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Mr. Chairman, this bill today is one of the most important pieces of legislation that this Congress will consider, and I want to recognize the leadership of the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman STUMP), for his leadership, as well as the leadership of our ranking member, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton). The bipartisan approach that this committee has utilized to craft this bill exemplifies our bipartisan and our unwavering commitment to winning our Nation's war against terrorists.
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We also in this bill take major steps forward in providing our Armed Forces with the tools and the resources they need to protect our national security interests around the world. Earlier this year our military chiefs testified before our committee and identified over $25 billion in unfunded requirements for the upcoming fiscal year. Our committee was not able to address every need on the chiefs' list, but I am pleased that we addressed many of the issues, particularly in the areas of quality of life, readiness and modernization, as well as the deficiencies that the Department identified necessary to wage our war on terrorism.
Over the last few years, one area of particular concern to me has been the continued reduction in troop end strength. In the post-Vietnam War era, the active duty military peaked at 2.2 million personnel. Today it is less than 1.5 million. Last year, each of our military services entered the war on terrorism with personnel shortages, a situation that has only worsened due to the heightened operational tempo required around the globe.
I commend the ranking member, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), for his leadership in advocating an increase in troop strength; and I am pleased that this bill contains an increase of 13,000 in troop authorization above last year's level.
Mr. Chairman, I believe this is an important piece of legislation that deserves the support of the entire Congress. I urge adoption of this legislation.
Lastly, this legislation strengthens our national security interests both at home and abroad by authorizing $7.8 billion for ballistic missile defense programs. The development of medium and long range ballistic missiles by North Korea, Iran, Iraq, and other rogue countries underscores the importance of developing a fielding theater missile defenses capable of defeating these threats as soon as possible. Protecting our country and troops deployed in theater from a ballistic missile attack should continue to be a priority, and I applaud the commitment that is being shown to field this technology in the near term. Mr. Chairman, I especially want to emphasize the importance of fielding the Department of Defense's highest theater missile defense system, the PAC-3. When you look at spectrum of known threats around the world, and focus on those areas where we either have personnel or could likely have troops deployed, it's hard to ignore the fact that most credible ballistic missile threats would be thwarted by the PAC-3 system. Consequently, amendments will be offered by Mr. SPRATT and Mr. HUNTER a little later that seek to add money to this program. I am hopeful that you will support this effort and join with us in ensuring that our troops are adequately protected against these emerging threats.
Mr. Chairman, we are at an important juncture with respect to funding our military and providing them with the resources necessary to effectively wage our war on terrorism. This bill acknowledges the challenges we face and seeks to respond. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.
Mr. STUMP. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Personnel.
Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Chairman, May marks National Military Appreciation Month, and I can think of no appropriate way to recognize it than to rise in strong support of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003. I especially commend for my colleagues' consideration and support the military personnel provisions of the bill that address continuing realities and challenges by making improvements in the end strength, compensation, personnel and health care systems of the Department of Defense.
Let me highlight three of those most important areas. First, while fully supporting the efforts of the Secretary of Defense to reduce operational and mission requirements, this bill reflects the view that the war on terrorism will be a long-term effort and that some growth in military manpower is prudent at this time.
Therefore, the bill represents the bipartisan views of all of us, including the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), who was a leader on this, and recommends an increase in active duty end strength of nearly 1 percent, or 12,650, above fiscal year 2002 levels. That is the largest single year growth in active end strength since 1985 and 1986. To support the added strength, the bill provides an additional $550 million as well as increasing National Guard and Reserve component full-time manning by some 2,400 personnel.
Secondly, the bill provides a military pay raise, as proposed by the President, of 4.1 percent across-the-board for all personnel, one-half of 1 percent more than the average pay increase for private sector employees.
In addition, it recommends targeted raises of 6.5 percent to critical mid-grade and senior noncommissioned officers and mid-grade officers, as well as housing rates that will reduce the out-of-pocket housing expenses from the current level of 11.3 percent to 7.5 percent in fiscal year 2003.
Finally, as the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) said moments ago, the third major provision I want to highlight would ensure that by 2007 all retirees rated by the Veterans Administration with 60 percent disabled or above will receive both their full military retired pay and their full VA disability pay. This initiative, known widely as concurrent receipts, represents the culmination of a multi-year, bipartisan effort to restore justice in veterans' compensation using the $5.8 billion provided by the House budget resolution for fiscal year 2003.
In closing, Mr. Chairman, let me thank the ranking member of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder), for his leadership, for his very active involvement, as well as all members of both sides of the aisle of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel who have a good deal to be proud of in this fine mark and in this great bill.
Mr. Chairman, I urge all Members to join us in support of this very fine measure.
Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews).
(Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. It is a personal privilege to stand in support of the piece of legislation named in honor of a patriot, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump), who has served our country so very well. I am honored to support this bill in his name, and thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) for his contribution.
America stands today as perhaps the greatest military power in global history; but as we have learned in the last 7 months, even great powers are faced with great challenges. I support this bill because I believe it affirms two of our greatest strengths, and it begins to deal with two of our greatest challenges.
First of all, it affirms the strength that is the most premium strength of the American military structure, the men and women who serve their country. By raising the pay of those men and women by 4.1 percent, by supplementing their medical and other benefits considerably, although not enough, this bill is a good step in the right direction.
Second, as a member of the Subcommittee on Research and Development, I am particularly pleased that we have before us today a bill that will make the greatest investment in research and development in our Nation's history. In particular, I am pleased with the 20 percent increase in the DARPA funding accounts, which I think bring out the very best of America's university sector, private sector and government sector.
With respect to challenges, I believe that the new Northern Command structure that is implemented in this bill is a positive step toward meaningful homeland security. I look forward to working with the Pentagon and my fellow members of the committee in making that command structure effective in homeland security.
Finally, the bill begins to grapple with the very real problem with missile defense. There are those of us who believe that missile defense is necessary and appropriate, but there are some disagreements over how to implement it. Because of the bipartisan leadership of this committee, I believe that we have a constructive approach to bridging those differences and managing this challenge.
In short, I believe this is a bill that every Member of both political parties can support with pride that will help us carry forward in meeting the very great challenges our country faces today. I urge support of the bill.
Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, it was the Roman orator Cicero who once said that the greatest of all virtues is gratitude, and let me again express gratitude to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump) for his tireless and skillful efforts in leading our committee, and in his contributions to the United States Congress through the years. We are very proud of him and thank him for what he has done for us, and the role model he has been for the rest of the Members, both Democrat and Republican.
Let me also say a word of thanks and gratitude to the Committee on Armed Services, which I believe is the most bipartisan committee in this body. There are times we have partisan disagreements, but we do attack the various issues as professionals and as representatives of different parts of our country.
But most of all, I think we as a body need to express thanks and gratitude to the young men and young women in uniform. That is the purpose of our being here today. It is the United States Constitution that charges us here in Congress to raise and maintain the military of the United States. The military of the United States is reflected by young people in various colors of uniform all wearing the American flag on their sleeve. So we thank them, we thank their families, and we hope that the piece of legislation that we pass today will be a benefit to them, encouraging them to keep doing a good job and staying the course, and just a word of thanks to them for their determination, dedication and patriotism.
With that, Mr. Chairman, again a special thanks to the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman STUMP).
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. STUMP. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk).
(Mr. KIRK asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. KIRK. Mr. Chairman, I want to also thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump) and our other defense leader, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), for this legislation. This bill supports President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld, who commands our troops currently in battle. It supports our Naval training at the Navy's only boot camp at Great Lakes, Illinois.
It advances our efforts to combine Naval Hospital Great Lakes with North Chicago VA to help out veterans and active duty health care.
It protects our air crews over Afghanistan and Iraq with improved tactical Navy electronic warfare aircraft, and it supports our fellow allies to meet the missile threat, especially giving early warning eyes in the sky to Israel and Arrow anti-missiles to shoot down SCUDs. It is a good piece of legislation; it deserves our support for the fundamental mission of the Federal Government to defend our country.
Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act. This bill supports the efforts of President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld to modernize and strengthen our military. The bill supports the needs of our men and women in uniform, ensuring that they receive better pay, have better equipment at their disposal, have a better quality of life, and are provided with all the tools necessary to complete their missions. The effects of these initiatives will be appreciated by servicemembers around the world, from the recruits currently in my district at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center to the Special Forces troops operating in the mountains of Afghanistan.
Additionally, this bill strongly supports electronic warfare and the EA -6B Prowler , our Nation's lone remaining electronic jamming aircraft. The Prowler is integral to successful airborne strike operations and is often the first aircraft in theater and the last aircraft to leave. Without the Prowler , our aircrews would be vulnerable to a wide variety of threats from integrated air defenses and advanced surface-to-air missiles. In support of the aging Prowler fleet, this bill authorizes $85.8 million to procure and install wing center sections and outer wing panels, both of which have suffered from fatigue and forced the grounding of eight aircraft.
$35 million is included to procure advanced USQ-113 jammers, which will enhance that ability of the Prowler to cut off enemy communications. I am also encouraged that $29 million are included to procure band 9/10 transmitters, which will enhance Prowler capabilities.
Perhaps most importantly, H.R. 4546 includes an increase of $10 million to continue efforts to develop a successor to the Prowler .
Mr. Chairman, I strongly support our men and women in uniform, our national defense, and this bill. I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. STUMP. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Jeff Miller).
(Mr. JEFF MILLER of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. JEFF MILLER of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003, H.R. 4546.
The legislation remedies a long-committed wrong that has been used against our retired military veterans for many years. By providing $5.58 billion over 5 years towards retiree benefits, H.R. 4546 begins full concurrent receipt for veterans suffering from a disabled rating 60 percent or greater. These individuals have given decades of their life and service to this great country, and they will begin to receive their earned retired pay along with their earned disability payment.
This agreement builds upon the work of the Committee on Veterans Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services over the last couple years, and finishes the work done last year that made the policy change.
Due to the meticulous work by the Committee on the Budget, the requirement to have a full budget offset is no longer needed, and that section has now been removed as a stipulation that claims must be made within 4 years of military separation.
Mr. Chairman, I am proud to be a member of the Committee on Armed Services and proud to support this fiscal year 2003 defense authorization, H.R. 4546.
Mr. STUMP. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer).
(Mr. BUYER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump) for all his hard work. I served with the gentleman when he chaired the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and I think it is appropriate that this defense bill is named after him. And I would say to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), you two together have put before this Congress another quality product on behalf of the men and women who serve our Nation.
I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon), as chairman of the Subcommittee on Procurement. The gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor) and I co-chaired the Guard and Reserve Caucus for many years, and serve in that caucus, and a big part of our mark was accepted, just like the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) used to do for us, and there are so many Guard and Reserve. There are so many things for the active force.
So it is not only the procurement mark, but also military construction, and what the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) did with regard to end strength, I thank the gentlemen. It is a very good mark. I ask all Members to support the product of the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton). It is quality work.
Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4546; the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003.
America is at war, our military personnel are in harm's way, and our Nation is facing dangerous and difficult threats.
September 11, 2001, now marks the most lethal single attack on the United States in our Nation's history.
The Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act demonstrates strong bipartisan commitment to America's soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who are fighting the global war against terrorism.
President George W. Bush stated and I quote,
Nothing is more important than the national security of our country, nothing is more important. So nothing is more important than our defense budget.
I strong agree.
This National Defense Authorization Act goes beyond the President's request to improve homeland security, support U.S. service members, and increase military readiness and modernization.
It is fitting that this Defense Authorization Act; the largest real increase to defense
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I have had the privilege of working along side BOB, and the opportunity to witness his steadfast support of our Nation's military. We share the same values and beliefs; duty, honor, courage, and commitment to God, country, family, and our fellow man. His leadership will be missed.
Equally fitting is the support H.R. 4546 provides to addressing the needs of the National Guard and Reserves.
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