011 for military 
     activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe 
     military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
     other purposes:

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to the National 
Defense Authorization Act of 2011. This legislation authorizes $725.9 
billion for defense programs this year, including $159.3 billion 
specifically for the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the so-called ``war 
on terror.'' Once again, the House of Representatives easily approves 
billions of dollars for war, while a bill that would provide genuine 
assistance to our constituents gets watered down by the demagoguery of 
fiscal responsibility.
  Our national security is not preserved or furthered through the 
military occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. Our presence in the region 
continues to foment resentment toward us and undermines the human 
rights of the Iraqi and Afghani people. To date, more than 4,000 U.S. 
servicemembers have lost their lives in Iraq, and more than 31,000 have 
been wounded. As the number of troops in Afghanistan surpasses the 
number in Iraq, over one thousand U.S. troops have been killed thus 
far. With the continuation of the wars, we are creating a new 
generation of Americans that will experience the trauma of war, like 
Vietnam veterans before them.
  According to the United Nations, air strikes continue to be the 
leading cause of civilian deaths in Afghanistan, despite the 
Administration's claims that avoiding civilian casualties is a 
cornerstone of the Afghan strategy. Innocent Afghanis are killed, 
detained or threatened in frequent night raids conducted by North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces, while Afghan President 
Hamid Karzai buys million-dollar villas in Dubai. This bill also 
authorizes $4.9 billion for ammunition and weapons systems, including 
for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles--or drones--that conduct indiscriminate 
attacks against suspected militants in Pakistan. According to a study 
conducted by the New America Foundation, three civilians die for every 
suspected militant killed by a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) drone 
in Pakistan.
  I am also concerned about a number of the amendments adopted in the 
bill that I believe have no place in a bill that is intended to address 
our national security. Language addressing sex-offenders and language 
that has considerable implications on our foreign policy was included 
as part of an en bloc amendment that addressed a significant gap in the 
health care services provided to our veterans pre and post-deployment. 
An amendment was also adopted that would allow the National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration (NASA) to conduct defense-related pilot 
programs with the Department of Defense (DOD). I have fought for years 
to keep NASA separate from DOD in order to preserve NASA's mission 
integrity and therefore, longevity.
  While I oppose the underlying bill, I supported an amendment that 
would lead to the repeal of the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' (DADT) 
military policy. For the past 17 years, DADT has forced our service men 
and women to hide who they are as they selflessly sacrificed their 
lives for our country. The amendment would repeal DADT following the 
receipt of recommendations from a Pentagon working group tasked with 
formulating the implementation of the repeal and certification from the 
President and Secretary of Defense that the Department of Defense is 
prepared to implement its repeal.
  Since the implementation of this discriminatory and misguided policy 
in 1993, almost 14,000 service members have been fired because of their 
sexual orientation. The United States is well behind many of our allies 
in allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. 
Policies, like DADT, that create an atmosphere of fear and mistrust 
among colleagues serving side-by-side have no place in the military. I 
applaud the repeal of DADT and believe it is a significant step toward 
ensuring equality in our military and securing rights for members of 
the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community.
  I urge my colleagues to reflect on the policies and fiscal 
implications included in this legislation. As the country struggles to 
pull itself out of one of the worst economic recessions in history, we 
must commit to our priorities here at home--protecting our environment, 
keeping people in their homes, and getting people back to work.

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