Date: 1983-05-18
Speaker: WON PAT (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman. I urge passage today of H.R. 2969. the Defense Authorization Act of fiscal 1984. This bill is a testament to the hard work of my colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee. Chairman MELVIN PRICE and others. who have done their best to provide the military with the money it needs while also pairing down unnecesary costs. As a member of the Subcommittee on Research and Development. I am proud of the $2.3 billion which our committee provided for R&D. It is essential that we continue this vital research into new areas of technology to prevent our Nation from becoming second best. There are several other areas of the bill which also should be noted. One is the provision for a 4percent pay raisewhich I believe is absolutely needed. and our comments about the need to continually review the way in which the Pentagon contracts out the work now done by Federal employees. This bill also contains several provisions which I authored. The first is the authorcation for residents of the Northern Marianas to serve as officers in the U.S. military. Although not citizens of this Nation at present. we find that many Northern Mariana Island residents now are serving as enlisted personnel in the military and I am pleased that the committee approved my request to permit the newest of Americans to serve as officers or to enter offiers training course in. the military or college. These young men and women will prove to be a proud addition to our officers corps and I am confident they will serve with honor and dignity. A word of praise is also due to the Northern Mariana Islands Washington representative. Edward DLG Pangelinan. who has worked so closely with me on this issue and has done an outstanding job of representing his people. Finally. section 1056 at long last removes a blight on our commitment to military retirees by authorizing the Department of Defense to pay for the return of remains of retirees who die in military health facilities away from their homes. This is not now the case. Last year I was shocked to find that one of my constituents. a man who had a long and proud military record died in Hawaii after being medivaced by the military from Guam for treatment of a terminal illness. His family was notified that they. not the military. would have to pay for the return of his body. Current law permits the military to pay only for the transportation of live retirees. not deceased ones. Obviously. it is high time to correct this flagrant flaw in the law and give our military the benefits they deserve. The Pentagon supports my proposal which would affect military retirees across the Nation. I want to express my sincere thanks to the many national veterans groups who rose to support my bill. H.R. 1104. which was later added as an amendment to H.R. 2969 before us today. A particular note of appreciation is owed to Mr. Max J. Bellke. legislative counsel of the National Association for Uniformed Services for his hard work to gain the support of other veterans groups for my efforts. I also extend my appreciation to my colleagues on the committee and the 35 Members who cosponsored H.R. 1104 in recognition of its merits. Thank you.