[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 72 (Friday, May 18, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E850]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013

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                               speech of

                            HON. RICK LARSEN

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 17, 2012

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4310) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2013 for military 
     activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe 
     military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2013, and for 
     other purposes:

  Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the 
Duncan Amendment to prevent appropriations from being used to implement 
the Convention on the Law of the Sea. As Ranking Member of the Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee and as a member of the 
House Armed Services Committee, I know the importance of this treaty 
for both the Coast Guard and the Navy. Signing the Convention would 
allow both military services to prevent potential conflicts at sea with 
other nations. It would also lock in critical navigational rights that 
will ensure the timeliness and operational readiness of the services. 
This is a bipartisan issue, and I regret this amendment attempts to 
make it a partisan one.
  Both the Navy and Coast Guard are enthusiastic and supportive of the 
potential that the Convention on the Law of the Sea holds. In fact, 
earlier this month Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Robert Papp gave a 
speech in which he said the Convention would ``better enable the Coast 
Guard to protect Americans from the sea, protect Americans from threats 
delivered by sea, and protect the sea itself.''
  This amendment is the wrong policy given the many benefits that we 
stand to gain by joining the Convention. I urge my colleagues to vote 
``no'' on this amendment.

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