National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013

Floor Speech

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, over the past four years, the Department of Defense has spent $1.55 billion for its 150 military bands and more than 5,000 full-time, professional military musicians. In FY 2013, from funds authorized in this bill, the Pentagon plans to spend another $388 million for military bands.

My amendment is very simple. It caps spending on military bands in this bill at $200 million.

I was raised in a military family, Mr. Chair, and I understand the important role that bands have in our nation's proud military tradition. That's why my amendment provides $200 million for the Pentagon to continue this tradition. But as families and communities across this country see critical services reduced or eliminated because of Republican budget cuts, I think it's time we ask the Pentagon to make a small sacrifice in its musical budget.

Just last week, 218 of my Republican colleagues voted to eliminate health coverage for at least 300,000 children by cutting the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Today, I urge my colleagues to cut funding for military bands with the same sense of urgency that they cut care for poor kids.

In passing H.R. 5652, the Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012, House Republicans voted to shield the Pentagon from the automatic spending cuts agreed to in the Budget Control Act. They did it by cutting over $300 billion from domestic programs for our most vulnerable citizens.

In order to protect the Pentagon from sequestration--including military bands--and actually increase defense spending, the House voted to:

Cut nutrition assistance for low-income seniors, people with disabilities, and families.

Eliminate funding for Meals On Wheels for seniors.

Slash child care services for working parents, and protective services for abused children.

Deny school lunches to more than 200,000 children.

Repeal the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which supports breast cancer screenings for women, immunizations for children, and community education efforts.

Repeal funding for state health insurance exchanges, which will make it easier for families to find affordable health insurance.

Those were cuts that will have a real, severe impact on families in Minnesota and throughout the United States.

For my 218 Republican colleagues who voted last week to replace the defense sequester cuts by slashing domestic programs, this should be an easy vote.

Surely, no one in this body can claim that funding for the Air Force Wild Blue Country Band, or the Navy Crescent Brass Quintet Band, or the Army String Band, or the Navy Show band, or the Air Force Singing Sergeants is more important than funding programs critical to our nation's children, seniors, and working families.

One of our primary duties as Members of Congress is to provide the resources and policy guidance necessary to protect our nation. We must make certain that every dollar in this bill contributes to our national defense.

In a fiscal crisis, $200 million must be enough for the Department of Defense to continue its time-honored musical tradition.

If House Republicans are asking low income families, seniors, and disabled Americans to go without the services they rely on, it's time the Pentagon makes do with $200 million for military bands.

It's time we ask the Army to do with fewer than 100 bands.

It's time we ask the Air Force to scale back its Country Western band.

It's time we ask the Pentagon to share some of the sacrifice that American families are being asked to bear.

And with $200 million, the military music will surely continue to grace our nation's parades and ceremonies, and provide comfort to our military families at funerals.

Mr. Chair, this exact amendment was adopted unanimously by voice vote and passed by the full House of Representatives in last year's National Defense Authorization bill, H.R. 1540. Why? Because in this time of fiscal crisis and deep cuts to discretionary spending, it makes no sense to borrow nearly $400 million from Communist China to pay for military bands.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

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