[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15697-15698]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2465, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2000

  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 242 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 242

       Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this 
     resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule 
     XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the 
     Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of 
     the bill (H.R. 2465) making appropriations for military 
     construction, family housing, and base realignment and 
     closure for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 2000, and for other purposes. The first 
     reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. General debate 
     shall be confined to the bill, and shall not exceed one hour 
     equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking 
     minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. After 
     general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment 
     under the five-minute rule. Points of order against 
     provisions in the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of 
     rule XXI are waived. During consideration of the bill for 
     amendment, the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may 
     accord priority in recognition on the basis of whether the 
     Member offering an amendment has caused it to be printed in 
     the portion of the Congressional Record designated for that 
     purpose in clause 8 of rule XVIII. Amendments so printed 
     shall be considered as read. The Chairman of the Committee of 
     the Whole may: (1) postpone until a time during further 
     consideration in the Committee of the Whole a request for a 
     recorded vote on any amendment; and (2) reduce to five 
     minutes the minimum time for electronic voting on any 
     postponed question that follows another electronic vote 
     without intervening business, provided that the minimum time 
     for electronic voting on the first in any series of questions 
     shall be 15 minutes. At the conclusion of consideration of 
     the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report 
     the bill to the House with such amendments as may have been 
     adopted. The previous question shall be considered as ordered 
     on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without 
     intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or 
     without instructions.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. 
Myrick) is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the 
customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall) pending 
which I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, during 
consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose 
of debate only.
  Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Committee on Rules met and granted an open 
rule for H.R. 2465, the Fiscal Year 2000 Military Construction 
Appropriations Act. The rule provides for 1 hour of general debate 
equally divided between the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the 
Committee on Appropriations.
  The rule waives clause 2 of House rule XXI, prohibiting unauthorized 
or legislative provisions in a general appropriations bill, against 
provisions in the bill.
  The rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority and recognition to 
Members who have preprinted their amendments in the Congressional 
Record. The rule allows the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to 
postpone votes during consideration of the bill and to reduce votes to 
5 minutes on a postponed question if the vote follows a 15-minute vote.
  Finally, the rule provides for one motion to recommit, with or 
without instructions.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States' military is clearly the best in the 
world. The young men and women in our Army, Navy, Air Force, and 
Marines are thoroughly dedicated and patriotic professionals, the best 
our Nation has to offer.
  So how do we reward them? We pay them with wages so low that many 
military families are forced to eat with food stamps, and we lodge them 
in substandard World War II era housing.
  These, among other reasons, are why we are losing good men and women 
who stop serving their country because the hardships on their families 
are so great. This is inexcusable, and Congress has been working hard 
to do something about it. This year we have passed a 4.8 percent 
military pay raise, and with this bill we will improve military 
housing.
  H.R. 2465 provides $747 million for new housing construction and $2.8 
billion for the operation and improvement of existing housing. The bill 
also provides $964 million for barracks and medical facilities for 
troops and their families.
  Finally, because of an increase in two-income and single-parent 
families, the bill provides $21 million for child development centers.
  Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 242 is an open rule for a good, noncontroversial 
bill. In addition to taking care of our military personnel, this bill 
is good for the environment. It includes $69 million for environmental 
compliance programs.
  I urge my colleagues to support this rule and to support the 
underlying legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina 
(Mrs. Myrick) for yielding me the time.
  Mr. Speaker, this is an open rule. It will allow for consideration of 
H.R.

[[Page 15698]]

2465, which is a bill that makes appropriations for military 
construction worldwide.
  As my colleague from North Carolina has explained, this rule will 
provide for debate to be controlled and directed and divided by the 
Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on 
Appropriations. Under this rule, germane amendments will be allowed 
under the 5-minute rule, which is the normal amending process in the 
House.
  All Members on both sides of the aisle will have the opportunity to 
offer amendments. This bill funds a range of construction projects on 
military bases, including barracks, housing for military families, 
hospitals, training facilities, and other buildings that support the 
missions of our armed services. The bill also funds activities 
necessary to carry out the last two rounds of base closings and 
realignments.
  Modern facilities are necessary to maintain our national defense. New 
buildings can increase efficiency and improve morale. The money spent 
in this bill is a long-term investment in our defense capabilities.
  The bill contains $39 billion for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 
which is partially in my district and partially in the 7th District 
that is held by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson), my colleague, the 
chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Construction.
  Two of the Wright-Patterson projects funded in the bill are much-
needed laboratories that will develop new technology for the weapons 
systems of the 21st century. The work in these buildings will continue 
a long tradition of military aviation research in the Miami Valley, 
Ohio, going back to the days of the Wright brothers.
  I commend the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson), the chairman of the 
subcommittee, and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Olver), the 
ranking minority member, for their work in crafting the bill and 
bringing it to the floor.
  The bill was approved by the Committee on Appropriations on a voice 
vote. It has support on both sides of the aisle. It is an open rule. It 
was adopted by a voice vote of the Committee on Rules.
  I support the rule and the bill and urge its adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman 
from Florida (Mr. Goss), the distinguished chairman of the Permanent 
Select Committee on Intelligence.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina 
for yielding me the time.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to rise in very strong support of this open rule, 
yet another open rule, from the Committee on Rules under the leadership 
of the gentleman from California (Chairman Dreier).
  While the Military Construction Appropriations Bill is obviously one 
of the least controversial bills this House takes up every year in 
appropriations, it is critically important for our men and women in 
uniform and their families.
  Quality-of-life issues are always important for every American, but 
for these people in the military, these quality-of-life issues have 
become even more problematical in recent years because the Clinton 
administration has asked our troops to do much more with much less. In 
some cases, our troops and their families are simply not being properly 
provided for. This is no secret, but it is a shame, and it is time we 
did something about it.
  I was, therefore, disappointed with the Clinton/Gore administration 
budget request for military construction. It is yet another example of 
the neglect of our Armed Forces under this administration at the same 
time the administration misuses those forces to bail out their 
misguided policies.

                              {time}  1115

  I am pleased that the bill before us corrects several shortcomings in 
the administration's request. For example, it provides $1.6 billion 
more than the administration's request for military construction and a 
half billion more than the administration's request for family housing. 
That is, the spouses and children. I want to commend the Committee on 
Appropriations for its work and encourage my colleagues to support this 
rule, another fair, open rule and a good appropriations bill.
  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I 
move the previous question on the resolution.
  The previous question was ordered.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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