Date: 2010-12-17
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Chairman SKELTON. America thanks you. The troops in Texas thank you. and all of the troops around the world thank you. I thank you for strengthening your commitment to service men and women and their families. Readiness has been your challenge. I thank you for that. For strengthening the military forces. for making sure they have the right. secure. safe. and the most technologically sophisticated equipment. I thank you. Likewise. let me say to you: For your demeanor and spirit. for the tears you shed for those who lost their lives. you have never wavered. and for the service that you gave as a young man in the United States military. I cannot thank you enough. I come today to support this Ike Skelton bill and to ask my colleagues to pay tribute to this American hero. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 6523. to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2011 for military activities of the Department of Defense. for military construction. and for defense activities of the Department of Energy. to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year. and for other purposes. As a Member of both the Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security Committees. I highly commend Chairman IKE SKELTON for his steadfast leadership and tireless efforts to invest in our military to increase our national security. I join him in strongly supporting the men and women of our Armed Forces. they make the greatest of sacrifices to ensure our national security as a matter of duty. So. I stand here today to say to my colleagues here in Congress. that "now it is our duty to take care of the military families who take care of us!" This defense bill reflects our commitment to support the men and women who fight to secure not only our citizens freedom. but the freedom of others. In H.R. 6523. Chairman IKE SKELTON and the Armed Services Committee provide the necessary resources to protect the American people and our national interests at home and abroad. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 makes record investments in our Nations military. authorizing a $725 billion budget to further strengthen our national security. provide our brave men and women in uniform with the tools to do their jobs. and take care of our servicemembers and their families who make sacrifices right there beside them. It utilizes a sound and balanced strategy to provide the resources we need to sustain two wars today and to be prepared for the threats of tomorrowwhatever and wherever they may be. This legislation: Strengthens counterterrorism efforts and force protection. strengthens missile defense. strengthens nuclear nonproliferation. strengthens support for servicemembers and their families. strengthens military forces. and strengthens defense acquisition. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011. further strengthens our national security by continuing Congress work to provide the necessary funding. authorities. and oversight for those who defend America from terrorists. It fully supports President Obamas counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan. the nation that served as the genesis for multiple attacks against America. including the terrorist attacks of September 11. 2001. The Presidents plan in Afghanistan continues to show clear signs of tactical success. putting us on the road toward ensuring that Afghanistan will no longer be used as a safe haven for terrorists. The bill provides the resources to successfully implement this new strategy and continues to fix the dramatic shortfalls of the previous Administration. when the war in Afghanistan was the forgotten war. It supports the Presidents strategy on both sides of the border. helping to strengthen the relationship with Pakistan by expanding Coalition Support Funds. Additionally. it supports the Presidents efforts to strengthen strategic partnerships with key nations. such as Yemen. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011. also takes unprecedented steps to strengthen our missile defense. continuing to move away from the Cold War mentality and instead align our missile defense policy with the threats of the 21st century. The bill provides support to the Presidents new Phased. Adaptive Approach to missile defense. which places the highest priority on countering our most immediate threats from nations like Iran and North Korea with proven and effective defense systems. while still providing us with the flexibility to be prepared for the threats of tomorrow. The efforts of terrorist organizations like al Qaeda to obtain nuclear capabilities are among the most serious threats facing America today. While the threat of nuclear war with a superpower is diminishing. the threat of nuclear terrorism and the risk that nuclear materials might spread to countries hostile to the U.S. are increasing. We cannot adequately protect our Nation until we bring our nuclear policy out of the Cold War era and into the 21st century. and the bill fully supports the Presidents efforts to secure vulnerable nuclear material and prevent the spread of nuclear weapons to those who seek to do us harm. It funds key programs such as the Department of Energys Global Threat Reduction Initiative and International Nuclear Materials Protection and Cooperation program and the Global Nuclear Lockdown activities under the Department of Defenses Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. Our Nation has the best military in the world. and Congress remains committed to providing the very best care and benefits to our troops and the families who are always there to lift them up. This years bill provides a 1.4 percent pay raise to the troops. allows military families to extend TRICARE coverage to their dependent adult children until age 26. improves the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program. and restructures certain education benefits. This years bill also includes the most comprehensive legislation package ever to address sexual assault in the military and creates a more robust domestic violence prevention program. This defense authorization bill sponsored by my colleague. Representative IKE SKELTON. rightfully enjoys strong bipartisan support. It shows our military families that we truly value their service and sacrifice. and provides our military with the level of support they need to keep our national security strong. As a member of the Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security Committees from the great State of Texas. which is home to some 15 military bases and has a proud history of national service. I strongly support this legislation and thank my colleagues for joining me in strengthening our national security and taking care of our military families.