Senate Armed Services Committee Advances Defense Authorization Bill

Statement

Senate Armed Services Committee Advances Defense Authorization Bill

Legislation authorizes 3.9 percent troop pay increase, critical Texas defense programs

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, made the following statement Thursday regarding unanimous committee approval of the National Defense Authorization Bill for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009:

"I'm encouraged that we advanced this legislation with critical support for our troops and their families, including a well-deserved 3.9 percent pay raise. Our troops make tremendous sacrifices and work under difficult conditions—this bill is an important part of our ongoing efforts to make sure they have what they need and deserve.

"In addition, this bill would fully fund Texas defense programs that will play a critical role in our national defense and the war on terror. These programs, including aircraft and ground-based weapons systems, are at the core of our military's modernization efforts. They will serve our troops well for decades to come.

"Finally, one of the most under-reported stories by the media today is the Iraqi Government's increasing capacity to budget and pay for its own operations and reconstruction efforts, effectively decreasing the need for U.S. assistance dollars. This year, the Iraqi government is projected to spend $13 billion in reconstruction funding versus just $3 billion in 2004. That is an important example of the political progress being made in Iraq, and this legislation lays the groundwork for that to continue, simultaneously easing the burden on the American taxpayer."

Some of the key provisions in the Defense Authorization bill include:

* An across-the-board 3.9 percent pay raise for the entire military, which is half a percent above the President's request.
* Full funding for key Texas programs such as the Joint Strike Fighter (Ft. Worth), the V-22 Osprey (Amarillo and Dallas-Ft. Worth), and the Army's Future Combat Systems (testing and evaluation being conducted at Ft. Bliss).
* A further increase in the size of both the Army and Marine Corps: 7,000 additional soldiers (to 532,400 total) and 5,000 additional marines (to 194,000 total).
* In light of increasing Iraqi revenues, steps to increase the Iraqi Government's share of the cost of reconstruction and security efforts. These provisions limit U.S. funding of Iraqi reconstruction projects to only those costing less than $2 million, and also lay the groundwork for the Iraqi Government to begin sharing the cost of joint U.S.-Iraqi operations and shouldering the cost of training and equipping the Iraqi security forces.

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