Providing For Consideration Of H.R. 2647, National Defense Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2010

Floor Speech

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Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 572 provides for consideration of H.R. 2647, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, under a structured rule.

Last week the House Armed Services Committee reported H.R. 2647 favorably to the House by unanimous vote. The final vote came at 2:30 in the morning after more than 14 hours of thorough debate.

During that time the members of the committee did not see eye-to-eye on every issue, but we did not split by party lines on every vote, and we often had differing views on how to devote limited resources to endless challenges. In the end, we all agreed by a unanimous vote that we must take steps to keep our country safe and keep our military prepared. We must work to eliminate wasteful spending and restore fiscal discipline, and we must provide our troops and their families with the care that they need and the quality of life that is worthy of their sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2647 makes significant progress on all these fronts. It strengthens our national security by focusing resources on the most immediate and severe threats to our troops and our country. The bill enhances efforts to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction by increasing funding for the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program and by fully supporting the Department of Energy's nonproliferation programs.

The bill cuts extensive spending, excessive spending on flawed missile-defense programs and, instead, invests more resources in systems that are proven to work and strategies that meet immediate threats.

H.R. 2647 also takes an important step forward in strengthening accountability and increasing oversight of the defense contracting process. The bill grows the size of the civilian acquisition workforce, which will reduce our reliance on defense contractors and cut down on wasteful spending.

The bill improves the quality of life and the quality of care for our men and women in uniform by providing a 3.4 percent pay raise for each servicemember, by expanding access to education and training, by increasing funding for family housing programs, and by expanding TRICARE coverage for members of the Reserve and their families prior to mobilization.

After 7 years of conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq, this bill provides a basis for ensuring that the plans for progress are sound and that the objectives for victory are clear. The bill requires frequent reports to Congress on the objectives and measurements for success in Afghanistan and the progress of withdrawing our troops from Iraq.

The bill also directs the GAO to provide Congress with separate reports, which will assess strategic plans for both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Congress must do everything in its power to ensure that our military strategies are working and our ultimate goals are achievable. I believe that we can always do more, but I also believe that this bill provides a starting point for that process. Lastly, Mr. Speaker, while this bill addresses broad strategic issues and threats across the globe, it also has a direct impact on our districts.

While communities across the country are saving, struggling and working to recover from this recession, other communities are preparing for even tougher times ahead. In 2011, scores of military bases will close for good as a result of the 2005 BRAC. For decades, these bases have been the backbones of communities and provided the surrounding areas with jobs, tenants, customers and neighbors, which will now be lost in a matter of years.

H.R. 2647 expands the use of no-cost economic development conveyances as a tool to redevelop and restart communities affected by base closure. This provision allows the Department of Defense to transfer property to a local redevelopment authority at no cost if the land will be used for purposes of economic development.

At a time of declining property values, devastating job loss and crippling economic hardship, we must provide communities with every possible tool to redevelop and reorganize. This bill will assist in that effort.

I am looking forward to completing our work on this year's defense authorization.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart) for the dialogue that we have had here on the floor tonight.

Mr. Speaker, the rule before us today will continue the open debate that was held on committee, some of which continue tonight, and further our efforts to find solutions to those pressing problems.

In particular, this rule adds the text of H.R. 2990 to the underlying bill, which funds a 1-year expansion of concurrent receipts for retired veterans, extends retention bonuses and special pay authorities for enlisted servicemembers and funds provisions in the Federal Retirement Reform Act of 2009.

I would like to thank the Chair, Chairman Skelton, Ranking Member McKeon, and all my colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee for their tireless work on this bill.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule.

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