[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 20290-20291]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


    WAIVING POINTS OF ORDER AGAINST CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 5011, 
             MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2003

  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 578 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 578

       Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be 
     in order to consider the conference report to accompany the 
     bill (H.R. 5011) making appropriations for military 
     construction, family housing, and base realignment and 
     closure for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 2003, 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 (Mr. Thornberry). The gentlewoman from North 
Carolina (Mrs. Myrick) is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, for the purposes of debate only, I yield 
the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. 
McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. 
During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the 
purposes of debate only.
  Mr. Speaker, the rule waives all points of order against the 
conference report to accompany H.R. 5011, Military Construction 
Appropriations Act of Fiscal Year 2003, and against its consideration. 
The rule provides that the conference report shall be considered as 
read.
  Mr. Speaker, I find this bill very timely and of the utmost 
importance since this morning the House voted to authorize the use of 
the United States Armed Forces against Iraq. We are asking a lot of our 
military today. Our military personnel on active duty know that they 
may very well be deployed overseas and perhaps on dangerous missions. 
So we want to provide them a quality of life for themselves and for 
their families that will allow them to serve, knowing that their 
families will be taken care of in good housing and with good health 
care.

                              {time}  1630

  H.R. 5011 recognizes the dedication and commitment of our troops by 
providing for their most basic needs, improved military facilities, 
including housing and medical facilities.
  Mr. Speaker, we must honor the most basic commitments we have made to 
the men and women of our Armed Forces. We must ensure reasonable 
quality of life to recruit and retain the best and the brightest to 
America's fighting forces. Most importantly, we must do all in our 
power to ensure a strong, able, dedicated American military so that 
this Nation may stay ever vigilant, ever prepared.
  H.R. 5011 provides nearly $1.2 billion for barracks and $151 million 
for hospital and medical facilities for troops and their families. It 
also provides $2.87 billion to operate and maintain existing housing 
units and $1.34 billion for new housing units.
  Military families also have a tremendous need for quality child care, 
as do other people in the country, especially single parents and 
families in which one or both parents may face lengthy deployments. To 
help meet this need, the bill provides $18 million for child 
development centers.
  Mr. Speaker, earlier today we passed the resolution to authorize the 
President to use military force against Iraq, if necessary, so now it 
is time for Congress to keep its promise to our Armed Forces. To that 
end, I urge my colleagues to support this rule and to support the 
conference report.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to thank my friend for yielding me the customary 30 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, we have before us a fair rule for the consideration of 
the Military Construction Appropriations Conference Report for Fiscal 
Year 2003. The rule provides for one hour of general debate, and waives 
all points of order against consideration of the bill. I urge my 
colleagues to vote for the rule.
  I would like to express my appreciation for the work of the gentleman 
from Ohio (Chairman Hobson) and the ranking member, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Olver) of the Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
along with Committee on Appropriations chairman, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Young) and the ranking member, the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), for continuing the tradition of strong bipartisan 
support in the drafting of the military construction appropriations 
bill.
  While there were some difficulties in negotiating this usually 
noncontroversial bill, both Chambers were able to resolve the 
differences and we now have a compromise conference report.
  This is a very difficult year for the Committee on Appropriations; 
and I commend the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Hobson) and the ranking 
member, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Olver), for bringing to 
this House a very fine bill, given the limited amount of funds 
allocated for military construction needs.
  This conference report provides $400 million more than the bill this 
body approved on June 27; and, although this funding level is better 
than the original bill, the total funding for these important military 
construction programs is still less than fiscal year 2002 levels. 
Frankly, Mr. Speaker, this bill is woefully inadequate; and the men and 
women who serve in our Armed Forces deserve much better.
  However, this final product is an improvement over the original House 
bill; and I urge the adoption of this rule and the conference report.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish I could stand here and say that with the adoption 
of this bill our appropriation work is done. Far from it. The simple 
fact of the matter is that the leadership of this House has failed to 
do its job. Out of 13 appropriations bills, this House is going to skip 
town having completed work on exactly two, two for 13. That is a 
batting average of .154, which does not even cut it in Little League. 
It is terrible, it is outrageous, and the American people should know 
that this Congress did not meet its responsibilities.
  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me say I 
rise to support this rule and previously rose by way of my vote to 
support the defense appropriations and the rule. I

[[Page 20291]]

thank the Chair Mr. Hobson and ranking member Mr. Olver for their good 
work.
  However, it is interesting that we would discuss this particular rule 
in the shadow of our recent vote dealing with the question of the 
decision of whether or not this Nation should go to war. I do believe 
that it is important for those of us who support our United States 
military to ensure better housing conditions and better pay and improve 
their quality of life issues, should make it very clear--we are 
concerned about a strong military.
  Just recently, I was able to travel to Guantanamo Bay. I have seen 
the work that we do to enhance the living conditions of our troops, and 
I do want to thank the committee whose responsibility it is to do that.
  Likewise, having recently returned from Afghanistan, I saw the 
frontline troops doing their job. That is why I think it is very 
important that, as we leave this body, that we realize that those of us 
who had a differing opinion on the question of going to war realize the 
sacred responsibility that we had and realize that, as the President is 
the Commander-in-Chief, that we who might have opposition stand with 
the people of the United States to ensure our security, but, at the 
same time, reflect upon the importance of the Constitution that says 
only Congress can declare war.
  We stand ready to fight terrorism, but I think it is very important 
for the American people to be wise and aware that we can find a way to 
resolve these matters with our frontline troops being strong and ready 
by continuing diplomacy first and working with the United Nations 
Security Council and not giving the authority of first strike to the 
Commander-in-Chief without the authorization under the Constitution 
that we have to declare war.
  This is an important admonition. It is not stepping away from our 
responsibilities. It is not fear, for I look fear in the eye, and I 
will stand against it. It is not a fear of fighting terrorism, for I 
look terrorism in the eye and will fight against it. But it is a 
recognition of my sacred duty and responsibility to declare my standing 
with saving the lives of young men and women who offer themselves to 
fight for our freedom and justice in the United States military.
  We will go off to our respective districts and each of us will have 
cast a vote of conscience. I believe that each of us should be 
respected as patriots and Americans, realizing that we have made a 
decision on the facts at hand. But it cannot be denied that the 
Constitution was written by our Founding Fathers for us not to be 
silent. It was written to be the underpinnings of democracy. So that as 
we look to give guidance to this Nation, we can be thankful for those 
who serve us in the United States military, but, as well, Mr. Speaker, 
as I close, we can say thank you, but, as well, we can stand for saving 
the lives of the young men and women in the military because it is a 
question of life and death--that's why it is our duty as Members of 
Congress to make decisions of war on fact and constitutional grounds.
  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to its gentlewoman 
from Ohio (Mrs. Jones).
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this 
legislation. Thanks to my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Hobson), I have had an opportunity in the time that I have been in the 
U.S. Congress to visit a number of military bases; and I have been 
totally impressed with the people that I have had an opportunity to 
meet. It is so very, very important, having met them, that they have 
sufficient housing to live at least the kind of life that many of us 
are able to have in our own homes across this country.
  I was surprised when I went to a couple of bases when I saw the 
schools. I saw schools that looked like many other schools that existed 
in the 1960s when I was in school. The kids were still going to school 
in the trailer houses that, unfortunately, have become permanent 
schoolhouses for many of these young people. I think it is important 
that, as we move forward, we assure the young people across this 
country that we are going to be supportive of them in all that they do.
  I have a number of friends who have children who are now of age and 
are serving in military operations across this world, and I want to be 
able to assure my friends and their grandparents, who are the friends 
of my mother and father, that the young people we send out on our 
behalf are well taken care of. So I rise in support of this 
legislation, having seen some of the things we have been able to do.
  If I get too far along, I may be talking out of school, but we are 
moving from one-plus-one or two-plus-two or whatever the living 
arrangements for the military are right now.
  I want to congratulate the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Olver), 
who I also had a chance to visit some of these facilities with, and my 
good friend the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson), on the great work 
they have done.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would just close by again congratulating the gentleman 
from Ohio (Chairman Hobson) and the ranking member, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Olver), for their great work on this bill.
  I would again urge the leadership of this House to move out of the 
way and let the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) and the ranking 
member, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), do what so many of us 
want them to do and what the people of this country want them to do, 
and that is finish the appropriations bills.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 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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