[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 25296-25297]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR DEFENSE AND FOR THE 
              RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, 2004

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                               speech of

                          HON. JOHN P. MURTHA

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 17, 2003

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3289) making 
     emergency supplemental appropriations for defense and for the 
     reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 2004, and for other purposes:

  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, I want to respond to the concerns shared by 
the gentle lady from Michigan, Ms. Kilpatrick, and assure her that we 
do share her concerns. We

[[Page 25297]]

agree that the AAFES and the other exchanges should be reimbursed for 
extraordinary costs serving in forward deployed areas. As the 
gentlelady knows, the Exchange Service is a nonappropriated fund 
activity. But there have been times when Congress has had to 
appropriate funds to help the exchange services with extraordinary 
costs for supporting our troops in immediate combat areas. This is one 
of those times. We agree that we need to do more to help the Exchange 
Services so our troops can have access to items we consider basic 
necessities here at home. We think we can take a look at this issue 
when we begin serious negotiations on an Onmibus Appropriations bill.

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