[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 82 (Tuesday, May 24, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E773]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 17, 2016

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4909) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2017 for military 
     activities of the Department of Defense and for military 
     construction, to prescribe military personnel strengths for 
     such fiscal year, and for other purposes:

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment to 
H.R. 4909, the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act 
offered by Mr. Calvert. This amendment requires the Department of 
Defense to report on the structure and size of its civilian and 
contractor workforce. This reporting requirement is a continuation of 
misguided assaults on the federal workforce which delivers capabilities 
needed to build back readiness and support operations. Furthermore, it 
adds an unneeded layer of bureaucracy with redundant reporting 
requirements. The information called for in this provision is already 
provided in eight separate statutes and this additional burden is 
unjustifiable.
  Not only is the report duplicative and unnecessary, the ``findings'' 
section is littered with misinformation and subjective clauses. It is 
yet another transparent attempt to attack civilian and contracted 
personnel, who have borne a disproportionate share of the fiscal burden 
levied on the Department of Defense. The first ``finding'' states in no 
uncertain terms that the civilian workforce has reduced the 
Department's capabilities, a statement that is maliciously inaccurate. 
Civilian personnel provide a cost-effective workforce and contribute 
unique capabilities to our national security at home and abroad, 
particularly in key areas such as intelligence and cyber operations.
  For these reasons I am strongly opposed, as is the Department of 
Defense, to the inclusion of the reporting requirement and hope to work 
with my colleagues in conference to address this biased and 
unnecessarily punitive amendment.

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