[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 20]
[Senate]
[Pages 26852-26857]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2010

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate will now proceed to the 
consideration of H.R. 3082, which the clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 3082) making appropriations for military 
     construction, the Department Of Veterans Affairs, and related 
     agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, and 
     for other purposes.


[[Page 26853]]


  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Dakota is recognized.


                           Amendment No. 2730

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 2730.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from South Dakota [Mr. Johnson], for himself 
     and Mrs. Hutchison, proposes an amendment numbered 2730.

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading 
of the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (The amendment is printed in today's Record under ``Text of 
Amendments.'')
  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I am pleased to present the fiscal year 
2010 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies 
appropriations bill. The bill was unanimously reported out of committee 
on July 7. It is a well balanced and bipartisan measure, and I hope all 
Senators will support it.
  I thank my ranking member, Senator Hutchison, for her help and 
cooperation in crafting the bill. Senator Hutchison's dedication to 
America's veterans and to our military forces has been a tremendous 
asset in developing this bill. I also thank Chairman Inouye and Vice 
Chairman Cochran for their support and assistance in moving this bill 
forward.
  The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill provides critical 
investments in capital infrastructure for our military, including 
barracks and family housing; training and operational facilities; and 
childcare and family support centers. In addition, it fulfills the 
Nation's promise to our veterans by providing the resources needed for 
the medical care and benefits that our veterans have earned through 
their service.
  The bill before the Senate today provides a total of $134 billion in 
funding for fiscal year 2010. This includes $76.7 billion in 
discretionary funding--$439 million over the budget request; $1.4 
billion for overseas contingency operations to support our troops in 
Afghanistan, and $56 billion in mandatory funding for veterans 
programs.
  In addition, I am pleased to report that, for the first time, the 
bill before us contains $48.2 billion in advance appropriations for 
veterans medical care for fiscal year 2011. This funding will ensure 
that the VA has a predictable stream of funding and that medical 
services will not be adversely affected should another stopgap funding 
measure be needed in the future. As an original cosponsor of the 
legislation authorizing advance appropriations for veterans health 
care, I am particularly pleased that Senator Hutchison and I were able 
to provide the funding in this bill to implement this important 
legislation.
  Other funding priorities in the bill include $53 billion in 
discretionary funding for veterans programs, $150 million over the 
budget request and $3.9 billion more than last year; $45 billion for 
veterans' medical care, $4.2 billion over last year; $23 billion for 
military construction, $286 million over the President's budget 
request; $1.3 billion for Guard and reserve construction projects, $264 
million above the budget request, and $279 million for related 
agencies, including the American Battle Monuments Commission and 
Arlington National Cemetery.
  For fiscal year 2010, the bill provides $53.2 billion in 
discretionary funding for veterans programs, an increase of $150 
million over the budget request and $3.9 billion over last year. This 
includes $44.7 billion for veterans medical care, an increase of $4.2 
billion over last year.
  The veterans funding also includes $250 million requested by the 
President for rural health care, continuing an initiative the committee 
began last year. To further improve outreach to veterans in rural 
areas, including Native Americans, the bill provides $50 million above 
the budget request for a new rural clinic initiative to serve veterans 
in rural areas currently underserved by VA facilities.
  For military construction, the bill provides $23.2 billion, $286 
million over the President's budget request. This includes nearly $1.3 
billion for Guard and Reserve projects, $264 million above the budget 
request. As so many of us know, our Reserve components have provided 
unparalleled support to their active component counterparts in 
operations around the globe. Providing quality infrastructure for the 
Guard and Reserve is only a small token of our appreciation.
  In all, the military construction projects included within this bill 
are as diverse as the individuals serving our Nation--from building a 
field training facility in North Carolina, to constructing a military 
school in Europe; from developing a military health clinic in 
Washington State to providing dining halls in forward operating 
locations in Afghanistan.
  For the first time since the war in Afghanistan began; the President 
has requested war-related funding as part of the regular budget 
process. This year, we have incorporated projects for Afghanistan into 
the normal budget order by providing an overseas contingency operations 
account to support war fighting operations. Within this account, we 
supported the President's budget request of $1.4 billion for military 
construction projects at 22 forward operating locations in Afghanistan.
  For military family housing, the bill provides $2 billion as 
requested. The budget request for family housing is $1.5 billion below 
the fiscal year 2009 enacted level, due primarily to the nearing 
completion of the military's housing privatization initiative and 
subsequent reductions in operating expenses. The privatization of 
military family housing has been a good news story for our military 
families and the American taxpayers. Our military families will get 
first rate housing while at the same time reducing construction and 
maintenance costs to the military.
  Our committee mark also includes funding to complete previous and 
ongoing base closure actions. This bill contains $7.5 billion for BRAC 
2005 as requested and $421.8 million for BRAC 1990, a $25 million 
increase above the request. The BRAC 2005 request is $1.3 billion below 
the fiscal year 2009 enacted level, reflecting reduced construction 
requirements.
  The bill also includes $276.3 million as requested to fund the NATO 
Security Investment Program, NSIP. This program provides the U.S. 
funding share of joint U.S.-NATO military facilities.
  Two military construction programs of particular importance to me are 
the Homeowners Assistance Program, HAP, which provides mortgage relief 
to military families required to relocate, and the Energy Conservation 
Investment Program. Building on an expansion of the HAP program that 
was funded in the stimulus bill, this bill adds $350 million to 
complete the funding requirement to temporarily extend HAP benefits to 
all eligible military families who have suffered losses on home sales 
due to the mortgage crisis. The additional funding also supports the 
permanent extension of HAP benefits to wounded warriors who must 
relocate for medical reasons and to surviving spouses of fallen 
warriors. As everyone knows, the mortgage crisis has had a devastating 
impact on many Americans, and our military families are not immune from 
the collapse in the housing market. In particular, military families 
have been adversely impacted when forced to sell their homes at a loss 
when required by the military to relocate either within the United 
Stated or overseas. In such circumstances, our military men and women 
do not have the luxury of waiting for the housing market to recover.
  The Energy Conservation Investment Program--ECIP--is designed to 
promote energy conservation and efficiency, including investments in 
renewable and alternative energy resources, on our military 
installations. The subcommittee has added $135 million in funding to 
the President's budget request to provide for such innovations. Our 
bill also includes language urging the Department of Defense to develop 
a more comprehensive strategy to address energy conservation, energy 
efficiency and energy security. While I am encouraged by the efforts of 
the services at finding ways to reduce energy use on military 
installations, I

[[Page 26854]]

worry that the Department as a whole does not have a single point of 
coordination that will ensure that innovative ideas and projects are 
shared across all of the services and within the Department.
  This bill includes $26.9 million for projects at active duty 
installations and Guard facilities in my home State of South Dakota. 
This includes $14.5 million to expand the Deployment Center at 
Ellsworth Air Force Base; $7.89 million for the Army and Air Guard 
Joint Force Headquarters Readiness Center at Camp Rapid; $1.95 million 
for a National Guard troop medical clinic addition at Camp Rapid; $1.3 
million to construct an above-ground magazine storage facility for the 
Air Guard at Joe Foss Field; and $1.3 million for a munitions 
maintenance complex addition, also for the Air Guard at Joe Foss Field.
  Once again we have made veterans a top priority this year by 
including $53.2 billion in discretionary funding for the VA, an 
increase of $150 million over the budget request and $3.9 billion over 
last year. The Department is expecting to treat almost 6.1 million 
patients in fiscal year 2010; therefore we have targeted the bulk of 
the discretionary funding for the three medical care accounts, which 
total $44.7 billion this year. This includes a $3.7 billion increase 
over fiscal year 2009 for the medical services account.
  The challenges that face the VA in the 21st century are daunting but 
not insurmountable. These include modernizing and transforming 
antiquated systems; treating combat injuries, many of which leave no 
physical scars; and adjusting services to meet changing demographics. 
The VA will have to balance the services required by aging veterans, 
such as long term care, with the needs required by a surge of new 
veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Moreover, as more and 
more women are choosing the Armed Forces as a career, the VA will need 
to transform from a culture dominated by services designed for men to 
one that includes services specific to the health care needs of women 
veterans. To that end, this bill includes $183 million to specifically 
address the unique health care needs of women veterans.
  Veterans Affairs Secretary Shinseki has laid out an ambitious plan to 
transform the Department of Veterans Affairs into a 21st century 
organization. The bill before the Senate is a step in that direction by 
providing the VA with the resources needed to address these and other 
issues. For example, the bill provides $6 billion for long-term care, a 
$663 million increase from last year. The funding includes both 
institutional and home based care programs. In addition, the bill 
provides $115 million for grants for the construction of State extended 
care facilities, $30 million over the budget request. This program 
provides grants to State veterans homes to construct new facilities or 
to correct life threatening code violations.
  The bill also includes $2.1 billion, $460 million above fiscal year 
2009, for medical care for veterans of the wars in Iraq and 
Afghanistan. The VA has seen a surge of these veterans and expects to 
see over 419,000 this year alone, a 61 percent increase in patient load 
since 2008. Many of these veterans suffer combat specific injuries such 
as polytrauma, post traumatic stress disorder, and traumatic brain 
injury. The resources provided in the bill are essential to the VA's 
ability to treat these veterans.
  As a Senator from a large, highly rural state, I have been emphatic 
that the VA must change its way of doing business when it comes to 
providing services to veterans who live well outside urban areas. Last 
year, as chairman of the subcommittee, I established a new rural health 
initiative at the VA, and provided $250 million specifically for the 
Department to address the gap in services that exists in rural areas. 
This year's bill includes an additional $250 million, as requested by 
the President, to continue this program. To further bolster the rural 
health effort, I added $50 million to the bill for a new Rural Clinic 
Initiative. This will provide the VA with additional funding to 
establish Community Based Outpatient Clinics--CBOCs--in rural areas 
that are currently underserved by VA health care facilities.
  According to the VA, roughly 131,000 veterans are homeless on any 
given night. This is 131,000 too many veterans. Secretary Shinseki has 
made combating homelessness a top priority at the VA. To assist, the 
bill includes $3.2 billion for health care and support services for 
homeless veterans. This includes $500 million in direct programs to 
assist homeless veterans.
  The bill also puts a priority on reducing the time it takes for 
veterans to receive the benefits they have earned. Funding is included 
which will provide the Veterans Benefits Administration with the 
resources to hire 1,200 new claims processors in fiscal year 2010. This 
will bring the compensation and pensions workforce level to 14,549 in 
2010 as compared to 7,550 in 2005. This increased workforce will be 
necessary as claims for benefits are estimated to reach almost one 
million in fiscal year 2010.
  The last two issues I will highlight deal with infrastructure, both 
capital and electronic. The VA operates the Nation's largest integrated 
health care system in the United Sates. It does so through a system of 
153 hospitals and 1,002 outpatient clinics. These buildings must be 
maintained at the highest level to ensure patient safety and high 
quality medical care. Once again this year, the bill contains 
additional funding above the budget request to ensure that VA 
facilities do not become dilapidated and that the backlog of code 
violations identified in facility condition assessment reports is 
addressed. In total, this bill provides $1.3 billion, $300 million 
above the President's request, to address critical non-recurring 
maintenance at existing VA hospitals and clinics. Additionally, $1.9 
billion is provided for the construction of new VA hospitals and 
clinics. The bill also includes $685 million for minor construction 
projects, $85 million above the President's request.
  Funding for bricks and mortar and recapitalization is not the only 
infrastructure investment made in the bill. In the 21st century, health 
care delivery is dependent on modern technology and robust information 
technology. Therefore, we have included $3.3 billion for the Department 
to modernize its information technology programs, including its 
electronic medical records, a new paperless claims system, and systems 
designed for seamless integration of medical and service records with 
the Department of Defense.
  Finally, the bill provides $279 million for a handful of small but 
important related agencies, including the American Battle Monuments 
Commission and Arlington National Cemetery.
  Next Wednesday is Veterans Day, a day on which the Nation honors all 
those who have served in the armed forces of the United States. I can 
think of no better way to express the Senate's gratitude for the 
service of our veterans and the sacrifices they have made for our 
country than to pass this bill without delay. Again, I thank my ranking 
member for her support in crafting the bill. I also thank the staff of 
the subcommittee--Christina Evans, Chad Schulken and Andy Vanlandingham 
of my staff, and Dennis Balkham and Ben Hammond of the minority staff--
for their hard work and cooperative effort to produce this bill.
  Mr. President, I want to express my sorrow at the tragic events that 
unfolded at Fort Hood, TX, this afternoon. I extend my condolences to 
the troops and families at Fort Hood, and to my ranking member Senator 
Hutchison. Our thoughts and prayers are with her and with the Fort Hood 
community in this difficult time.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas is recognized.
  Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, suddenly I find myself a member of the 
powerful Appropriations Committee, but it comes under a dark cloud 
indeed. The distinguished chairman, who does such a great job in behalf 
of our veterans and military construction, has pointed out the terrible 
tragedy that has happened at Fort Hood. So I am here standing in, if 
you will, for Senator Hutchison, who does such a good job, in 
partnership with my colleague

[[Page 26855]]

and my friend and my neighbor, whom I respect a great deal. So I 
appreciate the opportunity to speak on the bill before us.
  As Senator Hutchison departs as early as she possibly can to get to 
Texas to assist in the challenge of this great tragedy, we wish her 
well, and our prayers are with her and all the people at Fort Hood and 
all the people in Texas.
  As the distinguished chairman has stated, a lot of time and energy 
have gone into putting this legislation together. Senator Hutchison 
wanted to thank Chairman Johnson and his staff for working hard to 
address the needs of our servicemembers and veterans. I am going to 
repeat just a couple of things that are in the full statement of the 
distinguished Senator from Texas.
  As Chairman Johnson has pointed out, the Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill includes for 
fiscal year 2010 $76.7 billion in discretionary spending, $23.2 billion 
for military construction, $53.2 billion for our veterans, $55.8 
billion in mandatory spending for veterans' benefits, and $1.4 billion 
for military construction projects to assist our troops in Afghanistan 
in their fight against terrorism.
  A lot of the figures Senator Hutchison has here have been mentioned 
by the distinguished chairman, so I won't go into those, but Senator 
Hutchison wanted to indicate and wanted to highlight that she was very 
pleased that the bill provides full funding for the base realignment 
and closure actions. The funds are essential to bringing our troops 
home, predominantly from Europe and Korea, and basing them in the 
United States. By fully funding BRAC, we can help the Department of 
Defense to stay on schedule to achieve this goal by September of 2011.
  Senator Hutchison would also like to highlight that the legislation 
contains the necessary funds for the Defense Department program 
especially designed to help our servicemembers who were forced to 
relocate in this harsh economic housing environment--I might add that 
we see this at Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley as well in Kansas--the 
Homeowners Assistance Fund. Chairman Johnson has been absolutely 
instrumental in making this program a success.
  The legislation contains about $1.4 billion in emergency funding for 
the war in Afghanistan. Senator Hutchison, myself--almost every Senator 
knows that the policies of this conflict have been passionately debated 
on the Senate floor in recent days, but I am sure we can all agree that 
independent of our views on the war or the strategy of that national 
security threat, we must provide the infrastructure needs of our 
sailors, soldiers, airmen, and marines, who, by the way, celebrated 
their birthday today. This bill does just that.
  In addition, I would point out that the distinguished ranking member 
wanted to express her strong commitment to making sure that our NATO 
allies--our NATO allies--fund their fair share of these joint projects.
  The chairman has already gone over the figures for the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, although Senator Hutchison did want to point out that 
it includes funding to enhance outreach and services for mental health 
care, combat homelessness, further meet the needs of women veterans, 
and expand our health care to rural areas--something the chairman knows 
all about, something which I like to think I know something about, and 
something that I know Senator Hutchison knows about a great deal.
  Finally, we have included $48.2 billion in advanced appropriations 
for veterans' medical care for fiscal year 2011. This funding will 
allow the VA to better plan the budget for our veterans' health care.
  Congress has shown its resolve time and again to care for our 
Nation's veterans and provide the infrastructure for our men and women 
in uniform. We all owe them a debt of gratitude and will do our part to 
take care of them.
  So I ask my colleagues to support this bill. We have no objection on 
this side.
  Again, I wish to thank the distinguished chairman for all of his work 
and leadership.
  I yield the floor.
  (At the request of Mr. Roberts, the following statement was ordered 
to be printed in the Record.)
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, as the ranking member of the 
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies 
Subcommittee, I appreciate the opportunity to speak on the bill before 
us. A lot of time and energy has gone into putting this legislation 
together, and I would like to thank Chairman Johnson and his staff for 
working hard to address the needs of our service members and veterans.
  This is a bipartisan bill, and I can say with great confidence that 
this subcommittee makes sure that the priorities of all Senators, on 
both sides of the aisle, are evaluated and taken care of to the best of 
our ability.
  As Chairman Johnson has pointed out, this Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill includes, 
for fiscal year 2010: $76.7 billion in discretionary spending, 
including $23.2 billion for military construction and $53.2 billion for 
our veterans; $55.8 billion in mandatory spending for veterans' 
benefits, and $1.4 billion for military construction projects to assist 
our troops in Afghanistan in their fight against terrorists and 
insurgents.
  This legislation provides $23.2 billion for the Defense Department's 
military construction program. I am concerned that the DOD requested 
over $7 billion less for 2010, a 25 percent decrease from the previous 
year, and I hope this trend does not continue. Of all the funds we 
provide for our government, supporting the infrastructure needs of our 
soldiers is one of the most important I can think of.
  I am pleased that our bill provides full funding for the Base 
Realignment and Closure actions at almost $7.5 billion. These funds are 
essential to bring our troops home, predominantly from Europe and 
Korea, and basing them in the United States. By fully funding BRAC we 
can help the DOD stay on schedule to achieve this goal by September 
2011.
  I wish to point out as well that our legislation contains the 
necessary funds for the Defense Department program specially designed 
to help our service members who are forced to relocate in this harsh 
economic housing environment, the Homeowners Assistance Fund. Chairman 
Johnson has been instrumental in making this program a success.
  This bill funds the Guard and Reserve at $264 million above the 
President's request. A significant number of the troops fighting the 
war on terror consist of Guard and Reserve members, so I am very glad 
we were able to provide additional resources for them.
  This summer, as our Nation was preparing for its Fourth of July 
celebrations, I had the honor of visiting our troops in Iraq and 
Kuwait. I listened to their concerns and saw first hand how the 
facilities we provide in this bill are instrumental in their ability to 
carry out their mission.
  This legislation contains almost $1.4 billion in emergency funding 
for the war in Afghanistan. The policies of this conflict have been 
passionately debated on the Senate floor in recent days. But I am sure 
we can all agree that--independent of our views of the war--we must 
provide the infrastructure needs of our sailors, soldiers, airmen and 
marines. This bill does that.
  In addition, I would like to point out that this subcommittee is 
committed to making sure that our NATO allies fund their fair share of 
all joint projects. I can assure my colleagues, and the American 
people, that every MILCON facility shared by allied forces is evaluated 
for NATO reimbursement and that we push hard for cost sharing at every 
possible opportunity.
  Our bill provides $109 billion for the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, a 14 percent increase above fiscal year 2009. Veterans' 
healthcare is funded at $45 billion, and medical research is funded at 
$580 million. This bill also makes a significant investment in VA 
infrastructure needs, with nearly $5 billion for the maintenance and 
repair of VA medical facilities and $2 billion in new construction 
projects.

[[Page 26856]]

  The Veterans Benefits Administration is funded at $56 billion to 
administer compensation, pension, and readjustment benefits earned by 
our veterans. We have fully funded the new education benefits provided 
by the post-9/11 educational assistance program, and included funding 
for 1,200 new claims processors to reduce the claims backlog.
  This legislation addresses the many demands facing the Department of 
Veterans Affairs. It includes funding over 2009 levels to enhance 
outreach and services for mental health care, combat homelessness, 
further meet the needs of women veterans, and expand access to 
healthcare in rural areas. Finally, we included $48.2 billion in 
advance appropriations for veterans' medical care for fiscal year 2011. 
This funding will allow the Veterans Health Administration to better 
plan and budget for veterans' health care.
  Congress has shown its resolve time and again to care for our 
nation's veterans and provide the infrastructure for our men and women 
in uniform. We owe all of them our gratitude, and we will do our part 
to take care of them. I ask my colleagues to support this bill.
  Again, I would like to thank Senators Inouye and Cochran for their 
support putting this bill together, and I would especially like to 
thank Chairman Johnson for his leadership and the hard work of his 
staff: Christina Evans, Chad Schulken, and Andy Vanlandingham.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Dakota is recognized.


                Amendment No. 2732 to Amendment No. 2730

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk on behalf 
of myself and Senator Hutchison and ask for its immediate 
consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from South Dakota [Mr. Johnson], for himself 
     and Mrs. Hutchison, proposes an amendment numbered 2732 to 
     amendment No. 2730.

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading 
of the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

 (Purpose: To make a technical amendment regarding the designation of 
                                 funds)

       On page 56, between lines 9 and 10, insert the following:
       Sec. 401.  Amounts appropriated or otherwise made available 
     by this title are designated as being for overseas 
     deployments and other activities pursuant to sections 
     401(c)(4) and 423(a)(1) of S. Con. Res. 13 (111th Congress), 
     the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2010.

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, this amendment is a technical amendment 
which provides for the proper designation for title IV of the bill, 
Overseas Contingency Operations. This information was inadvertently 
left out of the bill. An amendment would correct this error.
  I note the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I believe it has been cleared by both 
sides. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be agreed to.
  Mr. ROBERTS. Will the chairman yield?
  Mr. JOHNSON. Yes.
  Mr. ROBERTS. The chairman has accurately described the contents of 
the amendment. We have no objection and ask that it be agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the amendment is agreed to.
  The amendment (No. 2732) was agreed to.
  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, with respect to amendment No. 2732, I move 
to reconsider and table the vote on adoption of the amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, section 401(c)(4) of S. Con. Res. 13, the 
2010 budget resolution, permits the chairman of the Senate Budget 
Committee to adjust the section 401(b) discretionary spending limits, 
allocations pursuant to section 302(a) of the Congressional Budget Act 
of 1974, and aggregates for legislation making appropriations for 
fiscal years 2009 and 2010 for overseas deployments and other 
activities by the amounts provided in such legislation for those 
purposes and so designated pursuant to section 401(c)(4). The 
adjustment is limited to the total amount of budget authority specified 
in section 104(21) of S. Con. Res. 13. For 2009, that limitation is 
$90.745 billion, and for 2010, it is $130 billion.
  On July 7, 2009, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported S. 
1407, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related 
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. The reported bill contains $1.399 
billion in funding that the Senate Appropriations Committee intends to 
designate for overseas deployments and other activities pursuant to 
section 401(c)(4). An amendment has been offered that provides a 
designation consistent with section 401(c)(4). The Congressional Budget 
Office estimates that the $1.399 billion in budget authority will 
result in $145 million in new outlays in 2010. As a result, I am 
revising both the discretionary spending limits and the allocation to 
the Senate Committee on Appropriations for discretionary budget 
authority and outlays by those amounts in 2010. When combined with 
previous adjustments made pursuant to section 401(c)(4), $129.999 
billion has been designated so far for overseas deployments and other 
activities for 2010.
  I ask unanimous consent that the following revisions to S. Con. Res. 
13 be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010--S. CON. RES. 13; FURTHER REVISIONS TO THE CONFERENCE
     AGREEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 401(c)(4) TO THE ALLOCATION OF BUDGET AUTHORITY AND OUTLAYS TO THE SENATE
              APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE AND THE SECTION 401(b) SENATE DISCRETIONARY SPENDING LIMITS
                                            [In millions of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Current                               Revised
                                                          allocation/limit      Adjustment      allocation/limit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2009 Discretionary Budget Authority.................          1,482,201                  0          1,482,201
FY 2009 Discretionary Outlays..........................          1,247,872                  0          1,247,872
FY 2010 Discretionary Budget Authority.................          1,218,252              1,399          1,219,651
FY 2010 Discretionary Outlays..........................          1,376,050                145          1,376,195
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 26857]]



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