Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017

Floor Speech

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Mr. FLEMING. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would prohibit funds from being used to modify a military installation for the purpose of housing unaccompanied alien children.

Our military installations are for training and equipping soldiers to fight our Nation's wars. The use of DOD facilities to house unaccompanied alien children undermines the readiness of our Armed Forces, which we know to be in extremis at this point.

This amendment follows on from a provision included in the National Defense Authorization Act, passed out of the House Armed Services Committee, that prohibits unaccompanied alien children from being hosted on military installations. A similar standalone bill has also been introduced by Judge John Carter of Texas and has 61 cosponsors.

Under recent agreements made by the Department of Health and Human Services, the DOD has provided housing to unaccompanied alien children with certain requirements and preferences being requested by HHS that facilities be able to provide space for security fencing, service trailers, and potential soft-sided outdoor housing.

It is inappropriate for scarce defense dollars, meant to go for the readiness of our soldiers, to be used for nondefense purposes, especially at this time in our Nation's history when our readiness is so low.

Take, for example, the Army Air Defense and Artillery training site at Fort Sill, where unaccompanied minors were housed in 2014. These barracks were used by HHS, and resources had to be expended to ensure HHS contractors and the minors being hosted did not gain access to sensitive areas and live-fire training ranges.

Fort Hood was also on the short list for hosting unaccompanied minors in 2015. Because of this, the Texas National Guard was unable to stand up a training facility because the base was being considered to host these unaccompanied minors.

Our military infrastructure is in serious need of upgrading and construction dollars are scarce. Mr. Chairman, the slightest use of resources to modify an installation to meet nondefense missions jeopardizes the readiness of our Armed Forces.

Following on the prohibition placed in this year's House NDAA, I ask my colleagues to support my amendment.

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Mr. FLEMING. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire how much time I have?

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Mr. FLEMING. Mr. Chair, I thank my friends and colleagues for their comments and statements, but I simply have to disagree. Again, this is about military readiness, which we are at a low, low point.

We are getting all sorts of reports. We are having hearings from generals, commanders in the field, and generals at the Pentagon, telling us that they are scratching for every little penny they can find for readiness.

In fact, just the other night on FOX News, they talked about a Marine Corps F-18. They had to go to a museum just to find a part to put on that in order for it to go into service.

Look, if it is important to provide facilities for unaccompanied alien children, then the Appropriations Committee should appropriate those dollars. But they should not take them from the vital military facilities. They shouldn't take scarce dollars away from our readiness. As a result of that, again, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.

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Mr. FLEMING. Mr. Chair, again, I just ask my colleagues to support this. This is common sense. We need to protect our soldiers, sailors, airmen, as well as marines. We need to make sure that they are safe out there, that every dollar is put into readiness to protect them, and it should not be diverted in this way. Again, I urge support of this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. FLEMING. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

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