[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 17]
[House]
[Pages 23616-23617]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 SUPPORT OUR TROOPS: $1,500 BONUS BILL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 7, 2003, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak) is recognized 
during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, this week the other body takes up the 
President's request for $87 billion in supplemental aid for Iraq and 
Afghanistan. The supplemental appropriation should do more to support 
our troops who have been deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
Specifically, to support our troops and their families who are under 
increasing duress, Congress should grant a $1,500 bonus to all those 
who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not since Vietnam have such a large 
number of troops received such long deployments. This puts tremendous 
pressure on our troops and their families.
  This summer, the Department of Defense upped deployments for troops 
serving under Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom to 
one year, and not until last week did the Department of Defense offer 
these troops, largely living under very primitive, highly stressful 
conditions, a 2-week leave.
  Tragically, this month, our U.S. casualties in Iraq surpassed the 
number of those killed in the first Gulf War, Desert Storm. We have 
lost more than 308 people in Iraq.
  Recognizing the increasing gravity of U.S. military involvement 
along, my legislation, H.R. 3051, qualifies all active duty military 
personnel deployed for any length of time under Operation Iraqi Freedom 
or Operation Enduring Freedom for a $1,500 bonus. This bonus should be 
made part of the supplemental appropriations for Iraq.
  Although as Members of Congress we may have different ideas about 
U.S. policy in Iraq, we can all agree that our servicemen and women 
deserve our sincere commendation for their courageous efforts. $1,500 
will not only help boost morale but will send a strong bipartisan 
message to our troops that Congress is unified behind them.
  The present administration wants to talk about its proposed $21 
billion in direct grants to support infrastructure development in Iraq. 
In this $87 billion supplemental appropriation, there is another part, 
$66 billion for military operations. I see no reason why these two 
parts, the $21 billion and the $61 billion, cannot be separated out and 
why we cannot require the use of Iraqi oil to be used as collateral for 
international loans to at least pay for the $21 billion for the 
infrastructure improvements in Iraq and ensure the reconstruction 
contracts are competitively bid to all companies internationally.
  We should also consider using Iraqi oil reserves to pay down Iraq's 
$200 billion international debt. Either way, American citizens should 
not be expected to support Iraqi development, while many Americans here 
at home face shortfalls in funding for health care needs, prescription 
drugs, school construction and critical infrastructure needs we find 
throughout this country.
  Congress must continue to work to restore Iraq to a stable and self-
governing state but not at the expense of the American people here at 
home and our troops abroad.
  I also question several items contained in the administration's 
supplemental appropriation for Iraq, like $4 million to develop a set 
of telephone numbers, $100 million to build seven planned communities 
with 3,258 houses, $10 million to finance 100 prison building experts, 
$50,000 for garbage trucks. How about $850 million for health 
construction and medical equipment, $20 million for Afghanistan 
consultants, whatever they are, and $900 million to import petroleum 
products such as kerosene and diesel to a country with the world's 
second largest oil reserves?
  Some of these requests do not make sense. Instead of again dipping 
into the

[[Page 23617]]

pockets of working Americans and risking veteran benefits for our 
troops when they return home, I support proposals to suspend the tax 
cuts for the top 1 percent of income earners to pay for the President's 
$87 billion request for Iraq; and I urge Congress to consider my bill, 
H.R. 3051, to include support for our troops in this supplemental 
package on Iraq.
  Again, my bill provides for a $1,500 bonus to military personnel who 
served under the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, 
National Guard or Reserves in a combat zone under Operation Iraqi 
Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom.
  In the coming year, in this coming year, an estimated 150,000 young 
men and women will not see their families. A record number of 
Reservists and Guardsmen and women will put their private sector 
opportunities and employment on hold, and thousands of children every 
night will say a prayer for their parent's safe return. These 
extraordinary times deserve extraordinary measures. I urge Members to 
support my bill, H.R. 3051, to provide our troops in Iraq and 
Afghanistan a $1,500 bonus, a bonus they certainly deserve, and make 
this part of the supplemental appropriation bill.

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