National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014

Floor Speech

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment (#63), to the National Defense Authorization Act, which would require the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps to provide free Internet access for servicemembers serving in a combat zone.

This amendment comes as a response to several servicemembers from our district who, while serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, found the distribution and pricing of recreational Internet usage for servicemembers to be unequal and exorbitant.

For the vast majority of our nation's servicemembers serving overseas, the Internet has become the best means to communicate with spouses, children, parents, and other loved ones. It is the key link to staying connected with home and provides a much needed boost in morale for our nation's warriors who have had to endure multiple tours of duty in some of the most difficult terrain in the world.

It is imperative that as the people's elected representatives, we make sure that this important service is provided to those who have answered the call of duty and are putting their lives in harm's way at the lowest cost for our servicemembers.
For situations in which the local security environment does not allow for recreational Internet usage, this amendment provides for a temporary waiver.

I ask for my colleagues to stand with our servicemembers and their families and vote in support of my amendment.

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