Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2012

Floor Speech

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Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I thank Chairman Young for yielding me this time.

And thank you and your other partner, this dynamic duo that we have here between Chairman Young and Chairman Dicks. Thank you for your good work.

The nearly $649 billion in total funding within this bill will provide our Armed Forces with the resources they need for the Nation's missions abroad and the protection of our people here at home.

This bill sustains our military readiness, facilitating the continued modernization of our national defense systems and preserving the American Armed Forces as the greatest military in the world.

As our soldiers and marines continue to put their lives on the line to eliminate terrorism and protect freedom around the globe, Congress must provide the necessary support and funding to keep them safe and well equipped, and we must do so in a timely manner.

These efforts include adequate funding for equipment procurement, base operations, and military pay. To improve our defense capabilities and prepare for future challenges, we've provided funding for research and development into new technology.

This legislation also provides essential funding for health and quality-of-life programs for the men and women of the armed services and their families.

But, as in all of our appropriations bills, this year especially, this legislation reflects hard decisions to cut lower-priority programs, reduce spending in programs that can be scaled back, and target funds where they're needed most so that our Nation can continue on the path to fiscal recovery.

No bill, no Department, including the Pentagon, should be immune from scrutiny during these precarious financial times. This legislation identifies fiscally responsible savings, savings that will in no way impair the safety or effectiveness of our troops, the success of our military operations, or our military readiness.

The bill also increases oversight of Defense programs and funds to ensure that tax dollars are being spent wisely and efficiently. We've taken a critical eye and increased scrutiny on some programs to ensure American taxpayers are receiving the proper benefits for their defense investments.

I want to thank, again, Chairman Young and Ranking Member Dicks for their tireless work. In fact, it's a very bipartisan spirit and commitment, and that's the rule of this subcommittee over the decades of time, and their commitment to crafting a very responsible Defense bill. And of course the staff has worked tirelessly to make this day possible.

Mr. Chairman, I urge all of our colleagues to support this bill. It's a good one.

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