Dreier Votes Approve Defense Bill

Dreier Votes to Approve Defense Bill

May 25, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman David Dreier (R-CA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, voted tonight to approve legislation authorizing the operations of the Department of Defense (DOD) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006. The FY 06 Department of Defense Authorization Act was approved with strong bipartisan support, 390-39.

"While our troops are defending and promoting freedom across the globe, they deserve the absolute best in terms of weapons, equipment, and support," Dreier said. "This bill provides that and more. It ensures that our troops will get what they need, when they need it. It also includes a well-deserved pay increase and permanently establishes the recently approved increase in the combat death benefit. I'm very pleased this good bill received the bipartisan support it deserved."

The legislation brings attention to the exploding costs of next generation weapons systems by requiring DOD to evaluate and monitor changes in baseline cost estimates and by setting strict accounting and cost management standards. It also creates a Contingency Contracting Corps to facilitate the rapid acquisition of critically needed goods and services. The bill also increases several categories of pay and bonuses, including implementing an across-the-board 3.1 percent increase in basic pay, raising the cap on hardship duty pay to $750 per month from $300, making permanent the $100,000 combat death gratuity benefit payment included in the recent supplemental bill, increasing enlistment and re-enlistment bonuses, and extending bonuses given to personnel with critical skills. Locally, the bill includes a $10 million authorization for La Verne-based Chang Industry's ANGELFIRE for FCLAS active protection system, and $5 million for the Duarte-based City of Hope National Medical Center's biomedical research imaging core.

The bill also helps guardsmen and reservists by bringing the housing allowance for mobilized reservists into line with the allowance given to active duty forces, and extending to 120 days the amount of time a demobilized reservist has to decide whether to commit to continued service in the reserves and enroll in the TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) program. It also extends TRS health coverage for family members six months beyond the death of a member enrolled in TRS.

Dreier commended his California colleague House Armed Services Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) for producing yet another outstanding bill in support of our military.

http://dreier.house.gov/releases/pr052505.htm