Tuesday, October 2, 2001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
NANCY IVES (202)224-7130

McCain Supports National Defense Authorization Act

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today entered the following statement into the Congressional Record regarding the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY'02:

"Mr. President, I rise today in support of S.1438, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002. At the outset, I must commend Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin for agreeing to a compromise to the committee-reported version of the defense authorization bill, by restoring $1.3 billion for the President's missile defense proposal, and removing language that would have harmed timely deployment of a missile defense system for America. I was deeply concerned during committee consideration when the restrictive bill language on missile defense was added and the cut in the missile defense program occurred, causing committee Republicans to vote unanimously against reporting out the bill.

"In my 18 years in Congress, I had never seen a defense authorization bill reported out of committee strictly on party lines. I am very proud, however, of the unified efforts and spirit of my colleagues since the tragic attacks on September 11th, and I am pleased that we are working together to enhance our national security at this crucial time in our country's history.

"It is tremendously important to me that the committee included language in the defense authorization bill and report that would authorize payment of retired pay and disability pay for military retirees and other eligible veterans – a practice known as "concurrent receipt." For the past 10 years, I have offered legislation on this issue. This matter is of great significance to many of our country's military retirees, because it would reverse existing, unfair regulations that strip retirement pay from military retirees who are also disabled, and costs them any realistic opportunity for post-service earnings. I am pleased that the committee, for the first time, has included language that describes this offset as unfair to disabled career service members.

"My friends, we must do more to restore retirement pay for those military retirees who are disabled. I have stated before in this chamber, and I am compelled to reiterate now – retirement pay and disability pay are distinct types of pay. Retirement pay is for service rendered through 20 years of military service. Disability pay is for physical or mental pain or suffering that occurs during and as a result of military service. In this case, members with decades of military service receive the same compensation as similarly disabled members who served only a few years; this practice fails to recognize their extended, clearly more demanding careers of service to our country. This is patently unfair, and I will continue to work diligently to correct this inequity.

"In the legislation we are considering today, there are several provisions that will significantly improve the lives of active duty members, reservists, military retirees, veterans, and their families. It will come as no surprise, however, that I would like to emphasize that this year's defense authorization bill contains nearly $1 billion in pork – unrequested add-ons to the defense budget that deprive our military of vital funding for priority issues. While this year's total is far less than in previous years, it is still $1 billion too much. Given the grave circumstances facing our nation today, we need to demonstrate to all Americans that we can do better.

"Over the past six years, Congress has increased the Presidents' defense budgets by nearly $60 billion in order to address the military services' most important un-funded priorities. Still, I think it is worth repeating, until the message sinks in, that the military needs less money spent on pork, and more money spent wisely to redress the serious readiness and modernization problems caused by a decade of declining defense budgets.

"Every year as we work on defense authorization legislation, however, certain items are funded that are not on the Service Chiefs' unfunded requirements list and, frankly, whose merits are questionable. For example, I have noticed in the fiscal year 2002 bill a total increase of nearly $55 million for advanced automotive technology and related fuel cell technology research – it sounds like the Motor City will be pleased, but what about the Service Chiefs? The auto industry also must be pleased with funding for the National Automotive Center's SmarTruck Army program. In a Washington Post investigative report last year, it was revealed that the SmarTruck, which was envisioned as a modified Ford F-350 pick-up, has developed into a vehicle that looks like it should be in the next James Bond movie – all paid for with American taxpayers' hard-earned money.

"I am also concerned that despite the President's clear budget request for the procurement of 2 C-130J aircraft for the Air Force, the committee voted by the narrowest margin to add $99 million for an additional, unrequested C-130J for the Little Rock Air Force Base. DoD and GAO have regularly criticized the C-130J program for serious cost overruns and development delays; moreover, there is a significant surplus of this platform in the Air Force inventory – called "an embarrassment of riches" by the Air Force Chief of Staff. This continued procurement clearly makes the contractor happy, but what about the Service Chiefs? For the $99 million dollar cost of 1 C-130J, our Navy could have procured 2 additional F/A-18 E/Fs, to respond directly to the critical need of replacing aging Navy aircraft inventory – an inventory whose airplanes average 18 years old. In fact, the CNO, Admiral Vernon E. Clark, USN, testified before the committee this year that he needs to procure 180 jet aircraft per year just to sustain the 1997 Quadrennial Defense Review level, considerably more than the 48 F/A-18 E/Fs provided in our bill.

"Just as discouraging, given its pork barrel nature, is a provision that would delay the B-1B Lancer bomber force restructuring or downsizing at a cost of $165 million to U.S. taxpayers. This provision has literally made it illegal for the Secretary of Defense to reduce, retire, dismantle, transfer, or reassign the Air National Guard B-1B bomber force by 33 aircraft until the following reports have been prepared: The National Security Review, the Quadrennial Defense Review, the Revised Nuclear Posture Review, the Secretary of Defense Report on the B-1B Bomber, the Bomber Force Structure Report, and a Comptroller General Report on the B-1B Bomber! I have never witnessed a more absurd illustration of congressional micro-management, and at such a great cost; the service chiefs will be unable to make wise use of this $165 million in fiscal year 2002 and the taxpayers' money will again be spent imprudently.

"I would like to mention one further example of wasteful spending. For the last several years, Congress has added money for Cultural and Historic Preservation Activities, which is funded through a program call the Legacy Resource Management Program, fancy terminology for pork. The fiscal year 2002 defense authorization bill will add $8 million to this program, principally for recovery and preservation of the C.S.S. Virginia, which ran aground near Craney Island near the James and Elizabeth Rivers and was set on fire after being abandoned in May 1862. Now, my friends, can't we agree that there are much more pressing needs, such as improving military readiness and providing quality-of-life benefits to our service men and women, than raising this civil war ironclad?

"I also hope that we can re-focus our attention on reforming the bureaucracy of the Pentagon. With the exception of minor changes, our defense establishment looks just as it did 50 years ago. We must continue to incorporate practices from the private sector, like restructuring, reforming, creating efficiencies, and streamlining to eliminate duplication and capitalize on cost savings.

"More effort must be made to reduce the growth trend of headquarters' staff and to decentralize the Pentagon's morass of bureaucratic fiefdoms. Although nearly every military analyst shares these views, this bill instead moves significantly in the direction of increasing the size of headquarters staff, thereby eliminating any incentive for the Pentagon to change its way of doing business with its bloated organization and outdated practices.

"In addition, I appreciate that the Administration and the majority of my colleagues supported one round of Base Realignment and Closure in 2003, but more must be done to eliminate unnecessary and duplicative military contracts and military installations. Every U.S. military leader, civilian and uniformed, has testified about the critical need for further BRAC rounds. We can redirect at least $6 billion per year by eliminating excess defense infrastructure. There is another $2 billion per year that we can put to better purposes by privatizing or consolidating support and maintenance functions, and an additional $5 billion that can be saved each year by eliminating "Buy America" restrictions that undermine U.S. competitiveness overseas. Despite these compelling facts, the defense bill did not address many of these critical issues. And, unfortunately, it includes several provisions that move expressly in the opposite direction. Again, I am pleased that many of my colleagues voted to support Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and General Henry H. Shelton, USA, and approve another round of BRAC by a 53 to 47 roll call vote.

"In addition, sections in this bill designed to preserve depots, and to funnel work in their direction irrespective of cost, are examples of the old philosophy of protecting home-town jobs at the expense of greater efficiencies. And calling plants and depots "Centers of Excellence" does not, Mr. President, constitute an appropriate approach to depot maintenance and manufacturing activities. Consequently, neither the Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence nor the Center of Excellence in Service Contracting provide adequate cloaks for the kind of protectionist and parochial budgeting endemic in the legislating process. Similarly, whether the Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education through the information assurance scholorship program is worthy of the $5 million earmarked in the budget is certainly not academic, but clearly debatable.

"Last year the Defense Appropriations bill included a provision statutorily renaming National Guard armories as "Readiness Centers," a particularly Orwellian use of language. By legally relabeling "depot-level activities" as "operations at Centers of Industrial and Technical Excellence," we further institutionalize this dubious practice, the implications of which are to deny the American public the most cost-effective use of their tax dollars. When will it end?

"In closing, I would like to reiterate my strong commitment to continuing to work for enactment of meaningful improvements for active duty and Reserve service members. They risk their lives to defend our shores and preserve democracy, and we can not thank them enough for their service. But, we can pay them more, improve the benefits for their families, and support the Reserve Components in a similar manner as the active forces. Our service members past, present, and future need these improvements.

"We owe so much more to the honorable men and women in uniform who defend our country. They are our greatest resource, and I feel they are woefully under-represented. At this time of national sorrow, resoluteness, when we in Congress have witnessed so many moving demonstrations of American patriotism, is there any greater duty facing us than to work in unity in full support of our service men and women? We must pledge to do our best on their behalf.

"Mr. President, I request unanimous consent that this statement be included in the Record, along with the attached list of items added to the defense authorization bill by Congress.

"Thank you, and I yield the floor."

(List Below)

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 Non-Priority Add-ons (in millions)

Army Missile procurement
HMDA/SSS          $ 40.0 M

Navy Aircraft procurement
Navy JPATS (Add 10 Navy JPATS)     $ 44.6 M

Air Force Aircraft procurement
C-130J     $ 99.0 M

Air Force Research and Development, Test and Evaluation
Fly-by-Light UCAV    $ 4.0 M
F-15 IFF (Air Force Reserve components)     $ 8.4 M

Army Research and Development, Test and Evaluation
FADEC (Full Authority Digital Electronic Control for Helos)    $ 8.0 M
LOLA (Liquid or Light end Air Boost Pump for Helos)    $ 2.0 M

Navy Research and Development, Test and Evaluation
JASSM    $ 8.1 M
Laser Welding and Cutting    $ 4.3 M

Chemical Agents & Munitions Destruction, Defense
Laser Addictive Manufacturing Initiative    $ 4.0 M
M291 Decontamination Kits    $ 3.4 M


Army Research, Development, Test and Evaluation

University and Industry Research Centers ( lightweight composite mats)    $ 0.75 M
Advanced Materials Processing Research in Nanomaterials    $ 4.0 M
CKEM Miniturized Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)    $ 2.0 M
Single Alloy Tungsten Penetrator    $ 5.0 M
Actuated Coolers for Portable Military Applications    $ 2.0 M
Ground Vehicle Batteries    $1.5 M
C3 Tech and Commercial Wireless Reliability Tested    $ 1.0 M
Geosciences and Atmospheric Research    $ 3.0 M
Personal Warfighter Navigation-MEMS    $5.0 M
Combat Vehicle and Automotive Advanced Technology    $ 5.0 M
Mobile Parts Hospital Technology (MPHT) Program    $ 8.0 M
Networked STEP-Enabled Production    $ 5.0 M
Plasma Energy Pyrolysis System (PEPS)    $ 3.0 M
Managing Army Technology Environmental Enhancement Program    $ 1.0 M
Information Operations Training (Functional Area 30)    $ 1.0 M


Navy Research, Operations, Test and Evaluation

Southeast Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing System    $ 8.0 M
Marine Mammal Low Frequency Sound Research    $ 1.0 M
Fusion of Hyperspectral and Panchromatic Data    $ 5.0 M
Advanced Personal Communicator    $ 3.0 M
Bio-sensor Nanotechnology    $ 4.0 M
Integrated Bioenviromental Hazards Research Program    $ 3.0 M
Modeling, Simulation and Training Immersion Facility    $ 2.0 M
High Brightness Election Source Program    $ 2.5 M
High Performance Wave Form Generator (Electronic Warfare)    $3.0 M
Nanoscale Devices    $ 1.0 M
Nanoscience and Technology    $ 3.0 M
Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Research Initiative    $ 2.5 M
Ship Service Fuel Cell Technology Verification and Training Program    $ 5.0 M
Nanoparticles for Neutralization of Facility Threats (Weapon)    $ 2.0 M
Urban Operations Environment Lab    $ 4.0 M
ITC Human Resource Enterprise Strategy    $ 5.0 M


Air Force Research, Development, Test and Evaluation

Environmentally Sound Corrosion Coatings    $ 1.5 M
Metals Affordability Initiative    $ 5.0 M
Titanium Matrix Composites    $ 7.5 M
UV Free Electron Laser    $ 2.5 M
Information Protection and Authentication    $ 3.0 M
Advanced Aluminum Aerostructures    $ 20 5.0 M
Cyber Security Research    $ 5.0 M


Defense-wide Research, Development, Test and Evaluation

National Nanotechnology Initiative    $ 5.0 M
Bioinformatics Program    $ 1.5 M
Fabrication of 3D Microelectronic Structures    $ 2.0 M
Nanomaterials for Frequency Tunable Devices    $ 3.0 M
0.25/0.18 Micrometer Radiation Hardening Electronics Process    $ 3.0 M
Device Pre-Detonation Technologies    $ 2.0 M
Electrostatic Decontamination System    $ 8.0 M
Standoff Detection of Explosives    $ 5.0 M
Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle    $ 11.0 M
UXO Environmental Security Remediation    $ 5.0 M
Fluorescence Based Chemical and biological point detectors    $ 2.0 M


Counter Drug Activities

National Guard Support    $ 40.0 M


Operations & Maintenance

Army:
Live Fire Range Targets    $ 11.9 M

Navy:
Shipyard Apprentice Program    $ 4.0 M
Corrosion Prevention (Pacific)    $ 2.0 M

Air Force:
Civil Air Patrol    $ 4.5 M

Defense Wide:
Kahololawe    $ 35.0 M
Cultural and Historic Activities (Raising Civil War Ships)    $ 8.0 M

MILCON

Planning and design, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho    $ 0.87 M
PAX River Aircraft prototype facility    $ 1.45 M
Naval War College National Research Center, Newport RI    $ 1.79 M

Engineering Control and Surveillance System (ECSS)    $ 1.6 M
Tactical Communications ONBD Trainer    $ 4.0 M
C-17 Maint. Trainer/Sim.    $ 21.1 M
AEGIS ORTS    $ 6.0 M
COTS Sonar for MCM    $ 5.0 M
NULKA Anti-ship Missile Decoy System    $ 14.0 M
Future Ship Systems Technical Demonstrations    $ 5.0 M
Modular Advanced Composite Hull Form    $ 4.0 M
Ocean Modeling for MCM    $ 2.0 M
Advance SSN Systems Development    $ 1.9 M
Power Node Control Center (PNCC)    $ 3.0 M
Improved SSN Antenna UHF Technology Improvement    $ 3.0 M
Supply Chain Best Practices    $ 6.0 M
Modeling and Simulation Initiatives    $ 7.0 M
DDG-51 Composite Twisted Rudder    $ 3.0 M
Sub Composite Sail    $ 2.0 M
AEGIS Common Ground and Decision Upgrade    $5.0 M
Multi-mission Maritime A/C    $ 53.8 M

Army, Other Procurement

Secure Enroute Comms. - Flying LAN    $ 13.1 M

Air Force, Aircraft Procurement

Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Program (U-2 SYERS Spares)    $ 3.0 M
Air Force, Other Procurement

Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle    $ 3.8 M
Hydra - 70 Rockets    20.0 M
Army Research, Development, Test and Evaluation

Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles    $ 6.0 M
LIDAR Sensors    $ 5.0 M
Enhanced Scramjet Mixing    $ 2.5 M

Navy Research, Development, Test and Evaluation

Re-entry Systems Application Program (RSAP)    $ 2.0 M
Air Force Research, Development, Test and Evaluation

Hand-Held Holographic Radar Gun for the B-2    $ 2.9 M
Dragon (U-2) JMIP SYERS Polarimetric Sensor Upgrade    $ 4.0 M
Space Surveillance Modernization - Camera Augmentation    $ 8.0 M

Defense-wide Research, Development, Test and Evaluation

Accelerate Navy UCAV    $ 9.0 M
Thermionic Technology    $ 8.0 M
Magdelina Ridge Observatory    $ 9.0 M
Software Defined Radio    $ 5.0 M
Aerostat for CMD    $3.8 M
SMDC Advanced Research Center    $ 8.0 M
Space and Missile Defense Battlelab    $ 11.0 M
Excalibur/Scorpius    $ 15.0 M
Water-Scale Planarization    $7.5 M
Bottom Anti-Reflective Coatings    $ 2.5 M
Privateer C3I    $ 2.8 M
Broadcast-Request Imagery Technology Development (BRITE)    $ 3.0 M
Defense Systems Evaluation    $ 1.5 M
Intelligence Spatial Technology for Smart Map    $ 1.0 M
Big Crow    $ 5.0 M

Army Operation and Maintenance

Reserve Land Forces Readiness-Information Operations Sustainment    $ 5.0 M

Navy Operation and Maintenance

NAVOCEANO SURF Eagle    $ 4.0 M

Air Force Operation and Maintenance

Replace/Refurbish Air Handlers at Keesler AFB Medical Center, MS    $ 3.0 M

Defense-wide Operation and Maintenance

Commercial Imagery Initiative    $ 10.0 M
Environmental Restoration for Former Defense Sites in Alaska and other places    $ 40.0 M


AIR NATIONAL GUARD OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE    $ 164.8 M

TOTAL PORK $1.05 Billion

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