[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 103 (Thursday, July 18, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5767-S5768]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           Military Spending

  Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I am here to speak on behalf of my 
good friend Gina McCarthy and her nomination to head the Environmental 
Protection Agency. But before I do so, I would like to raise an issue I 
raised during a hearing of the Armed Services Committee. I have come 
directly from that hearing.
  I am here to express my deep dissatisfaction, in fact my outrage, at 
a form of military assistance that will literally waste a total of more 
than $1 billion in taxpayer money. In fact, we have just contracted and 
announced that contract in June for about 30 Russian Mi-17 helicopters 
that will cost American taxpayers $550 million to buy from 
Rosoboronexport, the Russian export agency, controlled by the Russian 
Government, those helicopters for the Afghan national forces that lack 
pilots and maintenance personnel to fly and repair and operate these 
helicopters. They will be sitting on the runways of Afghan airfields 
without any use, rusting, literally wasting American taxpayer funds.
  Don't believe me when I make these statements. Those facts come from 
the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan who completed a report 
recently, stating succinctly, clearly, irrefutably, that we are wasting 
$1 billion in taxpayer money buying Russian helicopters for Afghan 
national forces that, very simply, cannot use them.
  In fact, we committed to that contract before we even have a status 
of forces agreement with the Afghan Government for the period after 
2014 when we will be leaving that country, fortunately. If we can leave 
sooner, all the better. But in the meantime, we are buying equipment 
from the Russian export agency that is at the same time

[[Page S5768]]

selling arms to Assad in Syria for the murder and slaughter of his own 
people, making money from those sales to Assad in Syria, and from the 
government that is harboring and providing refuge to Edward Snowden, 
who has illegally--I guess I should use the words allegedly illegally--
but clearly violated American law in disclosing secrets from our 
government.
  Last week I visited a National Guard helicopter repair facility in 
Groton, CT, where over 100 technicians--to be precise, 137 
technicians--civilian employees at this facility alone have been 
furloughed. They are furloughed 11 days. It was originally 22, but it 
has been reduced to 11. Our helicopter repair function in that region, 
and similarly across the country, has been hampered and impeded because 
of the sequester and the impact in requiring furloughs. Our military 
readiness is suffering because of lack of funds on the part of the U.S. 
Government, when we are at the same time buying Russian helicopters 
that will have no use for the Afghan Government. In fact, they have no 
pilots to fly them or people to make repairs and maintain them. 
Something is wrong with this picture.
  Yet in the hearing I have just left, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs 
of Staff, General Dempsey, maintained to me his view that a waiver 
should be exercised under the National Defense Authorization Act 
providing for the purchase of these Russian helicopters.
  I respectfully disagree. I strongly disagree. I think the American 
taxpayers, certainly my fellow residents of Connecticut, ought to be 
equally outraged. We should be outraged in this body that we are 
wasting this money when precious funds have been forgone that can be 
used for military readiness of our Armed Forces.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in saying to our U.S. military leaders 
that our national security is imperiled, not by refusing to acquire 
those helicopters but in fact by wasting taxpayer money on those 
purchases for an Afghan army that cannot use them, and for purchasing 
from a country that certainly means us no good and, in fact, an export 
agency that is selling arms to a murderous government and harboring an 
individual who has violated our laws and endangered our national 
security.
  I will not let this matter rest. I will not let this issue go. I 
intend to pursue it. I ask my colleagues to join me in making sure we 
stop these purchases. In fact, Senator Ayotte and I have a bill, which 
is called No Contracting with the Enemy, to expand very useful 
contracting tools that now apply in Afghanistan, where we have found 
our aid and assistance finding its way to enemy hands. I can't think of 
a more blatant example of contracting with the enemy than handing over 
our taxpayer money to a company that is at the very same time selling 
S-300 air defense systems to the Syrian Government for use against its 
own people and violating international sanctions by helping Iran with 
that missile equipment.