[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 20280-20290]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 5010, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS 
                               ACT, 2003

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 
579, I call up the conference report on the bill (H.R. 5010) making 
appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2003, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate 
consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 579, the 
conference report is considered as having been read.
  (For conference report and statement, see proceedings of the House of 
October 9, 2002).
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) 
and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) each will control 30 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis).
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  (Mr. LEWIS of California asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks, and include extraneous material.)
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, Members will be very pleased to 
hear that I prepared a half-hour address regarding this measure, but I 
gave those remarks this morning.
  Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record a document relating to the 2002 
and 2003 Defense appropriations.

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  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1600

  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we have done the best that we can do with the amount of 
money that was appropriated to us.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, this Member rises in strong support for 
the conference report on H.R. 5010, the Defense appropriations bill for 
FY2003. This Member would like to offer particular thanks to the 
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Department of Defense Appropriations, 
the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), and the 
Ranking Minority Member on the Subcommittee on Department of Defense 
Appropriations, the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Murtha) for their work on this important bill.
  Furthermore, this Member is very appreciative that the Committee has 
approved the appropriations of $3.5 million for a bioprocessing 
facility at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). These funds will 
be used for the third phase of the project to establish and validate a 
current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) processing facility with 
the capability to make vaccines as therapeutic countermeasures against 
biological warfare agents. Tow cGMP pilot plants, one dedicated to 
yeast/bacterial culture and the other dedicated to mammalian cell 
culture will be built within the new Chemical Engineering building on 
the UNL campus. The funds will be used to build and equip the 
laboratories.
  This will be a commercial-grade facility, giving UNL the capability, 
if requested by the Department of Defense (DoD), to make vaccines 
against biological warfare agents and products that can be used as 
therapeutic countermeasures to treat people who have been exposed to 
biological agents. Currently, UNL is doing this on a smaller scale and, 
therefore, is well suited to pursue this expansion. This new facility 
certainly will enhance our nation's ability to respond to biological 
warfare.
  This Member sincerely thanks the Committee on Appropriations for 
including $1.375 million in fiscal year 2003 for the Air National 
Guard's Project ALERT. Currently, Project ALERT serves as an on-line 
training tool developed and used by the Nebraska National Guard in 
collaboration with the Department of Defense, the National Guard 
Bureau, the University of Nebraska, and Nebraska Educational 
Television. The $1.375 million appropriated in the conference report 
will assist with the development of the new courses and the 
modification of existing courses.
  Indeed, the implications of Project ALERT extend nationwide and to 
components of both the active and reserve military forces. Allowing 
military forces to complete some training courses on their own time, as 
Project ALERT does, provides an opportunity to cut on-site training 
costs and time and to maximize exercise time. For the U.S. military to 
meet the challenges it will face during the current war on terrorism 
and throughout the 21st Century, it is crucial that Congress invest in 
innovative and flexible training tools such as Project ALERT.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, this Member urges his colleagues to vote in 
support of the conference report for H.R. 5010.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, earlier today the House voted to 
authorize the President to unilaterally use force against Iraq. It's 
appropriate that we immediately follow the Iraq debate with the largest 
Department of Defense appropriations bill ever put before Congress. I 
did not support the Iraq resolution and I do not support spending $1 
billion per day on a variety of wasteful programs, many of which do not 
improve the security of our nation.
  The bill spends $355.1 billion; $35 billion more than the current 
level. The conference report is $395 million more than what we passed 
in the House in June. Unfortunately, $7.4 billion of this conference 
report is for a misguided missile defense system, which will do nothing 
to protect us against terrorists like Osama bin Laden. At this critical 
time in our nation's struggle against terrorism, we must spend our 
resources on America's immediate defense needs. Missile defense is not 
among them.
  In addition, this bill supports a controversial plan to lease as many 
as 100 Boeing 767 aircraft for the Pentagon. Leasing, rather than 
buying the aircraft will cost taxpayers more money in the long term. 
There are some aspects of this bill that I find encouraging. The bill 
provides no funds for the outmoded Crusader mobile howitzer, a weapons 
system designed for a war from an age long past. Providing an 
additional $368 million for work on a lighter and more flexible weapons 
system is more appropriate.
  The bottom line is that we are spending almost a billion dollars a 
day on programs that do not do all they should to protect our country 
from threats to its national security.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, for our nation to have a strong defense 
capability, we need to make certain that critical manufacturing 
capacity and skills are maintained. Some of the most vital are tool and 
die, mold making and precision machining. They represent the first step 
in manufacturing. These companies are family owned businesses located 
in every state of the union. They are characterized by highly skilled 
employees that provide the economic bedrock of our defense industrial 
base.
  Many of America's small businesses that offer this capability to our 
defense infrastructure are closing their doors due to economic 
difficulties caused by the current economic recession facing our 
manufacturing industry. The National Tooling and Machining Association 
has stated that over 400 companies have closed since January of this 
year. We often find that prime contractors are subcontracting with 
foreign firms rather than American businesses. If steps are not taken 
now to assess and correct the situation, America may find itself 
without these critical capabilities and skills. As was learned in the 
West Coast dock work stoppage, some parts that are required by the U.S. 
military were unavailable. This situation highlights an important 
decision we must make. If we do not take steps immediately, our country 
will lose the capability to produce the parts that are needed to 
protect our country.
  I appreciate the commitments I have received from the distinguished 
chairman and ranking member to work with us to secure within 60 days 
from the Department of Defense a report regarding what steps can be 
taken to increase procurement, development of contracts, and 
subcontracts, with these vital American small businesses.
  Mr. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule that will allow 
for consideration of H.R. 5010, the defense appropriations bill for 
fiscal year 2003. The tragic events of just over a year ago, have 
thrust our Nation's military into the spotlight and called to duty the 
brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces. Once again, U.S. citizens 
are rallying behind them in strong support of the harrowing mission 
they have been called upon to do; and today the United States Congress 
has a duty to pass this important legislation that will help provide 
the necessary resources for these brave men and women to do their job.
  This legislation first and foremost takes care of our most vital 
asset in the military, our people. It provides every servicemember with 
a 4.1 percent pay raise. The legislation gives our military personnel 
the necessary resources to do their job. It fully funds budgeted 
increases in steaming, flying, and training hours and resources needed 
for increases for spare parts and real property maintenance. For the 
soldiers and airmen in my district at Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force 
Base, the ability to adequately care for their families and train for 
the mission for which they are called are the two issues which are 
second to none. I believe this legislation builds upon our work from 
last year, continuing to reverse the decline of military readiness by 
funding key operations, maintenance, and training accounts. This 
financial support devoted to our national security is long in coming. 
We must adequately provide the men and women from Fort Bragg and Pope 
Air Force Base and all of our military personnel who are currently 
prosecuting the war on terrorism adequate and necessary resources to do 
their job.
  I would like to specifically mention that this bill provides some 
funding for some key capabilities for our U.S. Special Forces, many of 
whom make their home in my district at Ft. Bragg, NC. While they, 
alongside members from all our Armed Forces, serve in Afghanistan and 
all over the world today, we show our support by providing the funding 
necessary to effectively and safely do their job. The $355.1 billion we 
are voting on today will help do that. It is targeted at two of the 
most critical areas crucial to maintaining a quality of life and 
readiness. Furthermore, this legislation funds important projects in 
research and development, such as the optoelectronics program just 
getting underway in my district at the University of North Carolina at 
Charlotte.
  Mr. Speaker, it is gross injustice and misfortune that it took the 
tragedy in September to focus the public eye on the need for a more 
robust defense budget; but I feel the legislation in front of us takes 
that step, and the rule provides for its consideration. I urge Members 
to vote strongly in favor of the rule and the final legislation.
  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this Conference 
Report, which provides $355.1 billion in new discretionary spending 
authority to the Department of Defense, a very necessary increase of 
$37.5 billion over Fiscal Year 2002 spending levels. As our Nation 
confronts the security challenges facing us, we must ensure that 
adequate and secure funding

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is provided for our armed forces to confront these challenges swiftly 
and effectively. I am pleased that this legislation provides not only 
the material resources to continue our vigilant efforts in the war on 
terrorism, but also provides the necessary funding towards an improved 
quality of life for our men and women in uniform.
  Mr. Speaker, I do continue to have concerns about the implications of 
passing this legislation ahead of other appropriations bills, and the 
possibility that funding for other necessary appropriations bills may 
be marginalized. At a time when our Nation's economy is weak and our 
citizens have paid the price, Congress must refrain from politics in 
the appropriations of the government's limited funds. I am pleased that 
this Conference Report reflects that which our Nation's security 
demands: a large increase in foreign intelligence spending, increased 
funding for the strategic mobility or armed forces need to deploy 
swiftly in forward engagements, and increased funding to confront the 
threat of unconventional nuclear, biological, and chemical threats. I 
believe this legislation provides the appropriate and responsible 
increases in Department of Defense funding that will assist our armed 
forces in confronting the unanticipated demands in the global fight 
against terror.
  I am pleased that this conference report includes funding for three 
initiatives which I have long supported to protect the lives of the 
people of this Nation. Of particular interest is the funding of $11 
million for the Texas Training and Technology for Trauma and Terrorism 
(T5) program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at 
Houston (UTHSC). The T5 program is a continuation of the successful 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Medical Services (DREAMS) program at 
UTHSC. The goal of the T5 project is to identify the best ways of 
protecting Houston, or any other city, from the morbidity, mortality 
and cost of terrorism and other disasters. The project will consist of 
several components including creating digital emergency medical 
services to patients who are linked by mobile wireless video, 
establishing a Center for Disaster Preparedness at the University of 
Texas School of Public Health, developing hand-held software called 
Responder to enable first responders to have at their fingertips 
critical information including the local fire department, State, local, 
and Federal authorities, and establishing a high-security building at 
the University of Texas Research Park for isolation, decontamination, 
and triage center for public health and bioterrorism threats.
  The second project will provide $9 million for the Biology, 
Education, Screening, Chemoprevention and Treatment (BESCT) lung cancer 
research program at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center 
at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas. This is the fourth 
installment in my five-year effort to expand medical research on lung 
cancer. Lung cancer claims the lives of more than 160,000 each year and 
is devastating to the families who are affected by this disease. For 
many lung cancer patients, there are not adequate treatments to cure 
the disease. The five-year survival rate for lung cancer is less than 
15 percent. This $9 million in research will build upon the $15 million 
that Congress has already provided to the UT M.D. Anderson Cancer 
Center will have the funds necessary to help save lies and reduce 
health care costs.
  The third project will provide $750,000 for a joint chiropractic 
health initiative between the 147th Fighter Squadron at Ellington Field 
and Texas Chiropractic College in Pasadena, Texas. This funding will 
allow Moody Clinic at Texas Chiropractic College to provide the men and 
women of the 147th Fighter Squadron with new diagnostic imaging assets 
and other tools that will enhance the chiropractic, pain management, 
and related health services available to them. This funding will be 
matched by private sector donations and will help active duty personnel 
to obtain chiropractic care in accordance with current law. Many active 
duty personnel will for the first time have access to chiropractic 
services which have been shown to be cost effective and helpful to 
improve productivity of personnel.
  I urge my colleagues to support this conference report to ensure that 
we provide adequate Federal funding to defend our Nation and to ensure 
that our Nation's armed forces received the necessary benefits which 
they deserve.
  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Thornberry). Without objection, the 
previous question is ordered on the conference report.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the conference report.
  Pursuant to clause 10 of rule XX, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 409, 
nays 14, not voting 8, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 457]

                               YEAS--409

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Aderholt
     Akin
     Allen
     Andrews
     Armey
     Baca
     Bachus
     Baird
     Baker
     Baldwin
     Ballenger
     Barcia
     Barr
     Barrett
     Bartlett
     Barton
     Bass
     Becerra
     Bentsen
     Bereuter
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Biggert
     Bilirakis
     Bishop
     Blagojevich
     Blunt
     Boehlert
     Boehner
     Bonilla
     Bono
     Boozman
     Borski
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boyd
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Brown (FL)
     Brown (OH)
     Brown (SC)
     Bryant
     Burr
     Burton
     Buyer
     Callahan
     Calvert
     Camp
     Cannon
     Cantor
     Capito
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardin
     Carson (IN)
     Carson (OK)
     Castle
     Chabot
     Chambliss
     Clay
     Clayton
     Clement
     Clyburn
     Coble
     Collins
     Combest
     Condit
     Conyers
     Costello
     Cox
     Cramer
     Crane
     Crenshaw
     Crowley
     Cubin
     Culberson
     Cummings
     Cunningham
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (FL)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis, Jo Ann
     Davis, Tom
     Deal
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     DeLay
     DeMint
     Deutsch
     Diaz-Balart
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Dooley
     Doolittle
     Doyle
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Edwards
     Ehlers
     Ehrlich
     Emerson
     Engel
     English
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Evans
     Everett
     Farr
     Fattah
     Ferguson
     Flake
     Fletcher
     Foley
     Forbes
     Ford
     Fossella
     Frelinghuysen
     Frost
     Gallegly
     Ganske
     Gekas
     Gephardt
     Gibbons
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gilman
     Gonzalez
     Goode
     Goodlatte
     Gordon
     Goss
     Graham
     Granger
     Graves
     Green (TX)
     Green (WI)
     Greenwood
     Grucci
     Gutierrez
     Gutknecht
     Hall (TX)
     Hansen
     Harman
     Hart
     Hastings (FL)
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Hayworth
     Hefley
     Herger
     Hill
     Hilleary
     Hilliard
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hobson
     Hoeffel
     Hoekstra
     Holden
     Holt
     Honda
     Hooley
     Horn
     Hostettler
     Houghton
     Hoyer
     Hulshof
     Hunter
     Hyde
     Inslee
     Isakson
     Israel
     Issa
     Istook
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     Jenkins
     John
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson (IL)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones (NC)
     Jones (OH)
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Keller
     Kelly
     Kennedy (MN)
     Kennedy (RI)
     Kerns
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kind (WI)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kirk
     Kleczka
     Knollenberg
     Kolbe
     LaFalce
     LaHood
     Lampson
     Langevin
     Lantos
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Leach
     Levin
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Linder
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Lofgren
     Lowey
     Lucas (KY)
     Lucas (OK)
     Luther
     Lynch
     Maloney (CT)
     Maloney (NY)
     Manzullo
     Markey
     Mascara
     Matheson
     Matsui
     McCarthy (MO)
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCollum
     McCrery
     McGovern
     McHugh
     McInnis
     McIntyre
     McKeon
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Menendez
     Mica
     Millender-McDonald
     Miller, Dan
     Miller, Gary
     Miller, George
     Miller, Jeff
     Mollohan
     Moore
     Moran (KS)
     Moran (VA)
     Morella
     Murtha
     Myrick
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Nethercutt
     Ney
     Northup
     Norwood
     Nussle
     Obey
     Olver
     Osborne
     Ose
     Otter
     Owens
     Oxley
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Pelosi
     Pence
     Peterson (MN)
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Phelps
     Pickering
     Pitts
     Platts
     Pombo
     Pomeroy
     Portman
     Price (NC)
     Pryce (OH)
     Putnam
     Quinn
     Radanovich
     Rahall
     Ramstad
     Rangel
     Regula
     Rehberg
     Reyes
     Reynolds
     Riley
     Rivers
     Rodriguez
     Roemer
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Ross
     Rothman
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Rush
     Ryan (WI)
     Ryun (KS)
     Sabo
     Sanchez
     Sanders
     Sandlin
     Sawyer
     Saxton
     Schaffer
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schrock
     Scott
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Shadegg
     Shaw
     Shays
     Sherman
     Sherwood
     Shimkus
     Shows
     Shuster
     Simmons
     Simpson
     Skeen
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (MI)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Solis
     Souder
     Spratt
     Stark
     Stearns
     Stenholm
     Strickland
     Stupak
     Sullivan
     Sununu
     Sweeney
     Tancredo
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Tauzin
     Taylor (MS)
     Taylor (NC)
     Terry
     Thomas
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thornberry
     Thune
     Thurman
     Tiahrt
     Tiberi
     Tierney
     Toomey
     Towns
     Turner
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Upton
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Vitter
     Walden
     Walsh
     Wamp
     Watkins (OK)
     Watson (CA)
     Watts (OK)

[[Page 20290]]


     Waxman
     Weiner
     Weldon (FL)
     Weldon (PA)
     Weller
     Wexler
     Whitfield
     Wicker
     Wilson (NM)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wolf
     Wu
     Wynn
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

                                NAYS--14

     Blumenauer
     Filner
     Frank
     Jackson (IL)
     Kucinich
     Lee
     Lewis (GA)
     McDermott
     Oberstar
     Paul
     Payne
     Waters
     Watt (NC)
     Woolsey

                             NOT VOTING--8

     Baldacci
     Bonior
     Cooksey
     Coyne
     McKinney
     Ortiz
     Roukema
     Stump

                              {time}  1625

  Mr. KUCINICH changed his vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
  So the conference report was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to recommit was laid on the table.

                          ____________________