[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 13107-13115]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would like to offer a personal 
explanation of the reason I missed rollcall Nos. 367 through 374 on May 
17, 2007. I was down in my district attending the funeral of Staff Sgt. 
Timothy P. Padgett.
  If present, I would have voted: rollcall vote No. 367, Tierney 
Amendment on Defense Authorization to reduce the $8.1 billion specified 
for Missile Defense Agency activities by $1.084 billion from specified 
programs, ``no''; rollcall vote No. 368, Franks Amendment on Defense 
Authorization to increase by $764 million the amount authorized for 
ballistic missile defense, ``aye''; rollcall vote No. 369, King 
Amendment on Defense Authorization to clarify that neither the bill nor 
any other provision of law shall prevent the U.S. government from 
establishing temporary military installations or bases by entering into 
a basing rights agreement with the government of Iraq, ``aye''; 
rollcall vote No. 370, Moran Amendment on Defense Authorization to 
require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report that contains a 
plan for the transfer of every enemy combatant at Naval Station, 
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, ``no''; rollcall vote No. 371, Holt Amendment on 
Defense Authorization to require the videotaping of interrogations and 
other pertinent interactions between military personnel and/or 
contractors and detainees, ``no''.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 1585, the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. The provisions 
of this bill are critical to our national security and to improving the 
readiness for our fighting men and women who serve our country so ably. 
I commend Chairman Ike Skelton, Ranking Member Duncan Hunter, and my 
colleagues on the Committee on Armed Services for their leadership and 
work on writing this important legislation. The work of the committee 
ensures that this Congress will make a meaningful and positive impact 
on our Armed Forces.
  Many members of the United States armed services, including scores of 
servicemembers from Guam, are at duty stations in the United States, at 
sea, or are deployed to combat zones and elsewhere around the world 
today. I have had the unique opportunity, since I was elected to 
Congress in 2002 and sworn into office in 2003, to travel to many of 
the combat zones and visit with our servicemembers there. I remain 
impressed by the professionalism of the members of the United States 
armed services. I am inspired by their continued, steadfast commitment 
to their achieving their missions. And I am heartened by their daily, 
unquestioned acts of bravery performed in defense of the American way 
of life, despite the hostile intentions and aggressive actions of 
persistent and deadly enemies.
  The responsibilities and obligations of members of the United States 
armed services are significant and honorable, but not without great 
risk. The tenth soldier from Guam to be killed in action during 
operations support of the war on terror will soon be laid to rest by 
his family, friends, and a grateful country. I, like all of my 
colleagues, am deeply saddened when we learn that the life of one of 
our country's finest young men and women has been ended as a result of 
their service to our country. Such a loss is grave to the United States 
and to the United States armed services. But there is no doubt their 
passing is a more grievous loss to their family, friends, and 
communities who knew and loved them as individuals. All of us should 
try to find comfort in the thought that our service men and women serve 
so that others might someday know the joys of liberty and justice. And 
for that, we should all be proud and thankful.
  We have the opportunity today to act and renew our commitment to our 
servicemembers. Supporting this legislation

[[Page 13108]]

will help provide for our military heroes and their families. There are 
few who deserve our support and gratitude more than these individuals 
and their spouses and children. At home and abroad, they serve and 
represent our country and government in a manner that is both honorable 
and admirable.
  This legislation in particular addresses many critical issues that 
face Guam, our community and the existing and planned military 
facilities for our island. Included in this bill are authorizations for 
a total of over $300 million of military construction projects on Guam 
for fiscal year 2008. This amount represents a significant increase 
above the amount of military construction funding that was authorized 
and appropriated for Guam for fiscal year 2007. I welcome this 
significant increase in investment in Guam. These increases improve the 
facilities and capabilities of the military bases on Guam. But they 
also help Guam's business community to begin to build the capacity that 
it will need in order to successfully compete for, and complete the 
scopes of work of, the tremendous amount of military construction 
planned to support the rebasing of United States Marines from Okinawa, 
Japan, to Guam.
  The bill before us today includes approvals for full funding of 
several key infrastructure projects at Naval Base Guam. Among them is 
an authorization for $59.4 million to improve the base's electrical 
system security; for $57.2 million for Naval family housing; for $51.8 
million to expand wharf capacity at Kilo Wharf in Apra Harbor; for 
$42.5 million for a new fitness center on base; for $40.8 million to 
repair and upgrade the base's wastewater treatment plant; and for $31.4 
million to build Phase I of a potable water distribution system on 
base. This legislation would also provide authorizations to fund needed 
projects at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam. The authorizations are for 
$15.8 million for two projects at Northwest Field to support the 607th 
Training Flight ``Commando Warrior'' unit that will soon relocate from 
Osan Air Base, Korea, to Guam.
  In addition to military construction projects, H.R. 1585 addresses 
quality of life issues for military retirees and military dependents on 
Guam. The Department of Defense has been unresponsive to the needs of 
retirees on Guam who are reliant on the TRICARE system. Military 
retirees who live on Guam who are referred off island for specialty 
care are forced to travel to those locations at their own expense. 
These trips to access referred specialty care in Hawaii or California 
cost in the thousands of dollars. The Department of Defense used to 
cover this significant expense. But in 2005 it suddenly changed its 
policy and practice and discontinued reimbursements to retirees for the 
travel expenses they incur as a result of such referrals. I raised this 
matter repeatedly during committee hearings since 2005. I have written 
to Department officials regarding this issue, and discussed it with 
them during meetings. The committee included report language on this 
matter in the report that accompanied H.R. 1815, the National Defense 
Authorization Act for fiscal year 2005. Unfortunately, the Department 
has taken no action to provide relief to Guam's retirees.
  I understand that this is a challenging issue. But Guam's retirees 
deserve to be treated better and deserve resolution brought to this 
matter. This is why I requested that H.R. 1585 include a provision that 
would authorize retirees requiring specialty care at off-island medical 
facilities to receive space-available category 4 level seating 
priority. Additionally, I have requested that the Department of Defense 
be required to submit to the committee a report that would identify the 
administrative actions needed to be executed in order to provide relief 
to the affected TRICARE beneficiaries residing in the territories of 
the United States. I most sincerely hope that the Department takes a 
very close look at its current policies and provides the committee with 
a thoughtful, innovative, and actionable plan to resolve this matter. I 
remain committed to working with the Department toward this end.
  The report accompanying H.R. 1585 includes language that directs the 
Department of Defense to conduct a study on the treatment of general 
and flag officers, and other servicemembers who are called out of 
retirement to serve their country. It has come to my attention that 
there are numerous instances where officers left active duty or reserve 
status only to return and were not allowed to retire at the highest 
grade attained. In an era where our Reserve components are operational 
forces, we can ill afford losing any servicemembers who have the 
institutional knowledge and expertise that is critical to maintaining a 
ready and operational force. Moreover, we must ensure that our Reserve 
component members are treated equitably and fairly. I am committed to 
ensuring that the affected servicemembers receive a fair and equitable 
solution to this issue and that they be able to retire with the 
benefits they have earned. I commit that I will work closely with the 
Department to ensure that we come to a fair solution to this matter.
  Finally, I was honored to co-sponsor the National Guard Empowerment 
Act under the leadership of Mr. Taylor of Mississippi, Mr. Davis of 
Virginia, and Mr. Hayes of North Carolina. I am pleased that a 
substantial portion this legislation has been incorporated into H.R. 
1595. After comprehensive studies undertaken by various research 
institutions and by the Commission on the National Guard and Reserve we 
finally have legislation that addresses the concerns brought forward in 
these studies. We will finally give the National Guard a seat at the 
table. As Lieutenant Governor, I know firsthand, how brave, valiant, 
and essential the National Guard is to the safety and security of our 
country. Elevating the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to a four-
star general allows the Bureau to overcome certain cultural dynamics 
within the Department of Defense. The provisions making the National 
Guard Bureau a joint activity and the requirement to have the Chief of 
the National Guard Bureau help identify Department of Defense civil 
support requirements are even more essential. If we are to give the 
National Guard a seat at the table, then we must ensure that the root 
problems are rectified. Nothing can be more important than ensuring 
that we have a ready force to respond to natural disasters and 
terrorist attacks. Where other departments and agencies have failed in 
previous years, I am confident that the National Guard will develop a 
solid lay down of requirements so that we, as a country, are truly 
ready to respond to emergencies. I also believe, consistent with my 
other initiatives, that the Department should give very serious 
consideration to allowing State Adjutants Generals joint credit for 
their service to the State. The National Guard is truly a joint force 
and the work of their general officers should be recognized as such.
  I support this bill Mr. Chairman. There are quality provisions in it 
that will benefit the bases on Guam. The quality of life experienced by 
military personnel who are stationed there and their families who 
accompany them will be improved as a result of passage of this bill. 
The provisions of this bill moreover will help us better serve retirees 
who have served us so nobly in their careers. Indeed, this bill will 
make notable contributions to the security of the United States and to 
defending our country's interests around the world. But I want to take 
this opportunity to note my concern regarding a couple of matters 
contained in or related to the provisions of this bill.
  The Committee has authorized the funding for the Kilo Wharf project 
at Naval Base Guam, but has directed a phased approach to executing 
this project. The administration opposes this approach. I share these 
concerns. I am particularly concerned that the funding for this project 
will receive further cuts as this bill proceeds through the legislative 
process. I encourage the Department of the Navy to redouble its efforts 
to ensure that this project can proceed according to plan and to engage 
with me in dialogue regarding potential barriers to success for it. The 
Kilo Wharf project is critical to increasing wharf capacity at Naval 
Base Guam. Guam offers the United States Armed Forces a strategic 
location to counter threats posed by the People's Republic of China, 
North Korea, and al Qaeda affiliated terrorist forces in Southeast 
Asia. Further funding reductions for the Kilo Wharf project will 
negatively impact the ability of our commander to re-fit and re-supply 
vessels operating in, and to respond to contingencies, in the region.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this 
bill.
  I applaud Chairman Skelton for his leadership in guiding this bill to 
the floor today. He and Ranking Member Hunter have done a tremendous 
job, and they have been ably supported by the expert staff of our 
committee.
  I'm grateful to Chairman Skelton for working with me to include 
things important for Colorado, including limits on how the Army can 
pursue possible expansion of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site in 
Colorado. I agree with Senator Salazar and others in the Colorado 
delegation that any expansion, if it takes place at all, must be 
conducted in a way that it is a win-win situation for the Army and for 
Colorado and that any expansion plan should not involve condemnation of 
private land. My proposal will shine a necessary caution light before 
the Army charges forward, and force the Army to do what it has so far 
failed to do--that is, to make a compelling case for why the proposed 
expansion is necessary to meet the training needs of our soldiers in 
the 21st century.
  Other provisions I offered in the bill include--funding for a new 
squadron operations facility for the Colorado Air National Guard; 
promoting agreement between the Air Force

[[Page 13109]]

and the city of Pueblo about flight operations at the Pueblo airport; 
urging the Defense Department to use on-site disposal of chemical 
weapons stockpiled at the Pueblo Chemical Depot; asking the Army to 
track pilots who train at the High-Altitude Aviation Training School in 
Eagle, Colorado; and reporting on opportunities for leveraging Defense 
Department funds with States' funds to prevent disruption in the event 
of electric grid or pipeline failures and encouraging the Defense 
Department to leverage Energy Savings Performance Contracts with Energy 
Conservation Investment Program funds to provide additional opportunity 
for renewable energy projects; and naming a housing facility at Fort 
Carson in honor of our former colleague Joel Hefley.
  I am also pleased that the committee adopted two of my amendments, 
including one to repeal a provision adopted last year that makes it 
easier for the president to federalize the National Guard for domestic 
law enforcement purposes during emergencies. By repealing this, my 
amendment restores the role of the Governors with regard to this 
subject. My other amendment will continue the office of the Ombudsman 
that assists people claiming benefits under the Energy Employees 
Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) and expands its 
authority.
   Mr. Chairman, this bill rightly focuses on our military's readiness 
needs. After 5 years at war, both the active duty and reserve forces 
are stretched to their limits. The bill will provide what's needed to 
respond, including a substantial Strategic Readiness Fund, adding funds 
for National Guard equipment and training, and establishing a Defense 
Readiness Production Board to mobilize the industrial base to address 
equipment shortfalls.
  It also provides important funds for the Base Realignment and Closure 
process, including $62 million to assist communities expected to absorb 
large numbers of personnel as a result of the BRAC decision. This 
funding is especially important to Colorado, given that Fort Carson in 
Colorado Springs will add 10,000 soldiers and will be home to 25,000 
troops by 2009.
  The bill provides substantial resources to improve protection of our 
troops, including additional funds for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected 
Vehicles, body armor, and up-armored Humvees for our troops in the 
field. The bill enlarges the Army and Marine Corps, consistent with the 
Tauscher-Udall Army expansion bill in the last Congress. And it will 
provide for a 3.5 percent across-the-board pay raise for service 
members, boost funding for the Defense Health Program, and prohibit 
increasing TRICARE and pharmacy user fee increases.
  The bill incorporates provisions from the Wounded Warrior Assistance 
Act, which recently passed the House and was driven by the revelations 
of mistreatment and mismanagement at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 
These provisions establish new requirements to provide the people, 
training, and oversight needed to ensure high-quality care and 
efficient administrative processing at Walter Reed and throughout the 
active duty military services. The bill also establishes a Military 
Mental Health Initiative to coordinate all mental health research and 
development within the Defense Department, and establishes a Traumatic 
Brain Injury Initiative to allow emerging technologies and treatments 
to compete for funding.
  Given the increased use of the National Guard and Reserves in recent 
years, the bill gives important new authorities to the National Guard 
to fulfill its expanded role, including authorizing a fourth star for 
the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, making the National Guard 
Bureau a joint activity of the Department of Defense, and creating a 
bipartisan Council of Governors to advise the President on how best to 
use the National Guard for civil support missions. The bill also 
requires the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to consider how to 
incorporate more National Guard and Reserve personnel into positions at 
Northern Command, based in Colorado.
  I'm pleased that the bill fully supports the goals of the Department 
of Energy nonproliferation programs and the Department of Defense 
Cooperative Threat Reduction program, consistent with the 9/11 
Commission recommendations. The bill also slows development of a 
Reliable Replacement Warhead and the construction of a new plutonium 
production facility, and establishes a bipartisan commission to 
evaluate U.S. strategic posture for the future, including the role that 
nuclear weapons should play in our national security strategy.
  I also want to mention funding for missile defense in the bill. The 
bill increases missile defense funding for systems that address current 
needs and vulnerabilities, while reducing funding for less mature and 
higher risk systems. The cuts in missile defense programs in the bill 
have been cause for concern among some on the other side of the aisle. 
But the bill funds 93 cents of every dollar of the President's missile 
defense request, so the cuts are far from extreme. It fully funds the 
budget request for the Patriot PAC-3 missile, the Ground Based Missile 
Defense System, and THAAD development and deployment, and adds funding 
for Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense. But it makes reductions to the 
Airborne Laser program and funding for the 3rd BMD Site which the 
Administration has proposed building in Eastern Europe.
  Importantly, the bill provides for an independent study to examine 
the political, technical, operational, force structure, and budgetary 
aspects of the proposed European missile defense deployment; an 
independent study to examine the future roles and missions of the 
Missile Defense Agency; a two year extension of the requirement for GAO 
to annually assess the missile defense program; and assurance that the 
Director of Operational Test and Evaluation has access to all MDA 
operational test evaluation information.
  In my view, the bill strikes the right balance with regard to missile 
defense. I did not support the amendment by Representative Franks to 
increase missile defense funds because I believe the Committee takes a 
better approach in its bill. Likewise, I did not support the amendment 
offered by Representative Tierney to decrease missile defense funds 
because I thought it went too far in the other direction. There are 
emerging and real, near-term threats facing the Nation, the warfighter, 
and our allies that we need to be able to counter, so I think it would 
be irresponsible to terminate the longer-term missile defense as 
Representative Tierney's amendment proposed to do.
  Finally but no less importantly, the bill requires the Secretary of 
Defense to submit a detailed report on the implementation of the Joint 
Campaign Plan for Iraq, on national reconciliation efforts on the part 
of the Iraqi government, and on metrics to measure American efforts in 
Iraq, based on assessments by GEN David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to 
Iraq Ryan Crocker. The bill also requires the Secretary to produce a 
report outlining the direction of U.S. activities in Afghanistan along 
with indicators of progress, and the bill establishes a Special 
Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.
   Mr. Chairman, the bill we are considering today does an excellent 
job of balancing the need to sustain our current warfighting abilities 
with the need to prepare for the next threat to our national security. 
It is critical that we are able to meet the operational demands of 
today even as we continue to prepare our men and women in uniform to be 
the best trained and equipped force in the world.
  This is a good bill, a carefully drafted and bipartisan bill, and I 
urge its passage.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, this year's Defense Authorization 
presented us with a great opportunity to bring the focus of the 
American military back in line with American values. Unfortunately, 
that opportunity was missed. This bill does little to correct the 
President's misplaced priorities of missile defense, indefinite 
detainment of prisoners, pre-emptive war, and weapons for wars we are 
not fighting today.
  Last year the House passed the Military Commissions Act which 
attempted to add legitimacy to the improper actions of the Bush 
administration to ignore habeas corpus rights for prisoners at 
Guantanamo Bay. By not adhering to the strictest standards when putting 
suspected terrorists on trial, we run the risk of punishing innocent 
people who could simply have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. 
It is now widely known that hundreds of inmates at Guantanamo Bay may 
in fact have had nothing to do with terrorism. Sadly this bill does 
nothing to change the status quo of wrongdoing.
  It perplexes me that while we are fighting an urban war against 
improvised explosive devices, snipers, and suicide bombers in Baghdad, 
we continue to spend precious resources on weapons that are unproven or 
designed for an obsolete Cold War. We had an opportunity today to push 
the Department of Defense to review these weapons and report back to 
Congress on their viability and value, but unfortunately the amendment 
failed. I also voted for an amendment to ensure that the power to 
declare war solely resided with Congress, as our forefathers intended, 
and not with the Executive Branch. This amendment also failed. This 
administration has repeatedly shown that it will make bad judgment and 
has repeatedly crossed the line of its constitutional powers. I am 
deeply concerned that the House is unprepared to rein in the 
President's stance of pre-emptive war with Iran and it is my hope that 
we will not regret this decision in the future.

[[Page 13110]]

  Finally, I planned to offer an amendment that would have simply 
required the Department of Defense to create a database of incidents 
involving unexploded ordnance. I am disappointed that it was not made 
in order, and that we were not able to deal with that critical issue 
today.
  With so little progress made in this year's authorization, I am 
forced to vote against this bill. I will continue to work for the 
changes that the American people and our men and women in the military 
deserve.
  Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, the principal role of our Federal 
Government is to help keep America safe.
  As such, we in Congress must make our national defense a top budget 
priority.
  This means we must pledge our steadfast support to American troops 
serving both at home and abroad, and we must renew our unwavering 
commitment to homeland security, in recognition of the dangerous world 
in which we live.
  H.R. 1585, the National Defense Authorization Act, makes a genuine 
effort to achieve each of these goals. That's why I will vote for it, 
and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
  In 1945, at the end of World War II, the defense budget of the United 
States represented 34.5 percent of our Gross Domestic Product. By 1968, 
that number had shrunk to 9.8 percent. Today, the number is less than 
half of that: about 4.3 percent.
  Certainly, the overall dollars spent on defense have increased as our 
economy has grown, but it is clear that our priorities have shifted. 
This bill, while not perfect, commits to funding our defense budget in 
a way that many of us would have thought impossible just a few months 
ago, given the nature of the debate at that time. Some would argue that 
the tenor of the debate on national defense has shifted from talk of 
cutting off funds for our troops in battle to this bipartisan bill.
  Some of the bipartisan provisions contained in this defense funding 
blueprint include: Continued support for our troops in harm's way, 
serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom and 
elsewhere. $4.1 billion for state-of-the-art Mine-Resistant Ambush 
Protected (MRAP) vehicles to help protect our soldiers from IEDs. 
Increased Army and Marine Corps active duty end strength, as well as a 
3.5 percent pay raise for all members of the armed forces in 2008, and 
guaranteed pay raises in 2009, 2010, and 2011. $1 billion in new 
funding for National Guard equipment to benefit both our homeland 
security and national defense missions.
  These are great and welcome achievements for our national defense--
achievements that each of us can be proud to support. But make no 
mistake: this bill is far from perfect. The measure contains some 
critical funding cuts that, in my opinion, will hurt our ability to 
protect our homeland and our national defense interests from missile 
attacks.
  The Democratic bill guts funding for a ballistic missile defense 
system capable of intercepting missiles in each phase of flight. This 
type of program can help protect against growing threats in a changing 
world. Though I was pleased we Republicans were able to restore some of 
the funding for this important program through the amendment process, I 
am disappointed that cuts still exist. But in terms of helping achieve 
our most critical role--keeping America safe--this bill has, and 
deserves, bipartisan support.
  Again, Mr. Chairman, though there are some aspects of this 
legislation that I clearly oppose, it is an important step in the 
direction of making national defense and homeland security a continued 
priority of this Congress.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Chairman, I rise in stong support of this 
bill.
  I applaud Chairman Skelton for his leadership in guiding this bill to 
the floor today. He and Ranking Member Hunter have done a tremendous 
job, and they have been ably supported by the expert staff of our 
committee.
  I'm grateful to Chairman Skelton for working with me to include 
things important for Colorado, including limits on how the Army can 
pursue possible expansion of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site in 
Colorado. I agree with Senator Salazar and others in the Colorado 
delegation that any expansion, if it takes place at all, must be 
conducted in a way that it is a win-win situation for the Army and for 
Colorado and that any expansion plan should not involve condemnation of 
private land. My proposal will shine a necessary caution light before 
the Army charges forward, and force the Army to do what it has so far 
failed to do--that is, to make a compelling case for why the proposed 
expansion is necessary to meet the training needs of our soldiers in 
the 21st Century.
  Other provisions I offered in the bill include: Funding for a new 
squadron operations facility for the Colorado Air National Guard; 
promoting agreement between the Air Force and the city of Pueblo about 
flight operations at the Pueblo airport; urging the Defense Department 
to use on-site disposal of chemical weapons stockpiled at the Pueblo 
Chemical Depot; asking the Army to track pilots who train at the High-
Altitude Aviation Training School in Eagle, Colorado; reporting on 
opportunities for leveraging Defense Department funds with States' 
funds to prevent disruption in the event of electric grid or pipeline 
failures and encouraging the Defense Department to leverage Energy 
Savings Performance Contracts with Energy Conservation Investment 
Program funds to provide additional opportunity for renewable energy 
projects; and naming a housing facility at Fort Carson in honor of our 
former colleague Joel Hefley.
  I am also pleased that the Committee adopted two of my amendments, 
including one to repeal a provision adopted last year that makes it 
easier for the president to federalize the National Guard for domestic 
law enforcement purposes during emergencies. By repealing this, my 
amendment restores the role of the Governors with regard to this 
subject. My other amendment will continue the office of the Ombudsman 
that assists people claiming benefits under the Energy Employees 
Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) and expands its 
authority.
  Mr. Chairman, this bill rightly focuses on our military's readiness 
needs.
  After 5 years at war, both the active duty and reserve forces are 
stretched to their limits. The bill will provide what's needed to 
respond, including a substantial Strategic Readiness Fund, adding funds 
for National Guard equipment and training, and establishing a Defense 
Readiness Production Board to mobilize the industrial base to address 
equipment shortfalls.
  It also provides important funds for the Base Realignment and Closure 
process, including $62 million to assist communities expected to absorb 
large numbers of personnel as a result of the BRAC decision. This 
funding is especially important to Colorado, given that Fort Carson in 
Colorado Springs will add 10,000 soldiers and will be home to 25,000 
troops by 2009.
  The bill provides substantial resources to improve protection of our 
troops, including additional funds for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected 
Vehicles, body armor, and up-armored Humvees for our troops in the 
field. The bill enlarges the Army and Marine Corps, consistent with the 
Tauscher-Udall Army expansion bill in the last Congress. And it will 
provide for a 3.5 percent across-the-board pay raise for service 
members, boost funding for the Defense Health Program, and prohibit 
increasing TRICARE and pharmacy user fee increases.
  The bill incorporates provisions from the Wounded Warrior Assistance 
Act, which recently passed the House and was driven by the revelations 
of mistreatment and mismanagement at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 
These provisions establish new requirements to provide the people, 
training, and oversight needed to ensure high-quality care and 
efficient administrative processing at Walter Reed and throughout the 
active duty military services. The bill also establishes a Military 
Mental Health Initiative to coordinate all mental health research and 
development within the Defense Department, and establishes a Traumatic 
Brain Injury Initiative to allow emerging technologies and treatments 
to compete for funding.
  Given the increased use of the National Guard and Reserves in recent 
years, the bill gives important new authorities to the National Guard 
to fulfill its expanded role, including authorizing a fourth star for 
the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, making the National Guard 
Bureau a joint activity of the Department of Defense, and creating a 
bipartisan Council of Governors to advise the president on how best to 
use the National Guard for civil support missions. The bill also 
requires the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to consider how to 
incorporate more National Guard and Reserve personnel into positions at 
Northern Command, based in Colorado.
  I'm pleased that the bill fully supports the goals of the Department 
of Energy nonproliferation programs and the Department of Defense 
Cooperative Threat Reduction program, consistent with the 9-11 
Commission recommendations. The bill also slows development of a 
Reliable Replacement Warhead and the construction of a new plutonium 
production facility, and establishes a bipartisan commission to 
evaluate U.S. strategic posture for the future, including the role that 
nuclear weapons should play in our national security strategy.
  I also want to mention funding for missile defense in the bill. The 
bill increases missile defense funding for systems that address current 
needs and vulnerabilities, while reducing funding for less mature and 
higher risk systems. The cuts in missile defense programs in

[[Page 13111]]

the bill have been cause for concern among some on the other side of 
the aisle. But the bill funds 93 cents of every dollar of the 
president's missile defense request, so the cuts are far from extreme. 
It fully funds the budget request for the Patriot PAC-3 missile, the 
Ground Based Missile Defense System, and THAAD development and 
deployment, and adds funding for Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense. But 
it makes reductions to the Airborne Laser program and funding for the 
3rd BMD Site which the Administration has proposed building in Eastern 
Europe.
  Importantly, the bill provides for an independent study to examine 
the political, technical, operational, force structure, and budgetary 
aspects of the proposed European missile defense deployment; an 
independent study to examine the future roles and missions of the 
Missile Defense Agency; a 2 year extension of the requirement for GAO 
to annually assess the missile defense program; and assurance that the 
Director of Operational Test and Evaluation has access to all MDA 
operational test evaluation information.
  In my view, the bill strikes the right balance with regard to missile 
defense. I did not support the amendment by Rep. Franks (R-AZ) to 
increase missile defense funds because I believe the Committee takes a 
better approach in its bill. Likewise, I did not support the amendment 
offered by Rep. Tierney (D-MA) to decrease missile defense funds 
because I thought it went too far in the other direction. There are 
emerging and real, near-term threats facing the Nation, the warfighter, 
and our allies that we need to be able to counter, so I think it would 
be irresponsible to terminate the longer-term missile defense programs, 
as Rep. Tierney's amendment proposed to do.
  Finally but no less importantly, the bill requires the Secretary of 
Defense to submit a detailed report on the implementation of the Joint 
Campaign Plan for Iraq, on national reconciliation efforts on the part 
of the Iraqi government, and on metrics to measure American efforts in 
Iraq, based on assessments by Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador 
to Iraq Ryan Crocker. The bill also requires the Secretary to produce a 
report outlining the direction of U.S. activities in Afghanistan along 
with indicators of progress, and the bill establishes a Special 
Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.
  Mr. Chairman, the bill we are considering today does an excellent job 
of balancing the need to sustain our current warfighting abilities with 
the need to prepare for the next threat to our national security. It is 
critical that we are able to meet the operational demands of today even 
as we continue to prepare our men and women in uniform to be the best 
trained and equipped force in the world.
  This is a good bill, a carefully drafted and bipartisan bill, and I 
urge its passage.
  Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to share my 
concerns with Section 703 of the FY 2008 Defense Authorization Bill, 
H.R. 1585. This provision would allow the Secretary to exclude 
prescription drugs that our soldiers and their families rely on to 
treat diabetes, asthma, cholesterol and hypertension from the TRICARE 
uniform formulary. This provision would create a fundamental change in 
the TRICARE pharmacy benefit program. Currently our military personnel 
have access to all drugs, even non-formulary drugs, but with a 
substantially higher co-pay. This provision could exclude altogether 
access to important lifesaving treatments and medicines.
  This provision is indirectly a price control. It places a ceiling on 
prices that can be negotiated. The GAO and CBO previously have said 
that when price controls are expanded, it could have the effect of 
raising prices for other programs. The provision could have the 
unintended consequence of affecting the prices paid by the Veterans 
Administration, which could impact veterans' access to medicine. Price 
controls are also harmful to innovation, which could impede the 
discoveries of cures and treatments for the illnesses suffered by our 
soldiers, veterans and their families.
  I urge my colleagues to strike this provision in conference to ensure 
that our soldiers and their families have access to the treatments that 
will allow them to continue to live healthy and productive lives.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The question is on the committee amendment in 
the nature of a substitute, as amended.
  The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, as amended, 
was agreed to.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Under the rule, the Committee rises.
  Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. 
Weiner) having assumed the chair, Mr. Pastor, Acting Chairman of the 
Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that 
that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1585) to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, to prescribe military personnel strengths 
for fiscal year 2008, and for other purposes, pursuant to House 
Resolution 403, he reported the bill back to the House with an 
amendment adopted by the Committee of the Whole.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the rule, the previous question is 
ordered.
  Is a separate vote demanded on any amendment to the amendment 
reported from the Committee of the Whole? If not, the question is on 
the amendment.
  The amendment was agreed to.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the engrossment and third 
reading of the bill.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was 
read the third time.


                Motion to Recommit Offered by Mr. Hunter

  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to recommit.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentleman opposed to the bill?
  Mr. HUNTER. Yes.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to 
recommit.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Mr. Hunter moves to recommit the bill H.R. 1585 to the 
     Committee on Armed Services with instructions to report the 
     same back to the House forthwith with the following 
     amendment:
       Title II, subtitle C, add at the end the following:

     SEC. 2__. EXPAND UNITED STATES BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE 
                   SYSTEM INTEGRATION WITH ISRAEL.

       (a) Requirement.--The Secretary of Defense shall expand the 
     ballistic missile defense system of the United States to 
     better integrate with the defenses of Israel to provide 
     robust, layered protection against ballistic missile attack.
       (b) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Defense, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of State, shall submit to the 
     appropriate congressional committees a progress report on the 
     status of integrating the ballistic missile defense system of 
     the United States with the defenses of Israel including the 
     status of implementation of those programs identified in 
     subsection (c). This report may be provided in classified 
     form as necessary to protect U.S. national security 
     interests.
       (2) Content.--The report submitted under this subsection 
     shall include the following:
       (A) A description of the capabilities needed to fully 
     integrate the ballistic missile defense system of the United 
     States with the ballistic missile defense system of Israel.
       (B) A description of systems and capabilities currently 
     providing ballistic missile defense of Israel and the United 
     States, an assessment of the sufficiency of current 
     capabilities; and identification of the Department's actions 
     for addressing any insufficiencies, if required.
       (C) A description of the policy, doctrine, operational 
     concepts, tactics, techniques and procedures, exercises, and 
     training that currently support the integrated ballistic 
     missile defense of Israel and the United States, an 
     assessment of the sufficiency of current policy, programs, 
     and processes; and identification of the Department's actions 
     for addressing any insufficiencies, if required.
       (3) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``appropriate 
     congressional committees'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Armed 
     Services, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
     of Representatives; and
       (B) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Armed 
     Services, and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
     Senate.
       (c) Increase.--The amount in section 201(4), research, 
     development, test, and evaluation, Defense-wide, is hereby 
     increased by $205,000,000, of which--
       (1) $25,000,000 is to be available to complete accelerated 
     co-production of Arrow missiles and continue integration with 
     the ballistic missile defense system of the United States;
       (2) $45,000,000 is to be available to continue system 
     development of the Missile Defense Agency and Israel Missile 
     Defense Organization joint program to develop a short-range 
     ballistic missile defense capability, David's Sling weapon 
     system, and integrate the weapon system with the ballistic 
     missile defense system and force protection efforts of the 
     United States; and
       (3) $135,000,000 is to be made available to begin 
     acquisition of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) 
     fire unit, which would provide Israel with a follow-on 
     missile defense system of greater performance than

[[Page 13112]]

     the current Arrow system and provide a capability which is 
     already fully integrated with the ballistic missile defense 
     system of the United States.
       (d) Offset.--The amounts in title I and title II are hereby 
     reduced by an aggregate of $205,000,000, to be derived from 
     amounts other than amounts for ballistic missile defense, as 
     determined by the Secretary of Defense.

  Mr. HUNTER (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that the motion to recommit be considered as read and printed in the 
Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  Mr. WICKER. I object, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Objection is heard.
  The Clerk will continue.
  The Clerk continued to read.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California is recognized 
for 5 minutes in support of his motion.
  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, this is a good Defense bill, and I want to 
compliment my great friend the gentleman from Missouri for his 
leadership in helping to put together this bill that passed the 
committee unanimously, came to the floor, and we can expect a big vote, 
I think, of support from the Members of this body. We are about to make 
this bill better.
  In 1987 this committee, the Armed Services Committee, sent a letter 
to the leadership in Israel, and we told them that there were lots of 
things that they could defend against very effectively, that if 
tactical aircraft were sent into Israel in an attack they would shoot 
down all of them, and they have proven that, but that if ballistic 
missiles were launched for Tel Aviv, every single one of them would 
impact because they had no defenses. And we urged them to join with the 
United States in developing a system of missile defense. And upon our 
urging, they started what is known as the Arrow missile program. It has 
come a long way. It has been deployed.
  And that prophetic letter that we sent them in 1987, of course, was 
followed by real missile attacks on Israel. They didn't quite have that 
system up at that time. We rushed PATRIOTs over. They now have the 
Arrow missile defense system up. But in the most recent attacks we have 
seen short-range missiles that also impacted in Israel.
  This motion to recommit is $200 million that is dedicated to 
integrating our missile defense systems with those of Israel, using the 
great innovation of Americans along with their great innovative 
capabilities, to defend against this new era of terrorists with high 
technology.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield at this time such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk), who has been a leader in putting 
this motion to recommit together.
  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  If you could vote against a second genocide against the Jewish 
people, would you? If you could defend America's best ally in the 
Middle East from an attack by Iran, would you? If you could stand with 
the people of Israel and tell them that their children could feel safer 
in the new and dangerous 21st century, would you?
  History teaches us that dictators say what they will do and then do 
what they say. The Iranian leader has indicated that one Holocaust 
against the Jewish people is not enough. Last April he said that Israel 
was headed towards annihilation.
  This week the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency 
Director General announced that Iran has fully mastered uranium 
enrichment technology and Iran's military test fired a missile that can 
now harm the people of Israel.
  This amendment restores funding for the missile defense of our 
country and says that the defenses of our country should be fully 
integrated with the missile defense of Israel. This motion to recommit 
stands for the principle that democracies are best when they stand 
together; as our Founding Fathers said, when we face the threat from a 
tyrant that we will either hang separately or hang together.
  Unless this motion to recommit carries, we will fail to put the full 
missile defenses of the American people against the full threat facing 
the people of Israel. But if this motion carries, then those who would 
seek to harm the people of Israel would know that they face the full 
weight of the great democracy across the sea who is standing behind the 
safety and security of our best ally in the Middle East, the State of 
Israel.
  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.
  And let me just remind all my colleagues that the day will come when 
missiles from other countries, adversarial countries, will not fall 
harmlessly into the Sea of Japan. They will not fall harmlessly into 
desert sands. We will have a time when we have to defend against 
incoming ballistic missiles in this country and across the borders of 
our allies, including Israel.
  Do what is right for the United States, and what we do today in 
providing missile defense will protect the next generation of 
Americans. Vote ``yes'' on this motion to recommit.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time 
in opposition though I am not opposed to the motion to recommit.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Missouri is recognized 
for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SKELTON. I am somewhat disturbed, Mr. Speaker, procedurally on 
something this important not being shown to anyone on this side until 
moments ago and it takes a speed reader to go over the amendment and 
digest it.
  We are going to accept this amendment. In truth, in fact, the 
committee, the Armed Services Committee, fully funded, and I will say 
it again, fully funded the administration's request for Israeli missile 
defenses. The committee strongly supports efforts to work with Israel 
on missile defense. This has been true for years. The bill fully funds 
the President's request of $73.5 million for the Arrow missile defense 
system. It fully funds the President's request of $7 million for the 
joint U.S.-Israeli ``David's Sling'' short-range ballistic missile.

                              {time}  1215

  The committee also supports Israel's effort to obtain information on 
the THAAD system, which is being held up by the Pentagon.
  It's interesting to point out that Representative Terry Everett and I 
wrote a letter on March 12 of this year to the Secretary of Defense 
asking that he work to release the THAAD information to Israel.
  Mr. Speaker, at this moment, I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from 
California, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces (Mrs. 
Tauscher).
  Mrs. TAUSCHER. I thank the chairman.
  Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues are rushing to clap and pat themselves 
on the back, I just want to make very clear; this is not new, this is 
just more, and that is why we're happy to accept it.
  If you look at the report language on page 242, we make it very clear 
that our cooperative relationship with Israel is not only significant, 
but primary, and that our efforts to invest with them over these many 
years on programs like David's Sling and Arrow are significant and are 
fully funded at the President's request in this bill.
  What we don't have, however, which perhaps you could help with, is 
the cooperation of the Department of Defense to share critical 
information with Israel on THAAD.
  So I think, frankly, that this is of more of a ``me too'' than it is 
anything else. We are happy to accept it. But I think if you check the 
language on 242, you will see that this committee has done all that 
needs to be done, going along with the President to fully fund these 
programs, but we could use some help with the administration and the 
Pentagon to get them to work cooperatively on THAAD.
  Mr. SKELTON. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews).
  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I associate myself with the remarks of the

[[Page 13113]]

chairwoman of the committee, and I will support the amendment.
  I just am curious as to why, in a process of bipartisan negotiation, 
the amendment wasn't raised before now; why in a 14-hour markup it 
wasn't raised before now; why in a rule that made dozens of amendments 
in order it wasn't raised until now. The chairman of the committee saw 
the amendment 5 minutes before it was issued. It says a lot about the 
devotion of the minority to this cause.
  Mr. HUNTER. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. SKELTON. I yield, Mr. Speaker, 30 seconds to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Berman).
  Mr. BERMAN. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I just want to get one sense of anger off my chest.
  I have great respect for the gentleman from Illinois, but to talk 
about the Holocaust, to talk about Ahmadinejad, to talk about the 
historic deep commitment of this Congress and this country to the 
survival and the security of the State of Israel in the context of an 
unshown, unshared motion to recommit on a very sensitive issue 
partisanizes and cheapens a very important question, and I resent it.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire if I have any additional 
time?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The chairman has 30 additional seconds.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, we will accept this amendment.
  Mr. HUNTER. Will the gentleman yield for just 5 seconds?
  Mr. SKELTON. I will yield to the gentleman from California 15 
seconds.
  Mr. HUNTER. I thank my friend for yielding.
  This amendment was offered by Mr. Cantor and was not ruled in order 
by the Rules Committee. So this was not without precedent.
  Mr. SKELTON. That was not the same amendment, I must point out to my 
friend from California; that was not the one that was offered to the 
Rules Committee.
  Nevertheless, let's point out that we have fully funded. We have 
worked with in the past and we will continue to work with Israel. It is 
of primary importance. No one can doubt the commitment of the Armed 
Services Committee in this regard.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is 
ordered on the motion to recommit.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to recommit.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.


                             Recorded Vote

  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
  A recorded vote was ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 and clause 9 of rule 
XX, this 15-minute vote on the motion to recommit will be followed by 
5-minute votes on the passage of H.R. 1585, if ordered, and adoption of 
House Resolution 404.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 394, 
noes 30, not voting 8, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 372]

                               AYES--394

     Ackerman
     Aderholt
     Akin
     Alexander
     Allen
     Altmire
     Andrews
     Arcuri
     Baca
     Bachmann
     Bachus
     Baker
     Baldwin
     Barrett (SC)
     Barrow
     Bartlett (MD)
     Barton (TX)
     Bean
     Becerra
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Bishop (UT)
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Boehner
     Bonner
     Bono
     Boozman
     Boren
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boustany
     Boyd (FL)
     Boyda (KS)
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Braley (IA)
     Brown (SC)
     Brown, Corrine
     Brown-Waite, Ginny
     Buchanan
     Burgess
     Burton (IN)
     Butterfield
     Buyer
     Calvert
     Camp (MI)
     Campbell (CA)
     Cannon
     Cantor
     Capito
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardoza
     Carnahan
     Carney
     Carson
     Carter
     Castle
     Castor
     Chabot
     Chandler
     Clarke
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Coble
     Cohen
     Cole (OK)
     Conaway
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello
     Courtney
     Cramer
     Crenshaw
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Culberson
     Cummings
     Davis (AL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (KY)
     Davis, David
     Davis, Lincoln
     Davis, Tom
     Deal (GA)
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     Dent
     Diaz-Balart, L.
     Diaz-Balart, M.
     Dicks
     Doggett
     Donnelly
     Doolittle
     Doyle
     Drake
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Edwards
     Ehlers
     Ellison
     Ellsworth
     Emanuel
     Emerson
     English (PA)
     Etheridge
     Everett
     Fallin
     Fattah
     Feeney
     Ferguson
     Filner
     Flake
     Forbes
     Fortenberry
     Fossella
     Foxx
     Frank (MA)
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gallegly
     Garrett (NJ)
     Gerlach
     Giffords
     Gilchrest
     Gillibrand
     Gillmor
     Gingrey
     Gohmert
     Gonzalez
     Goode
     Goodlatte
     Gordon
     Granger
     Graves
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Grijalva
     Gutierrez
     Hall (NY)
     Hall (TX)
     Hare
     Hastert
     Hastings (FL)
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Heller
     Hensarling
     Herger
     Herseth Sandlin
     Higgins
     Hill
     Hinojosa
     Hobson
     Hodes
     Hoekstra
     Holden
     Honda
     Hooley
     Hoyer
     Hulshof
     Hunter
     Inglis (SC)
     Inslee
     Israel
     Issa
     Jefferson
     Jindal
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (IL)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones (NC)
     Jordan
     Kagen
     Kanjorski
     Keller
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kind
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kirk
     Klein (FL)
     Kline (MN)
     Knollenberg
     Kuhl (NY)
     LaHood
     Lamborn
     Lampson
     Langevin
     Lantos
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Levin
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (GA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Linder
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Lofgren, Zoe
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Lungren, Daniel E.
     Lynch
     Mack
     Mahoney (FL)
     Maloney (NY)
     Manzullo
     Marchant
     Markey
     Marshall
     Matheson
     Matsui
     McCarthy (CA)
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCaul (TX)
     McCollum (MN)
     McCotter
     McCrery
     McGovern
     McHenry
     McHugh
     McIntyre
     McKeon
     McNerney
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Melancon
     Mica
     Michaud
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Miller (NC)
     Miller, Gary
     Mitchell
     Mollohan
     Moore (KS)
     Moran (KS)
     Murphy (CT)
     Murphy, Patrick
     Murphy, Tim
     Murtha
     Musgrave
     Myrick
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal (MA)
     Neugebauer
     Nunes
     Ortiz
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Payne
     Pearce
     Pence
     Perlmutter
     Peterson (MN)
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Pickering
     Pitts
     Platts
     Poe
     Pomeroy
     Porter
     Price (GA)
     Pryce (OH)
     Putnam
     Radanovich
     Ramstad
     Rangel
     Regula
     Rehberg
     Reichert
     Renzi
     Reyes
     Reynolds
     Rodriguez
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Ross
     Rothman
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Ryan (WI)
     Salazar
     Sali
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sarbanes
     Saxton
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schmidt
     Schwartz
     Scott (GA)
     Scott (VA)
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Sestak
     Shadegg
     Shea-Porter
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Shuler
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sires
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Solis
     Souder
     Space
     Spratt
     Stearns
     Stupak
     Sullivan
     Sutton
     Tancredo
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Taylor
     Terry
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Tiberi
     Towns
     Turner
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Upton
     Van Hollen
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Walberg
     Walden (OR)
     Walsh (NY)
     Walz (MN)
     Wamp
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson
     Waxman
     Weiner
     Welch (VT)
     Weldon (FL)
     Weller
     Westmoreland
     Wexler
     Whitfield
     Wicker
     Wilson (NM)
     Wilson (OH)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wolf
     Wu
     Wynn
     Yarmuth
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

                                NOES--30

     Abercrombie
     Blumenauer
     Clay
     Conyers
     Dingell
     Eshoo
     Farr
     Hinchey
     Hirono
     Holt
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Kaptur
     Kucinich
     Lee
     Loebsack
     McDermott
     Miller, George
     Moore (WI)
     Moran (VA)
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Paul
     Price (NC)
     Rahall
     Stark
     Tierney
     Watt
     Woolsey

                             NOT VOTING--8

     Baird
     Cubin
     Davis, Jo Ann
     Engel
     Harman
     Jones (OH)
     McMorris Rodgers
     Shays


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). Members are advised 2 
minutes remain.

                              {time}  1238

  Messrs. TIERNEY, BLUMENAUER, HOLT, FARR and CONYERS changed their 
vote from ``aye'' to ``no.''
  Messrs. CLYBURN, HALL of New York and ELLISON changed their vote from 
``no'' to ``aye.''
  So the motion to recommit was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the instructions of the House 
on the motion to recommit, I hereby report H.R. 1585 back to the House 
with an amendment.

[[Page 13114]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment:
       Title II, subtitle C, add at the end the following:

     SEC. 2__. EXPAND UNITED STATES BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE 
                   SYSTEM INTEGRATION WITH ISRAEL.

       (a) Requirement.--The Secretary of Defense shall expand the 
     ballistic missile defense system of the United States to 
     better integrate with the defenses of Israel to provide 
     robust, layered protection against ballistic missile attack.
       (b) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Defense, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of State, shall submit to the 
     appropriate congressional committees a progress report on the 
     status of integrating the ballistic missile defense system of 
     the United States with the defenses of Israel including the 
     status of implementation of those programs identified in 
     subsection (c). This report may be provided in classified 
     form as necessary to protect U.S. national security 
     interests.
       (2) Content.--The report submitted under this subsection 
     shall include the following:
       (A) A description of the capabilities needed to fully 
     integrate the ballistic missile defense system of the United 
     States with the ballistic missile defense system of Israel.
       (B) A description of systems and capabilities currently 
     providing ballistic missile defense of Israel and the United 
     States, an assessment of the sufficiency of current 
     capabilities; and identification of the Department's actions 
     for addressing any insufficiencies, if required.
       (C) A description of the policy, doctrine, operational 
     concepts, tactics, techniques and procedures, exercises, and 
     training that currently support the integrated ballistic 
     missile defense of Israel and the United States, an 
     assessment of the sufficiency of current policy, programs, 
     and processes; and identification of the Department's actions 
     for addressing any insufficiencies, if required.
       (3) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``appropriate 
     congressional committees'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Armed 
     Services, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
     of Representatives; and
       (B) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Armed 
     Services, and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
     Senate.
       (c) Increase.--The amount in section 201(4), research, 
     development, test, and evaluation, Defense-wide, is hereby 
     increased by $205,000,000, of which--
       (1) $25,000,000 is to be available to complete accelerated 
     co-production of Arrow missiles and continue integration with 
     the ballistic missile defense system of the United States;
       (2) $45,000,000 is to be available to continue system 
     development of the Missile Defense Agency and Israel Missile 
     Defense Organization joint program to develop a short-range 
     ballistic missile defense capability, David's Sling weapon 
     system, and integrate the weapon system with the ballistic 
     missile defense system and force protection efforts of the 
     United States; and
       (3) $135,000,000 is to be made available to begin 
     acquisition of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) 
     fire unit, which would provide Israel with a follow-on 
     missile defense system of greater performance than the 
     current Arrow system and provide a capability which is 
     already fully integrated with the ballistic missile defense 
     system of the United States.
       (d) Offset.--The amounts in title I and title II are hereby 
     reduced by an aggregate of $205,000,000, to be derived from 
     amounts other than amounts for ballistic missile defense, as 
     determined by the Secretary of Defense.

  Mr. SKELTON (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
consent that the amendment be considered as read and printed in the 
Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the amendment.
  The amendment was agreed to.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the engrossment and third 
reading of the bill.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was 
read the third time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.


                             Recorded Vote

  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
  A recorded vote was ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. This will be a 5-minute vote.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 397, 
noes 27, not voting 8, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 373]

                               AYES--397

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Aderholt
     Akin
     Alexander
     Allen
     Altmire
     Andrews
     Arcuri
     Baca
     Bachmann
     Bachus
     Baker
     Barrett (SC)
     Barrow
     Bartlett (MD)
     Barton (TX)
     Bean
     Becerra
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Bishop (UT)
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Boehner
     Bonner
     Bono
     Boozman
     Boren
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boustany
     Boyd (FL)
     Boyda (KS)
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Braley (IA)
     Brown (SC)
     Brown, Corrine
     Brown-Waite, Ginny
     Buchanan
     Burgess
     Burton (IN)
     Butterfield
     Buyer
     Calvert
     Camp (MI)
     Campbell (CA)
     Cannon
     Cantor
     Capito
     Capps
     Cardoza
     Carnahan
     Carney
     Carson
     Carter
     Castle
     Castor
     Chabot
     Chandler
     Clarke
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Coble
     Cohen
     Cole (OK)
     Conaway
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello
     Courtney
     Cramer
     Crenshaw
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Culberson
     Cummings
     Davis (AL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (KY)
     Davis, David
     Davis, Lincoln
     Davis, Tom
     Deal (GA)
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     DeLauro
     Dent
     Diaz-Balart, L.
     Diaz-Balart, M.
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Donnelly
     Doolittle
     Doyle
     Drake
     Dreier
     Edwards
     Ehlers
     Ellsworth
     Emanuel
     Emerson
     English (PA)
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Everett
     Fallin
     Farr
     Fattah
     Feeney
     Ferguson
     Filner
     Flake
     Forbes
     Fortenberry
     Fossella
     Foxx
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gallegly
     Garrett (NJ)
     Gerlach
     Giffords
     Gilchrest
     Gillibrand
     Gillmor
     Gingrey
     Gohmert
     Gonzalez
     Goode
     Goodlatte
     Gordon
     Granger
     Graves
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Grijalva
     Gutierrez
     Hall (NY)
     Hall (TX)
     Hare
     Hastert
     Hastings (FL)
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Heller
     Hensarling
     Herger
     Herseth Sandlin
     Higgins
     Hill
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hirono
     Hobson
     Hodes
     Hoekstra
     Holden
     Holt
     Honda
     Hooley
     Hoyer
     Hulshof
     Hunter
     Inglis (SC)
     Inslee
     Israel
     Issa
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     Jindal
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (IL)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones (NC)
     Jordan
     Kagen
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Keller
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kind
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kirk
     Klein (FL)
     Kline (MN)
     Knollenberg
     Kuhl (NY)
     LaHood
     Lamborn
     Lampson
     Langevin
     Lantos
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Levin
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Linder
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Loebsack
     Lofgren, Zoe
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Lungren, Daniel E.
     Lynch
     Mack
     Mahoney (FL)
     Maloney (NY)
     Manzullo
     Marchant
     Marshall
     Matheson
     Matsui
     McCarthy (CA)
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCaul (TX)
     McCollum (MN)
     McCotter
     McCrery
     McGovern
     McHenry
     McHugh
     McIntyre
     McKeon
     McNerney
     Meehan
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Melancon
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Miller (NC)
     Miller, Gary
     Mitchell
     Mollohan
     Moore (KS)
     Moran (KS)
     Moran (VA)
     Murphy (CT)
     Murphy, Patrick
     Murphy, Tim
     Murtha
     Musgrave
     Myrick
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal (MA)
     Neugebauer
     Nunes
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Ortiz
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Payne
     Pearce
     Pence
     Perlmutter
     Peterson (MN)
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Pickering
     Pitts
     Platts
     Poe
     Pomeroy
     Porter
     Price (GA)
     Price (NC)
     Pryce (OH)
     Putnam
     Radanovich
     Rahall
     Ramstad
     Rangel
     Regula
     Rehberg
     Reichert
     Renzi
     Reyes
     Reynolds
     Rodriguez
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Ross
     Rothman
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Ryan (WI)
     Salazar
     Sali
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sarbanes
     Saxton
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schmidt
     Schwartz
     Scott (GA)
     Scott (VA)
     Sensenbrenner
     Sessions
     Sestak
     Shadegg
     Shea-Porter
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Shuler
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sires
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Solis
     Souder
     Space
     Spratt
     Stearns
     Stupak
     Sullivan
     Sutton
     Tancredo
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Taylor
     Terry
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Tiberi
     Towns
     Turner
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Upton
     Van Hollen
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Walberg
     Walden (OR)
     Walsh (NY)
     Walz (MN)
     Wamp
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waxman
     Weiner
     Welch (VT)
     Weldon (FL)
     Weller
     Westmoreland
     Wexler
     Whitfield
     Wicker
     Wilson (NM)
     Wilson (OH)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wolf
     Wu
     Wynn
     Yarmuth
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

[[Page 13115]]



                                NOES--27

     Baldwin
     Blumenauer
     Capuano
     Conyers
     Delahunt
     Duncan
     Ellison
     Frank (MA)
     Jackson (IL)
     Kucinich
     Lee
     Lewis (GA)
     Markey
     McDermott
     McNulty
     Michaud
     Miller, George
     Moore (WI)
     Olver
     Paul
     Serrano
     Stark
     Tierney
     Waters
     Watson
     Watt
     Woolsey

                             NOT VOTING--8

     Baird
     Cubin
     Davis, Jo Ann
     Engel
     Harman
     Jones (OH)
     McMorris Rodgers
     Shays


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). Members are advised 2 
minutes remaining in this vote.

                              {time}  1248

  Ms. WATSON changed her vote from ``aye'' to ``no.''
  So the bill was passed.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``A bill to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________