Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014

Floor Speech

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Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, the men and women of our National Guard serve their dual Federal and State missions bravely. It is essential that we appropriately equip them to succeed in both of those missions.

The Guard plays a critical role in supporting emergency disaster relief. And I applaud their purchase of 500 Humvee ambulances for use in every State, but these ambulances are severely lacking. They contain only the minimal and most basic medical equipment sets. Alarmingly, they lack modern life-saving equipment like cardiac defibrillators and vital signs monitors.

The Guard's ambulances must be properly equipped to deal with emergencies. This is especially important in a State like Oregon, which faces the threat of wildfires and the prospect of a massive earthquake and resulting tidal wave.

As the ambulances are outfitted now, personnel will be extremely limited in the available treatment they can provide to the injured people they seek to protect. State Guard associations and the National Guard Association agree. They have ranked their procurement of medical equipment sets as a priority for the last 2 years. Clearly, there is a need, and we need to meet it.

Chairman Young and Ranking Member Visclosky, it's my understanding that you are opposed to the amendment, as drafted, but support the underlying policy. And Chairman Young, I appreciate your support of an assessment on this issue on the floor last year. I ask if both of you will be willing to work with me to address this issue as the appropriations process moves forward. And if so, I would withdraw my amendment.

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