Providing for Consideration of H.R. 5122, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5122, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2007 -- (House of Representatives - May 10, 2006)
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Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend and colleague on the Rules Committee, Mr. Cole from Oklahoma, for granting me the time to speak.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule and the underlying legislation. This is a fair rule providing for general debate and consideration of the amendments made in order.
The underlying legislation is one of the most important measures we consider each year. I congratulate the chairman and the ranking member of that committee for their good, hard work. The National Defense Authorization Act is a statement of our support for the troops, the various missions our military are carrying out, and support for the men and women serving in the military once they return from their service.
I have traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan on several occasions and have incredible memories from the discussions I have had with the young men and women serving in our Armed Forces. They are patriotic, capable and determined to complete the mission of spreading democracy throughout the Middle East. We are very proud of them and we must continue to provide them with the necessary equipment to continue this mission.
I am very proud of those West Virginians who serve in the Guard and Reserves who have repeatedly, over time, shown their commitment to our country.
First and foremost, we need to ensure that our troops are properly protected. I am especially pleased that this year's authorization includes additional funding for force protection needs in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, including state-of-the-art body armor for our troops and increased armor and better technology to protect our Humvees from the IEDs.
This legislation also provides for a 2.7 percent pay increase for members of the Armed Forces. While no monetary amount will ever cover the debt of gratitude owed them, this pay raise will help the members of our Armed Forces and their families with their everyday needs.
And finally, and very important to my constituency as well, this authorization blocks the Department of Defense proposed fee increases retirees must pay under the TRICARE standard health program and zeroes out copays for generic and formulary mail order prescriptions.
Mr. Speaker, we must continue to honor the commitment made to provide quality affordable health care to our young men and women serving in the military.
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