[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15314]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



    WAIVING POINTS OF ORDER AGAINST CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4576, 
             DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2001

  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 554 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 554

       Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be 
     in order to consider the conference report to accompany the 
     bill (H.R. 4576) making appropriations for the Department of 
     Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, and 
     for other purposes. All points of order against the 
     conference report and against its consideration are waived. 
     The conference report shall be considered as read.

  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 Texas (Mr. Frost), pending 
which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration 
of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.
  Yesterday, the Committee on Rules met and granted a normal conference 
report rule for H.R. 4576, the Fiscal Year 2001 Department of Defense 
Appropriations Act. The rule waives all points of order against the 
conference report and against its consideration. The rule also provides 
that the conference report shall be considered as read.
  Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 554 is a noncontroversial rule for a strong 
bipartisan bill. In fact, the Committee on Appropriations approved this 
bill in late May by voice vote and without an amendment.
  I have always admired the patriotism and dedication of our military 
personnel, especially given the poor quality of military life for our 
enlisted men and women. But today, we are doing something to improve 
military pay, housing and benefits.
  Mr. Speaker, we are helping to take some of our enlisted men off food 
stamps by giving them a 3.7 percent pay raise and we are boosting their 
enlistment and re-enlistment bonuses. To follow through on our health 
care promises to our servicemen and women, we are increasing funding 
for the Department of Defense Health Program by $963 million this year. 
A good portion of these funds will go to improving care for our 
military retirees who have never been given the treatment that they 
deserve.
  At the same time, we are increasing the basic allowance for housing 
so that our military families do not have to pay as much out of their 
own pockets. Along with personnel, we have to take care of our military 
readiness. We live in a dangerous world and Congress is working to 
protect our friends and families back home from our enemies abroad.
  We are providing for our national missile defense system so that we 
can stop a warhead from places like China or North Korea, if that day 
ever comes; and we are boosting the military's budget for weapons and 
ammunition. We are providing $41 billion for research and development 
so that our forces will have top of the line equipment to do their job.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule and to support 
the underlying bill because now, more than ever, we must improve our 
national security.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and the conference report 
to accompany fiscal year 2001 Department of Defense Appropriations. 
This important appropriations bill provides the funding for the 
security and defense of the United States and ensures that our military 
strength remain second to none. This conference agreement will provide 
$288 billion for the programs of the Defense Department, and includes a 
3.7 percent pay raise for our military personnel, an increase of nearly 
$1 billion over fiscal year 2000 for military health care.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill and deserves the support of this 
House. This rule is the standard rule for the consideration of 
conference reports in the House, and it waives all points of order 
against the consideration of the conference report. This rule is 
noncontroversial, and I urge Members to support it.
  I also urge Members to support this conference report. The pay raise 
provided to our Armed Forces is of great importance, especially for 
younger military members with families, and for those mid-career 
personnel who are considering abandoning the military for the civilian 
world. The bill also addresses an important need for those who have 
served and are now retired by funding the Expanded Pharmacy Access 
Program that was part of the National Defense Authorization Act.
  These are important benefits for active duty and retired personnel, 
and I urge Members to support them.
  I am particularly pleased that the conference agreement contains $3.9 
billion for overseas contingency operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, and 
southwest Asia. While many Members may disagree with these operations, 
it would be irresponsible for the Congress to withhold the funds 
necessary to maintain them, unless and until the Congress decides to 
end them in an orderly fashion. The conference report also provides 
$1.1 billion for the acquisition of 16 V-22 tiltrotor aircraft and $122 
million for the acquisition of four F-16s. These are important 
procurements for the Marine Corps and the Air Force.
  In addition, the conference report fully funds the F-22 Raptor jet 
fighter program with $2.1 billion for 10 aircraft, $396 million for 
advanced procurement, and $1.4 billion for research and development. 
Fully funding this stage of the procurement of this important addition 
to our Nation's arsenal is key to ensuring our continued air 
superiority well into this new century.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a very good conference agreement, and I urge 
Members to support it.
  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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