Date: 2012-12-12
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise to speak on House consideration of the The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. I thank Chairman MCKEON. Ranking Member SMITH and the Rules Committee. and the Armed Services Committees for their work on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The National Defense Authorization Acts purpose is to address the threats our nation must deal with not just today. but into the future. This makes our work vital to our national interest and it should reflect our strong commitment to ensure that the men and women of our Armed Services receive the benefits and support that they deserve for their faithful service. This is the 52nd consecutive National Defense Authorization Act. which speaks to the long term commitment of the Congress and successive Administrations to provide for National Defense. This bill encompasses a number of initiatives designed to confront sexual assault in the military. making more efficient the work of protecting America. addresses the mental health needs of men and women in the armed services. and extends economic opportunity to small minority and women owned businesses. We do live in a dangerous world. where threats are not always easily identifiable. and our enemies are not bound by borders. The resent Boston Terrorist Attack reminds us of how fragile our nations security could be without a well trained and equipped military. The definition of war has changed and with it our understanding about what is needed to combat a unique type of enemy that fights under no flag or for any nation. U.S. Special Operations Command. a vital part of our military. provides much of the special skills needed to defend our nation today. This legislation continues to build on previous efforts to support their important work. I am still deeply concerned about the Presidents authority. as stipulated by the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF). to indefinitely detain individuals apprehended in the United Statesincluding citizens of the United Stateswithout due process and with little independent review or oversight. As a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee. I am committed to making sure that the Constitution and its protections are enforced. The purpose to defend this nation is not just on the grounds of this capitol. but also the foundation that supports the principles of liberty. freedom and democratic values. The bill includes several provisions that recognize the strain of more than a decade of war has placed on our troops and the equipment. technology. and tools that they use. It supports a 1.8 percent pay raise. I had wanted a 2 percent raise for our troops. This Congress must communicate its wholehearted support for the security of the nation by addressing mindless cuts created by sequestration. the $174.6 billion in operation and maintenance funding the bill provides will help mend some of the damage that has been done to overused equipment and neglected facilities. It also strengthens our ability to confront cyber threats. and provides important authorities to protect vital information. The bill also continues to lay the foundation for enabling competition in military space launch. I am also pleased that so much has occurred to improve the bill during its consideration on the House Floor. including the adoption of seven amendments that I offered. Combined. these amendments will help our military families have access to mental health counseling when needed and that contracting opportunities with the Department of Defense are extended to women and minority owned businesses. In addition. the bill has been improved to include provisions that are critically important to women. including provisions to prevent and respond to sexual assault and research to combat Triple Negative Breast Cancer. The bill amended on the House floor now also contains provisions that will help secure our borders and make the defense logistics management system more efficient. Let me discuss briefly the amendments I offered that were either included in the final bill or strongly supported in the Conference Report. The Conference Report strongly encourages the DOD and NIH to collaborate in an effort to combat Triple Negative Breast Cancer in identifying specific genetic and molecular targets and biomarkers for TNBC. Triple Negative Breast Cancer is a term used to describe breast cancers whose cells do not have estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors. and do not have an excess of the "HER2" protein on their cell membrane of tumor cells. This makes commonly used test and methods to detect breast cancer not as effective. This is a serious illness that affects between 1017 percent of female breast cancer patients and this condition is more likely to cause death than the most common form of breast cancer. Seventy percent of women with metastatic triple negative breast cancer do not live more than five years after being diagnosed. This Report Language will help to save lives. TNBC disproportionately impacts younger women. African American women. Hispanic/ Latina women. and women with a "BRCA1" genetic mutation. which is prevalent in Jewish women. TNBC usually affects women under 50 years of age and makes up more than 30 percent of all breast cancer diagnoses in African American. Black women are far more susceptible to this dangerous subtype than white or Hispanic women There is also Report Language that will strongly encourage the Department of Defense to post information on sexual assault prevention and response resources online for ease of access by men and women in the armed services. There is no greater crime that an individual can commit than the crime of sexual molestation and sexual assault. The perpetrators of these crimes rob victims of their dignity and sense of wellbeing. Victimization is not easily relieved by treating the immediate physical injuries that may result. but can last for years. Moreover. victims of sexual assault are profoundly affected for the rest of their lives often with PTSD or other medical conditions. As elected officials. we have an obligation to condemn this violence. work for stronger enforcement of laws and provide adequate funding for programs to assist individuals who may have experienced such abuse. In 2012. we know that victims of sexual violence or abuse among civilians are routinely under reported. The Defense Department report states that of the 26.000 estimated victims only 3.374 crimes were reported and just 302 of the 2.558 incidents pursued by victims were prosecuted. This Report Language will make sure that information is available and easily accessible to military personnel for the purpose of raising awareness. promoting education and the long term goal of influencing organizational culture around the issue of sexual violence. Many in the military are just learning that there is a huge difference between sex and sexual violence. This Report Language will help to educate both victims. potential victims. witnesses or victimizers that these are acts of violence and should be treated as such. It may also help influence thinking among military leaders on the nature of these crimes and promote changes in policy to aggressively provide support to victims and judicial remedies to prosecute and punish criminal behavior. In addition to the amendments I offered that were included in the final bill. in which. I joined my Colleagues on the Committee on Homeland Security in supporting an amendment to promote collaboration and cooperation between the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security regarding the identification of equipment. either declared excess. or made available to DHS on a longterm loan basis that will help increase security along the border. The bill also includes an amendment I cosponsored with Homeland Security Committee Chairman MCCAUL. Ranking Member THOMPSON. and Border Security and Maritime Subcommittee Chair MILLER which provides for the transfer of technology from DOD to state and local law enforcement. Before the creation of DHS a program was created to facilitate this type of equipment transfer and this amendment adds the Secretary of Homeland Security in a consultative role in the equipment transfer process. This amendment also gives applicants seek DOD equipment for use in border security preference in this statute. This will facilitate expedited transfer of equipment that Federal. state and local first responders can use to strengthen our border security efforts. I do have grave concerns about some features of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. For example this bill assumes adoption of the House Budget Resolution framework. which would hurt our economy and require draconian cuts to middleclass priorities. This is a serious concern for me because of how it would impact my constituents in the 18th Congressional District. The Administration has communicated that it would veto this bill in its current form and I hope that the conference process will resolve the issues that are the most troubling like the treatment of the Guantanamo detainees. This issue is a mark against everything the United States stands for and it is damaging our reputation and credibility around the world. The detentions should end and people properly processed to other facilities or tried in courts of law to address charges or crimes against the United States. My hope is that this provision will be dropped from the bill as the legislative process goes forward. We must continue to direct our efforts as a body to ensure that our troops remain the best equipped and prepared military force in the world. They are not just soldiers. they are sons and daughters. husbands and wives. brothers and sistersthey are some of the people we represent as members of Congress. Support of them is a sacred obligation of Congress both to those who are at risk on battle fields and serving as the guard against threats around the world. but they are also those who have returned home from war. I thank Chairman MCKEON and Ranking Member SMITH for their work on this bill.