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[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 177 (Thursday, November 20, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10731-S10732]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

             FORT POLK BARRACKS PRIVATIZATION PILOT PROGRAM

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, on September 27, the Senate passed the 
Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, 
which the President signed into law on October 14. The legislation 
includes critical provisions that will directly improve the quality of 
life for our men and women in uniform, support needed reforms in the 
operations of the Department of Defense and provide our soldiers, 
sailors, Air Force personnel and marines with the tools they need to 
defend our freedom. I thank and commend Senator Levin and our 
colleagues on the Armed Services Committee for the thorough work on 
this detailed legislation and their perseverance in crafting the 
legislation in a difficult and at times uncertain process.
  There were a number of filed floor amendments to the bill that were 
not

[[Page S10732]]

able to be considered because of the procedural situation on the floor 
in September. The managers of the bill, Senator Levin and Senator 
Warner, stated that they had prepared a set of over 90 cleared 
amendments in a managers' package for which they believed they had 
unanimous consent to include in the bill. It is my understanding that 
one of those amendments was the provision I had filed to expand the 
existing pilot authority in section 2881a of title 10, to authorize the 
Army to carry out a pilot program using the private sector for the 
acquisition or construction of military unaccompanied housing for all 
ranks in an arrangement similar to what we have carried successfully 
with the privatization of family housing and senior unaccompanied 
soldiers. While I was very disappointed that the amendment could not be 
adopted because of the procedural situation, I want to thank Senator 
Levin and the other members of the committee for their willingness to 
support inclusion of the public-private sector partnership approach for 
ensuring improved housing for all ranks of our single soldiers.
  The Army already has five similar privatization projects underway for 
senior unaccompanied enlisted personnel or officers. The business case 
for these projects shows that they are not only less costly than 
traditional government-funded construction and sustainment, but more 
importantly, the living conditions are vastly improved as soldiers have 
access to larger, modern apartments on post. The living conditions for 
these soldiers and officers will be enhanced to the same level as that 
of military members with families.
  Given our Nation's current financial crisis, defense spending is 
likely to come under great stress over the next few years. Historically 
the Army and the other services have had great challenges in 
maintaining even minimum levels of housing sustainment and 
revitalization funding to keep our barracks fit for our soldiers. I can 
speak from personal experience about the serious deficiencies in the 
barracks at Fort Polk in Leesville. Despite the recent increase in Army 
funding for barracks revitalization there, I worry that needed long-
term funding will be difficult to secure under the traditional model to 
prevent deterioration in the longer run. Improved quality of life, 
including housing, is critical to the retention of our enlisted 
soldiers, and critical to keeping our All Volunteer force strong. 
Partnerships between the Army and the private sector for this segment 
of our military housing will be needed as a fundamental long-term 
solution to providing the best housing for our soldiers.
  Despite the procedural setback in September, I appreciate the support 
we received for our amendment and am committed to continue working with 
the Armed Services Committee to advance this issue in 2009. We are also 
hopeful that the Army will use its existing authorities to begin 
extending the successful privatization model to construction and 
revitalization of Barracks for all of our soldiers.

                          ____________________
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