[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 101 (Friday, July 8, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1272-E1273]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2012

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 23, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2219) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2012, and for other purposes:

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the FY2012 Defense 
Appropriations bill. I want to also thank Chairman Young and Ranking 
Member Dicks for working together to craft this important bipartisan 
legislation.

[[Page E1273]]

  As our men and women in uniform and their families sacrifice to keep 
our country safe, Congress must provide them with the support and 
equipment necessary to accomplish their mission. In this bill we have 
appropriated funding for equipment procurement, base operations, 
military healthcare and pay in order to address current defense needs 
and future challenges; to continue funding research and development; 
and to improve the essential health and quality of life programs for 
the men and women of the Armed Services and their families.
  In total, the bill allocates $530 billion for Defense Department 
operations and support. This funding cuts $9 billion from the 
President's request while increasing overall base funding for the 
Department of Defense by $17 billion. While I support this legislation, 
I believe we can meet all our national security needs with fewer 
resources. The testimony before the Budget Committee on July 8, 2011 
made clear that we can reduce defense spending without compromising our 
national security. That is why I voted for the Frank Amendment that 
would have reduced the amount of this increase by half. I also 
supported an amendment offered by Representative Mulvaney that would 
have held funding in the bill to FY2011 levels. Unfortunately, both 
amendments failed.
  The bill provides $32.3 billion for defense health programs, which is 
$119 million above the President's request and $935 million above what 
was enacted in the FY2011 bill. This figure includes a $125 million 
increase over the president's request for improved treatment and 
research of traumatic brain injury and psychological health conditions, 
$30 million for orthopedic research and $15 million for restorative 
transplant research, and $2.3 billion for family support and advocacy 
programs.
  To help financially struggling military families cope in this 
challenging economy, the bill also includes military pay funding of 
$5.4 billion above last year's level and includes a pay raise of 1.6% 
and a comparable increase for housing and subsistence funding.
  To ensure that all the funds allocated are used properly and for 
their intended purpose, the bill also contains enhanced oversight and 
accountability measures.
  Mr. Chair, our troops deserve our support for the daily sacrifices 
they make for the security of the Nation. They depend on us to ensure 
that they have the resources they need to do their jobs.
  They also count on us to see to it that the health and welfare of 
their families are assured so they can focus on the mission at hand. 
That is what this bill is about and I encourage my colleagues to join 
me in supporting it.

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