Rep. Osborne Votes to Fund Nation's Military Priorities

Rep. Osborne Votes to Fund Nation's Military Priorities
Monday, December 19, 2005

Washington, D.C.- Nebraska Third District Representative Tom Osborne voted with the House tonight to approve funding for our troops, military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, hurricane disaster assistance, and avian flu preparedness. These funds were included in the conference report on the Defense Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2006.

Rep. Osborne stated, "Passing the conference report on the Defense Appropriations Bill is critical given that it equips our troops with the tools needed to build on their efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Highlights of H.R. 2863 include:

* Fully funds the 3.1 percent increase in base pay for members of the Armed Forces.

* Includes $50 billion in emergency funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. 80 percent of this funding is provided for military pay and operation and maintenance accounts. Funds are also provided for the following:

- Replacement of equipment losses: Approximately $8.0 billion is added to procurement accounts for Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force equipment due to wartime losses and degradation. This includes funding for additional Humvees, trucks, radios, electronic jammers, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and ammunition.

- Counter improvised explosive devices (IED) equipment: In the Iraq Freedom Fund, $1.36 billion is provided for the IED Defeat Task Force of the Department of Defense in order to test and field new jammers to counter IEDs employed by our enemies in Iraq and Afghanistan. Additionally, $362.7 million is provided specifically to procure high power jammers for use by the Marine Corps in Iraq.

- Personnel protection items: An additional $1.2 billion is provided for personnel force protection items and gear for troops in the field, such as body armor.

- Recruiting and Retention Programs: Approximately $1.2 billion is included to support the Services' recruiting, retention, and advertising programs due to the challenging recruiting environment.

- Insurance and death gratuities: A total of $150.3 million is provided to cover costs of the enhanced life insurance and death gratuity benefits approved in the fiscal year 2005 war supplemental bill.

- Army Reset: The recommendations propose a total of $2.9 billion for Army equipment rehabilitation (unit and depot maintenance).

- Other Items: Up to $500 million is provided to train and equip the military and security forces of Iraq and Afghanistan. The Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP) is provided up to $500 million to help combatant commanders secure the peace by addressing emergency civilian needs in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The bill also includes no new net spending for hurricane disaster assistance and avian flu preparedness. A large percentage of the assistance provided is due to a reallocation of funds appropriated earlier in the year to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund.

Specifically, the bill provides a total of $29 billion for disaster assistance to hurricane-damaged areas and $3.8 billion for avian flu preparedness. Additionally, a provision in the bill allows lease sales to produce the estimated 10.4 billion barrels of oil in the northern coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Rep. Osborne added, "Opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling is an integral part of a comprehensive plan to reduce our nation's dependence on foreign sources of energy. I am pleased that by including the ANWR provision in H.R. 2863, Congress has set the stage for the United States to finally move forward on this initiative."

The bill also includes a provision to provide funding for schools in the Gulf region affected by the recent hurricanes. Controversially, the bill would allow for private schools as well as public schools to receive funding for reconstruction, as well as a voucher-type program to reimburse schools-both public and private- that accept students displaced by the hurricane.

"I am deeply disappointed that a measure as controversial as school vouchers was included in a must-pass bill. Throughout this process, I have shared my opposition to these efforts with the House leadership. Unfortunately, in these very unique circumstances, this voucher-type program was attached to a bill that must be signed into law. However, I remain committed to opposing school vouchers."

The conference report now moves to the Senate for consideration.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ne03_osborne/121905DOD.html