National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017

Floor Speech

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The gentleman from South Carolina is correctly concerned about the expenditure of money. I would suggest to him that this study is a waste of the expenditure of money by the GAO and, hence, the taxpayers of the United States.

Studies about the MSP have been available over many, many years; and in fact, there is now, in the Office of Management and Budget, a comprehensive study that was commissioned by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. The gentleman can certainly contact OMB and get that study and, quite probably, get all the information he is going to request in this particular analysis and, furthermore, not have to waste taxpayer money in the process.

I would point out to the gentleman a statement that was made on January 17 of this year concerning the MSP program by General Darren McDew, commander of US TRANSCOM. This is the guy who is responsible for moving men, women, materiel, and equipment around the world.

He said: ``Our overwhelming success was due in large part to the 10,000 U.S. mariners who sped 220 shiploads of decisive U.S. combat power throughout the buildup known as Operation Desert Shield. Without those mariners and vessels, our ability to project decisive force and demonstrate our national resolve would have been a mere fraction of what was required to ensure the swift victory the world witnessed. Simply put, moving an army of decisive size and power can only be accomplished by sea,'' and the MSP is the central part of that.

We don't need this study. What we need is strong support for the MSP.

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Chairman, that is the first time I have ever heard that expenditure by the House of Representatives is not taxpayer money, but I guess some people can claim that.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Forbes).

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time.

In Desert Storm I, back in the 1990s, a ship that was manned by Pakistanis was loaded at the docks, began to sail, and turned around because the crew refused to go into that zone. We cannot allow that to happen ever again. The MSP was started specifically to provide that kind of sealift power that we need to move our men, materiel, and equipment, wherever they may be needed in the world. It does us little good to spend $680 billion on a Defense appropriation bill and not be able to get where the trouble is. Do away with the MSP, and that is where you are headed with this, moving toward foreign flags and, indeed, Maersk is operated by a foreign country, but it is licensed to operate in the United States with American sailors on American ships for the MSP program.

We don't need to waste money on this. The studies are available dating back to 2006, 2009, and, more recently, with the OMB study. We don't need to waste our money. We need to get on with supporting the MSP program. I ask for a ``no'' vote.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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