[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 25, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1320-E1321]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2013

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                               speech of

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 18, 2012

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5856) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Defense

[[Page E1321]]

     for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other 
     purposes:

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 5856, 
Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2013. H.R. 
5856 provides $519.2 billion for the base budget of the Defense 
Department in fiscal year 2013 which is $3.1 billion above the 
President's request and $1.1 billion above the fiscal year 2012 level.
  In addition, the Department of Defense (DOD) appropriations bill 
provides $88.5 billion in fiscal year 2013 contingency funding for 
ongoing military operations in Afghanistan, at the President's request 
and $26.6 billion below the fiscal year 2012 level. The contingency 
funding being $26.6 billion below the fiscal year 2012 level reflects 
the continued drawdown of U.S. activities in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  I support this bill for three reasons:
  (1) Provides all service members a pay raise of 1.7 percent, the 
level included in the President's request;
  (2) Provides $33.9 billion, $334 million above the President's 
request, for Defense health care programs for our troops, their 
families, and retirees; and
  (3) Provides $1.6 billion for measures to counter improvised 
explosive devices in Afghanistan.
  I would like to thank Chairman Young and Ranking Member Dicks for 
ensuring that there were no reductions in the number of C-17s that are 
in use by our Armed Services in the Fiscal Year 2013 Defense 
Appropriations bill. The C-17 is the Air Force's premier strategic 
transport aircraft and remains the military's most reliable and capable 
airlift aircraft. The C-17 has proven capable of delivering more cargo, 
troops, and non-war humanitarian missions than any other aircraft. The 
C-17 delivered needed relief supplies and search and rescue teams 
immediately in the aftermath of the destruction in Japan. The C-17 also 
delivered over 10,005 tons of disaster relief supplies and carried 
13,812 passengers in response to the earthquake that struck Haiti in 
2010.
  Mr. Chair, in my remaining time let me briefly highlight additional 
key provisions. This legislation provides increased funding of $246 
million for cancer research, $245 million for medical facility and 
equipment upgrades, $125 million for Traumatic Brain Injury and 
psychological health research, and $20 million for suicide prevention 
outreach programs. Also, provides $2.3 billion for family support and 
advocacy programs.
  This bill provides $181 million in additional funds not requested by 
the President to keep open production lines for the M-1 Abrams tank and 
the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. As our nation goes through an Armed 
Forces reduction, protecting critical industries such as U.S. combat 
vehicle is imperative. Maintaining a modest and continuous Abrams 
production line is necessary to persevering superior battlefield 
capabilities. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin 
Dempsey said, ``capability is more important than size.'' I agree. In 
April, I signed onto a letter to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta 
expressing that sentiment.
  H.R. 5856 maintains our military superiority by continuing the 
research and development of current and future military equipment. This 
bill provides $5.9 billion for procurement of the F-35 Joint Strike 
Fighter. Provides $2.6 billion for procurement of modified F-18 Super 
Hornets, which is $562 million and 11 aircraft more than the 
President's request. Also, provides $1.8 billion to develop the KC-46A, 
the Air Force's next-generation aerial refueling aircraft.
  This bill also provides $250 million above the President's request 
for the Rapid Innovation Fund. This will continue the efforts started 
by the Armed Services Committee in fiscal year 2011 to promote 
innovative research in defense technologies among small businesses. 
H.R. 5856 includes $519 million for the Cooperative Threat Reduction 
program, known as Nunn-Lugar, to assist in the denuclearization and 
demilitarization of the states of the former Soviet Union.
  Finally, let me note my opposition to a number of provisions in this 
bill. This bill provides no funding for the Medium Extended Air Defense 
Systems (MEADS) program, which is a joint U.S.-German-Italian effort 
planned to replace Hawk and Patriot systems worldwide by 2018. Provides 
$118 million less than the President request for necessary F-22 
warplane modifications. Reduces the Defense Acquisition Workforce 
Development Fund (DAWDF) by $224 million from the fiscal year 2013 
budget.
  Mr. Chair, this bill is based upon a $1.028 trillion discretionary 
spending cap for fiscal year 2013, which is $19 billion below the 
$1.047 trillion discretionary spending cap agreed to in the bipartisan 
Budget Control Act. With my colleagues across the aisle squeezing our 
discretionary spending, they are hampering our ability to support many 
key national security priorities.
  For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support and join me in 
voting for the bill on final passage.

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