OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Department Of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010

Floor Speech

Date: Oct. 6, 2009
Location: Washington, D.C.
Issues: Defense

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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I wish to engage my colleague, Senator Inouye, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, in a colloquy.

I would first like to thank Senator Inouye and Senator Cochran for their hard work in developing the fiscal year 2010 Department of Defense appropriations bill.

As the chairman knows, the budget amendment submitted by the White House in August 2009 reduced the proposed spending for high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle, HMMWV, from the initial request level by $375 million, leaving less than $1.2 billion in the program in fiscal year 2010. This year's reduction is in addition to a $162 million reduction taken in the fiscal year 2009 supplemental appropriations bill.

HMMWVs provide enhanced protection for our troops and are much more mobile and versatile than older models of the vehicle. There are still extensive requirements for HMMWVs throughout all the Services because the vehicle operates as a platform for numerous systems that perform multiple missions.

The National Guard still has a majority of the older HMMWVs that cannot meet current military, homeland security, or State disaster missions. Recently, the Adjutants General reported that by fiscal year 2011, 63 percent of their HMMWV fleet will be over 20 years old.

These critical military vehicles also provide high-paying manufacturing jobs in the heart of the Midwest. The HMMWV supports over 1,600 suppliers across 40 States--the majority of which are located in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. These are skilled automotive workers and suppliers that have faced serious job losses over the last 2 years.

I am concerned that repeated funding reductions could erode the manufacturing base for this critical military vehicle and adversely affect our country's manufacturing capacity.

I would encourage the chairman to closely consider this situation as we move to a conference committee with the House.

Mr. INOUYE. I fully understand the Senator's concerns and support funding to meet our Nation's requirements for the HMMWV fleet. The HMMWV has proven its value over the years deployed in combat, in training at home and in homeland defense missions. I can assure you that we will carefully consider these factors as the fiscal year 2010 bill is completed.

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