NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2004-CONFERENCE REPORT
Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I rise in strong support of the conference report on the fiscal year 2004 National Defense Authorization Act. I believe this legislation does a tremendous amount of good for the men and women in our Nation's military and their families, for America's veterans, and for our country's efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I say a special thanks and congratulations to the Chairman from Virginia, Mr. Warner, as well as the Ranking Member, Senator Levin of Michigan, for their bipartisan spirit in the preparation of the original bill that came out of committee and passed on the floor of the Senate, as well as the preparation of the conference report, which we will soon conclude. Senator Warner and Senator Levin showed strong leadership throughout the process.
I also wish to point out one particular thing that we in the Personnel Subcommittee tried to address. It is pretty obvious, as we look back at the current conflict in Iraq and the recent conflicts that have taken place around the world, that we are calling more and more upon our Guard and Reserve to serve on a regular basis. It is incumbent upon us that we do more to equalize the status of the Guard and Reserve and the Active Force.
As the Senator from Tennessee, Mr. Alexander, knows, he and I have conducted a number of hearings around the country relative to the treatment of children of military families, including the Guard and Reserve. We want to make sure that we are providing all the support necessary for our Guard and Reserve as well as our Active Force to make sure that military families have the kind of quality of life we want them to have and that they expected to have when they signed up for military service.
As chairman of the Subcommittee on Personnel of the Committee on Armed Services, I am proud of the significant actions that we and our House colleagues have taken in this legislation to help ease the burden for the brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who serve our Nation.
Specifically, the conference report authorizes an average 4.15 percent pay raise for service members and a higher, targeted pay raise up to 6.25 percent for mid-career personnel.
The conference report reduces service members' out-of-pocket housing expenses and it authorizes payment of special pay for positions of unusual responsibility and of a critical nature for our Reserve component, in order to ensure that Reserve and Guard personnel serving in command positions are recognized for their important contributions.
The report authorizes continued payment of special pay and bonuses for both Active Duty and Reserve personnel. Payment of increased rates of the family separation allowance and special pay for duty involving hostile fire and imminent danger at the higher monthly rates designated earlier this year are continued.
The conference report also provides enhanced access to TRICARE for members of the Reserve components and their families, and in a meaningful gesture of support for the invaluable contribution of our selected Reserve, it provides full commissary access for National Guard and Reserve personnel.
I want to particularly thank these Members of the Senate-Senators LANDRIEU, GRAHAM, ALLEN, ALEXANDER, and others-who have worked very closely with this Member of the Senate, to ensure that the equalization of the Guard and Reserve with the active force continues to move in the right direction. As we ask our military men and women and their families to do more and more, it is only right that we continue doing all we can for them. This important legislation continues to ensure that we have the best trained, best prepared, and best equipped troops in the world.
I am very pleased that this conference report includes an agreement on concurrent receipt, which I believe is long overdue and is directed at the most deserving disabled military retirees. The conference report would extend concurrent receipt for all disabled veterans rated 50 percent and higher phased in over the next 10 years. It would also make special compensation for combat-related disabilities available to every disabled military retiree-Active and Reserve-whose disability was incurred as a result of combat or combat preparation causes.
In my 8 years in the House, prior to coming to the Senate this year, Congressman MIKE BILIRAKIS of Florida, was the champion of concurrent receipt. I commend him for his hard work on the House side and his diligent efforts in ensuring that concurrent receipt is finally coming to be a realization. We have had the support of the chairman, and the ranking member, as well as Senator Reid, who has been active on this issue. It is something that is long overdue, and it is time we gave our veterans the just reward they deserve.
American veterans have made great sacrifices so that we may live in a safe and secure America. Military retirees who incurred disabilities because of their long and faithful service should no longer have to incur the offset of their retired pay. I view this provision as a historic step in the right direction to help this important class of veterans.
Last year, at the conclusion of the fiscal year 2003 authorization bill, the distinguished chairman said that what we did then with respect to concurrent receipt was a step in the right direction and that we would do more. To his credit, and the credit of the ranking member, we are now following through with that commitment and moving in the right direction. This is a huge step and we will continue to look after our nation's disabled veterans in the future.
The conference report includes a provision that will enhance the process for achieving posthumous citizenship for deceased, non-citizen service members that was sponsored by myself and Senator ZELL MILLER, my colleague from Georgia. This legislation was inspired by the dramatic story of Diego Rincon of Conyers, Georgia, a non-citizen member of our Armed Forces who was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq. This provision will instruct the Government to take steps immediately to facilitate and expedite the process of naturalization following an immigrant soldier's death. Diego Rincon is a true American hero and this legislation ensures that he will be honored as one.
Included in the conference report is authorizing language to delay the decommissioning of Navy and Marine Corps Reserve aviation squadrons like those at the Naval Air Station Atlanta. This provision, which was also included in the final version of the fiscal year 2004 Defense Appropriations Act, prolongs the life of aviation squadrons at NAS Atlanta by preventing the Navy from decommissioning squadrons until the General Accounting Office completes a review of the Navy's plan for tactical aviation integration. This measure restricts funds to be used to decommission aviation squadrons until February 1, 2004.
Senator Miller and I have worked hard all year to delay the decommissioning of the aviation squadron at NAS Atlanta and I am particularly pleased we were successful in postponing these decisions until the General Accounting Office conducts a thorough review of the Navy's plans for tactical air integration to ensure that it is done wisely and in a way that ensures the Navy's missions can be met long term. NAS Atlanta Reserve fight squadrons stand ready with great professionalism for a speedy deployment to critical missions around the world. This provision ensures NAS Atlanta will continue contributing to the Navy's crucial missions and war fighting ability.
This legislation also authorizes the lease of up to 20 aerial refueling aircraft by the Air Force and extends authority for the Air Force to purchase up to 80 tanker aircraft through a multi-year procurement effort. This agreement will allow the Air Force to begin recapitalizing their tanker fleet in a fiscally responsible manner and save taxpayers approximately $4 billion over the original Department of Defense proposal.
This particular provision, Mr. President, has not been without controversy. I commend my colleague, Senator JOHN MCCAIN, for pointing out to the committee several important discrepancies in the process leading up to this tanker provision. The chairman and the ranking member held several hearings on this subject and, for the right reasons, we were able to restructure this lease arrangement so that not only will our men and women in the military benefit from the provision in the conference report, but the taxpayer will benefit as well.
The Defense Authorization Act includes several other military programs that greatly benefit Georgia, as well as the country as a whole. For instance, it includes: Funds to authorize the Air Force to begin re-engining J-STARS aircraft. It includes $3.5 billion for 22 FA-22 aircraft, the next tactical fighter jet for the U.S. Air Force; $336 million for five C-130 aircraft, as part of a multi-year buy arrangement; $931 million to convert two Trident ballistic missile submarines into guided missile submarines, one of which will be stationed at Kings Bay Naval Base in Georgia; $2.1 billion for 11 C-17 aircraft, under, again, our continuing multi-year contract, which, for the first time in the history of the United States Air Force, we have operated in a businesslike manner from a procurement standpoint; $19.7 million to accelerate the C-5 aircraft avionics modernization programs; and an important provision aimed at ensuring that Army or Air National Guard personnel may effectively command Active Duty personnel when they are entrusted with command of a unit composed of both active duty and Guard personnel. This provision will directly benefit the command relationships and operations of the 116th Air Control Wing at Robins Air Force Base that flies and operates J-STARS aircraft.
Mr. President, I believe this conference report does a tremendous amount of good for our Nation and, most importantly, for the brave men and women who are serving our Nation overseas and at home. I urge my colleagues to support the conference report and again, I commend Senator Warner and Senator Levin for their strong leadership.
I yield the floor.