Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4613) making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

For the last 230 years, the United States has evolved from a ragtag collection of determined colonials who were able to meet the most powerful military in the world to today being the most powerful Nation. There are many chapters to that story. It was achieved at tremendous cost in human life and sacrifice, many lessons that we have learned, sometimes painfully.

This long, rich, varied history created the power that is the United States today and is, frankly, too little understood. We have tallied and documented the casualties, the missing and the maimed; but it does not tell the full story.

Our Nation's military history has a footprint that extends across the country and across the globe. Our military is the largest user of energy in the world. It is the largest manager of infrastructure, but 250 years of fighting and training around the country and around the world has produced a toxic legacy today.

People have forgotten about the unexploded bombs used in training, the discarded munitions, particularly in times past when our country appeared so large, the installation so remote, and the challenges we faced so dire. The cleanup of our toxic legacy has always been left to the future. It is my hope today that Congress will send a signal that when it comes to the toxic legacy of the past, the future is now; we will no longer avoid our responsibilities and look the other way.

There are many reasons for addressing the cleanup other than just the arguments of the environmentalists. There are clear and conservative, fiscal and military imperatives. These problems do not go away. We have millions of acres that are off limits and potentially contaminated. There are vast challenges from yesterday's legacy. Until these dangers are cleaned up, the longer we wait, the greater the cost to the taxpayer through escalating costs, as munitions decompose, toxins migrate in the groundwater and memories fade as to where the bombs might be. Cleanup delayed inevitably makes cleanup more expensive as the problems get worse and inflation drives the prices higher.

Mr. Chairman, I had an amendment that I was seeking to offer that would do something about it, to be able to enable us to do a better job. The first thing we ought to have done was put one person in charge. My amendment would have established a separate line item for cleanup of UXO in the Defense appropriation bill, entitled ``Military Munitions Response Program,'' separating UXO from the hazardous waste cleanup to provide the focus that the UXO efforts needed.

The amendment would also have established an assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Military Munitions Response to the Deputy Under Secretary for Defense Installations and Environment at the Department of Defense. I have been trying for the last 5 years to be able to help us get a handle on this by having one person in charge and be able to know exactly what the status is. Unfortunately, despite working through both the authorizing and the Committee on Appropriations, we still face the situation today where it is fractured, where no one person is in charge. I hope that our failure to act on this toxic legacy can be reversed.

I will not offer the amendment because I know that it would be ruled out of order, but I wanted to make the point as we are dealing with this massive bill.

I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman's kind words. I appreciate the difficult task that his subcommittee has.

As I think of the challenges that we face, I cannot think of anybody with a more difficult challenge today, and my heart goes out to the difficulty my colleague has in terms of providing for the needs of our constituents that are overseas.

But, as I say, I will not offer this amendment because I think it would be ruled out of order. I want to make the point that nobody in the Department of Defense to this day is in charge. There is no separate account that enables an appropriate accounting; and in the course of the debate this afternoon, I look forward to offering up some alternatives that may, in a small way, help my distinguished friends on this subcommittee who have what I truly believe is a difficult task; but I want Congress to no longer be missing in action on unexploded ordnance and military toxins that pollute millions of acres around this country. In fact, nobody knows how many are polluted.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, earlier I had mentioned my concerns about Congress no longer being missing in action when it comes time to clean up unexploded ordnance.

It is astounding to me how little awareness there is on the part of most of my colleagues how dire the situation is and how serious it is around the country. I have here one chart, Mr. Chairman, that speaks to the sites that we have, number of properties in various States and the territories around the country. One can see that it is every State in the union, every territory, and we are having a serious situation now, Mr. Chairman, in terms of losing ground. We have 2,300 sites, and we are still counting. At today's rate, it will take between 75 and 300 years in order to clean these up.

There have been references to our doing the best we can, and I agree. There are lots of efforts that have been undertaken to try and deal with this problem, but how it breaks out in terms of these 2,300 sites around the country, we are dealing here with only $204 million total in proposed budget for 2005. That is less than we had in 2003 by a substantial margin, barely more than we had last year. Even though inflation continues, the costs go up.

If I can put it in perspective, in terms of where we are spending the money, I have a chart here in terms of how much we are spending. We have 52 of these sites where we are spending $.5 million. Basically, it is kind of hold your own. It is kind of a maintenance effort. There are less than 2 dozen sites that are funded for over $1 million. And, Mr. Chairman, if this chart was to scale, the number of sites that we are spending nothing on would go from the bottom all the way to the ceiling, over 1,400 sites.

This is serious business. In Southern California, there were two 8- year-old boys who were injured after discovering a live shell in Terra Sana, a northern San Diego neighborhood. Following the tragedy, the Navy swept 300 acres and discovered 184 shells. This was, sadly, 20 years ago, the tragedy that killed those two boys. When I took to the floor yesterday, I talked about a situation in North Carolina, right now at Fort Butner, where a family is forced to move out of their home when they find a bomb in the front yard, a year and a half later they cannot live in it, they cannot sell it, and they are on the verge of bankruptcy.

There are thousands of acres around there that are now in private hands and are being sold where there will be liability in the future.

Here in Washington, D.C., a 30-minute bicycle ride from where we are standing right now, on the campus of American University, is the site of where we manufactured and tested chemical weapons during World War I. They are still working on it. Three times they thought they were done. They just recently extended the deadline between 2008 and 2010. And you know what, they are stopping work this year because there is not enough money to finish the job. The child care center at American University is still vacant because of the arsenic levels. It has not been fully cleared to be used. And they are working in home after home in some of the most expensive neighborhoods in our Nation's Capital.

I could go on at great length, going over the problems that are here that we are not addressing. I would offer up an amendment that would permit us to move in the direction of being able to have some wide area assessment so that we can go out and at least clear some of these properties so that they will no longer have to be off limits.

I invite you to look at some of the material that is being put out by the Corps of Engineers: Coloring books for children telling them not to pick up unexploded ordnance. Now, I am sorry, Larry the Lizard is a great guy, but he is no substitute for Congress stepping up and putting money behind the cleanup on our public lands.

Three times since I have been in Congress, we have had to pull firefighters out of the forests because the heat has exploded bombs around them. From New York to Arizona to Alaska. I would respectfully suggest the adoption of this amendment so that we can have some opportunity to clear millions of acres so that at least we will not have to have Larry the Lizard telling our children what they have to do when they visit our Nation's parks.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

The Chairman. The Clerk will designate the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, what I am suggesting in this regard is to redirect a mere $5 million from the research account to be able to deal with the wide area assessment. This is one of the numerous studies. This was done by the Defense Science Board task force on unexploded ordnance. This is for the Department of Defense itself. They have been looking under the direction of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, what do you do with the 10 or 15 million acres? Remember a few minutes ago I talked about ``Larry the Lizard,'' the coloring book to try and tell children not to pick up exploded ordnance. There is a way that we can find out where the problems exist and what the unexploded ordnance report for the Defense Science Board concluded was having a wide area assessment.

What they recommended was to do $200 million a year. With $200 million a year over 5 years, we could assess 10 million acres. That would not tell us what type of ordnance is under the acres that are polluted, but what it would do would tell us areas that there is not ordnance. Their estimate is that by doing this simple billion dollars over 5 years, $200 million a year, we could open up 8 million acres that could be used safely. We would not have to be telling kids through Larry the Lizard. Or I have a great one here that tells people when they go to the park in the Jefferson proving area in Indiana that you have to sign a waiver to use the park because of exploded ordnance, and they tell you if you find unexploded ordnance on the trail, do not use your cell phone because it might detonate it, in our Nation's parks.

With all due respect, I would suggest that by starting with a simple assessment, not $200 million but merely $5 million, so my colleagues would actually see that it works, that we can have an opportunity to start eliminating, because $5 million, frankly, is a scandal in my judgment, out of over $400 billion, we can protect our children, we can protect our forest rangers, our firefighters and be able to do an assessment that would take it all.

Mr. Chairman, I would respectfully request the adoption of this amendment to have $5 million for the pilot study on the wide area assessment. But I hope that this minimal initial step is something that will encourage the House of Representatives to start taking this seriously and not consign Larry the Lizard to take care of our children or wait a quarter of a millennium or more to do what we should be doing today.

I urge the adoption of the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Chairman, the point I was trying to make earlier, with all due respect, is that the couple of hundred million dollars that we have here leaves the vast majority of sites with no expenditure whatsoever. Over 1,400, no expenditure. I just mentioned on the floor that we are having to suspend the work on the campus of American University and in Spring Valley because they are running out of money.

My question is, why should we be continuing to play this sort of shell game when for a reasonable expenditure of funds we could clear 8 million acres or more from having this signage and having this risk?

If the gentleman will yield further, I have four studies here now from 2001 that detail the deficiencies and inadequacies of the program. I am wondering what the gentleman expects to be accomplished by one more study that has not been already highlighted, documented and discussed with the gentleman and the committee over the course of the last 4 years?

The amount of money that is required according to the Defense Science Board to be able to do the 10 million acres which could free up an estimated 8 million is $200 million a year. The $5 million that I was talking about was a pilot study that would maybe demonstrate to people the effectiveness of it. It is not going to solve the problem at all, but it would move us in a direction so that maybe we could demonstrate to people the effectiveness and we could get to the point where we are spending serious money. My colleagues know what serious money is. They spend billions. They spend billions on things that are controversial even within defense experts. I am trying to get a little bit of money, serious money but small in the scheme of things, that would actually make a difference. I do not know if that is responsive.

I appreciate the gentleman's offer of help.

Mr. Chairman, what I am trying to get at is to not be at the same place next year that we are now. Last year we were trying to get a little money for research, but we were trying to focus some attention so we would do more. Where I see the problem is that we are actually spending less than we did 2 years ago, that we have reasonable proposals from the Department of Defense for doing something about it, and now I am back here hearing that here is $5 million for a pilot project and we will have a study and come back next year.

I wanted to explain what I hope to accomplish. My goal is to be in a situation where we can actually make some significant progress for expenditures to solve the problem, not to continue to study it or to do tests.

I appreciate the courtesy that has been offered by the Chair and ranking member to try to help out for 5 million. I am trying to respond to this question about what I am trying to achieve. I do not want to be back here next year and see the funding level going down, the cost going up, needs unmet, and people looking at me like it is hard to understand what I am trying to achieve. That is what I am trying to do.

Mr. Chairman, I will seek to work with the committee, but my ironclad commitment is to help make sure that there is a way that we focus on the floor so we are not back here with another study and a pilot project, no increase in funding and a problem that continues to get worse year after year after year.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, would the gentleman yield?

Mr. Chairman, first let me thank the chairman for his support as he completes his term as chairman of the Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. I add my congratulations to those that have already been stated for the great job that he has done for America and for our military.

I appreciate the Chairman's raising the important issue of Japan's contributions in Iraq and join with him in acknowledging their historic role. As he mentioned, this operation is unprecedented and has been severely tested during the recent hostage crisis. However, Tokyo's commitment has not changed. In fact, Japan has just dispatched the 2nd Contingent of its Ground Self-Defense Forces to Iraq.

I also understand the Japanese forces have recently commenced airlift operations between Iraq and Kuwait. Other humanitarian and infrastructure projects include food and medicine and construction or repair of seaports, power plants, hospitals, and schools.

In fact, on May 26, Japan played a leading role as the chair of the second meeting of the Donor's Committee of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq at Doha.

Prime Minister Koizumi has been a key ally on the war on terrorism. On June 8, Prime Minister Koizumi and President Bush had a bilateral meeting on the occasion of the Sea Island G-8 Summit meeting. During the meeting, the Prime Minister announced Japan's full support for the U.S. policy on Iraq through the continued dispatch of Self-Defense Forces as well as financial assistance through the government's official development assistance.

We highly value the contribution of Japan and other allies. I hope that all Members will read the Fact Sheet from Japan's assistance that I will insert into the Record at this point.

Japan's Assistance for Iraq

The attached Fact Sheet outlines Japan's very significant,

and continuing, efforts in providing critical assistance to

Iraq. Following are some of the highlights of the fact sheet:

The total number of Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF)

participating in the reconstruction of Iraq is approximately

1,000, including nearly 600 ground troops. Several naval

vessels and aircraft are also present. This is an historic

operation, the first of its kind for SDF since World War II.

Japan has decided to fund both bilateral and multilateral

projects as part of the implementation of the $1.5 billion

grant out of the $5 billion Japan pledged in Madrid last

fall. Such humanitarian and infrastructure projects include

food and medical assistance, employment, and construction or

repair of key seaports, power plants, hospitals, schools and

other facilities.

Japan's Self-Defense Forces have commenced airlift

operations between Iraq and Kuwait, and are now providing

humanitarian assistance in Samawah, Iraq.

Japan's commitment was severely tested during the recent

hostage crisis. Fortunately, that crisis was resolved

favorably. Here is what Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said

on April 22 on the subject:

``This hostage taking has not undermined Japan's firm

resolve to engage in humanitarian and reconstruction

assistance in Iraq.

It is precisely because the situation in Iraq makes the

activities of ordinary individuals impossible that the Self-

Defense Forces (SDF) have been dispatched to engage in

humanitarian and reconstruction assistance in Iraq.''

On April 15, the Embassy of Japan in Baghdad reported that

the three Japanese were released in Baghdad and were under

secure custody of Embassy officials. The Embassy of Japan

would like to extend its sincere gratitude for the efforts of

those concerned in Iraq and for the support from all over the

world. Foreign Minister Kawaguchi's statement can be found on

the following website: http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/ announce/2004/4/0415.html

japan's assistance for iraq (fact sheet)

(Note: All number are approximate.)

1. Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance to Iraq

(total: $846.35 million).

(A) Assistance in cooperation with international

organizations ($91.4 million).

(1) Humanitarian Assistance for Iraq ($29.5 million) (2003

March 20 and April 9).

(a) World Food Programme (WFP): food supply.

(b) United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF): child

protection, education, water/sanitation.

(c) International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC):

medical assistance, provision of food and life supplies,

restoration of water supply facility.

(d) United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR):

assistance for refugees.

(2) Protection and Preservation of Cultural Heritage,

Education ($2 million) (2003 April 23).

(a) Restoration and preservation of cultural heritages ($1

million, in cooperation with UNESCO).

(b) Education ($1 million, in cooperation with UNESCO).

(3) Umm Qasr Port Project ($2.5 million) (2003 April 25).

Activities: carry out an emergency dredging of Umm Qasr

Port (In cooperation with UNDP).

Impact: realize effective port operations and smooth

delivery of humanitarian assistance.

(4) Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance in Iraq

($57.4 million) (2003 May 16, 21, July 4, Oct 17; 2004 Jan

16, Jan 26).

(a) Iraq Reconstruction and Employment Program ($6 million,

in cooperation with UNDP).

Activities: employ Iraqis in Baghdad to perform functions

such as debris removal, garbage collection and rehabilitation

of buildings.

Impact: creation of 35,000 jobs, improvement of the

sanitary conditions in Baghdad.

(b) Project for Reactivation of Primary Education in Iraq

($10 million, in cooperation with UNICEF).

Activities: rehabilitate schools and provide school

supplies in Baghdad, Mosul, Najaf and the surrounding areas.

Impact: 1 million children in 3 cities and their suburbs

will benefit.

(c) Rehabilitation of the National Dispatch Centre ($5.55

million, in cooperation with UNDP).

Activities: rehabilitate the National Dispatch Centre and

provide it with necessary equipment and materials.

Impact: improve provision of electricity to the

institutions such as hospitals which are essential for

humanitarian needs by proper control on the power

distribution.

(d) Project for Emergency Rehabilitation of Al-Kadhimiya

Teaching Hospital ($3.64 million, in cooperation with UNDP).

Activities: rehabilitate the Al-Kadhimiya Teaching Hospital

and provide materials and equipment.

Impact: improve the hospital's medical services and the

lives and hygienic conditions of the people.

(e) Project for the Emergency Rehabilitation of the Hartha

Power Station ($8 million, in cooperation with UNDP).

Activities: rehabilitate the Hartha Power Station and

transmission in Basra region.

Impact: increase electricity supply and improve the life

and hygiene of the civilians in Basra region.

(f) School rehabilitation Project ($6.1 million, in

cooperation with UN-HABITAT).

Activities: rehabilitate 271 schools in Basra, Samawa,

Nashiria and Amarra.

Impact: resume lessons and create job opportunities.

(g) Community Rehabilitation Project ($2.7 million, in

cooperation with UN-HABITAT).

Activities: rehabilitate a total of 3,000 damaged houses

and/or community facilities in Baghdad, Samawa and Kirkuk.

Beneficiaries will be selected from vulnerable groups

particularly from households headed by women.

Impact: improve community neighborhood through

rehabilitation of infrastructure and create job

opportunities.

(h) Iraq Reconstruction and Employment Program ($15.4

million, in cooperation with UNDP).

Activities: hire local Iraqi people for restoration of

water/sewage systems, garbage collection, clean-up activities

etc.

Impact: hire local Iraqi people etc.

(B) Direct Assistance to Iraq ($227 million).

(a) Provision of 1150 Police vehicles to be deployed in 27

cities. 40 vehicles will be deployed to Samawa. ($29 million)

(04 Jan 16).

(b) Provision of 27 mobile substations throughout Iraq ($72

million) (04 Mar 26).

(c) Rehabilitation and provision of equipment to 4

hospitals (Nasiriyah, Najaf, Diwaniyah and Samawah) $51

million) (04 Mar 26).

(d) Provision of 30 compact water treatment units to the

city of Baghdad ($55 million) (04 Mar 26).

(e) Provision of 70 firetrucks to Baghdad, Al Basra and

Muthanna ($20 million) (04 March 26).

(C) Assistance through funds ($500 million).

(a) International Reconstruction Fund Facility For Iraq

($490 million).

$360 million to the Fund administered by the UN.

$90 million to the Fund administered by the WB.

Additional $40 million will be also available to the Fund

administered by the WB after the approval of FY2004 budget.

(b) IFC small business finance facility ($10 million).

(D) Assistance in cooperation with NGOs ($27.9 million).

(1) Assistance for the emergency medical activities of NGOs

($3.3 mil) (2003 March 20).

(a) Japan Platform Joint Team operating in Jordan.

(b) Peace Winds Japan operating in Northern Iraq.

(2) Assistance to the following NGO activities ($21

million) (2003 May 16, 21, Dec 11, 2004 Feb 8, Feb 20 and

March 4).

(a) Medical projects and distribution of emergency supplies

in Iraq carried out by Japan Platform (Japanese NGOs, 2003

May 21).

(b) Project distributing medical supplies including

antibiotics in Iraq run by Hashemite Charity Organization

(Jordanian NGO, 2003 May 16).

(c) Project distributing medical equipment such as Infant

Intravenous Kits run by CARE International (International

NGO, 2003 May 16).

(d) Emergency Rehabilitation of public facilities by Japan

Platform (Japanese NGOs, 2003 Dec 11).

(e) Cultural Grassroots Projects to the Iraq Football

Association (Iraqi NGO, 2004 Feb 8).

(f) Emergency Aid of Medical Equipment to Samawa Maternity

& Children Hospital (Japanese NGO, 2004 Feb 20).

(g) Emergency aid for Iraq to the NGO unit of Japan

Platform (Japanese NGOs).

(3) Humanitarian and Recovery Assistance ($3.6 million)

(Grassroots Assistance).

(a) The Project for Humanitarian Operation in the Umm Qasr

Community $90,000.

(b) The Project for the Equipment Supply for Rashid RF

Community Council $73,000.

(c) The Project for Improvement of Schools in the Rashid

District $206,000.

(d) The Project for Improving Hibatoallah Institute for

Down Syndrome $42,000.

(e) The Project for Reconstruction of Mustakbal Secondary

School in Mosul City $375,000.

(f) The Project for Construction of Wastewater Treatment

Plants in Mosul City $460,000.

(g) The Project for Rehabilitation of Water Treatment

Plants in Nineveh Governorate $230,000.

(h) The Project for Improvement of Medical Transportation

in Nineveh Governorate $620,000.

(i) The Project of supplying Water Tankers to the

Governorate of Al-Muthanna $800,000 (for 12 water tanks).

(j) The project for Provision of Emergency Medical Supplies

to Al Samawaha General Hospital $770,000.

(E) Others.

(a) Assistance for supplying TV program ``Oshin'' by Japan

Foundation (the broadcast started from 2003 Oct 27).

(b) With regard to the friendly football match between the

Japanese national team and the Iraqi national team hosted by

the Japan Football Association, GOJ provides approximately

10 million as the travel expenses of the Iraqi team

through the Japan Foundation.

(c) Provision of Judo equipment to the Iraq Judo Foundation

and its transportation ($50,000).

(d) Provision of football equipment to the youth and sports

department in the governorate of Muthanna ($41,000).

((e) Dispatch of research missions for grant aid projects

formulation to Jordan and other surrounding countries (from

Jan 2004).

(f) Provision of 240 tents to the Governorate of Al-

Muthanna to counter the flooding of the Euphrates River in Al

Muthanna.

2. Consolidating broad based solidarity among the

International Community.

(a) GOJ believes that an international conference for

assisting Iraq should be organized with broad participation

of countries and international organizations. To this end,

GOJ has urged relevant international organizations such as

the UN and others, to take an active role in organizing

such a conference. As a result, the International Donors'

Conference for the reconstruction of Iraq was held in

Madrid, Spain, in 23-24 October. The Conference was able

to send a united and strong message of the international

community that the international community should actively

implement the assistant to Iraq in order not to make Iraq

the ``failure state.''

(b) Former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto visited France

and Germany last December, as Prime Minister Koizumi's

special envoy, and emphasized to the leaders of the both

countries the importance of broad based solidarity among the

international community on assisting reconstruction of Iraq.

As a result, France, Germany, and Japan have agreed with

pursuit of cooperation among the three countries regarding

reconstruction assistance to Iraq. GOJ is consulting with

France and Germany through

the framework of trilateral consultations on reconstruction

assistances to Iraq in such areas as cultural affairs and

police personnel training.

3. Cooperation under the Special Measures Law for

Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance for Iraq.

GOJ dispatched Self Defense Forces to Iraq and surrounding

countries and areas to provide humanitarian and

reconstruction assistance for people of Iraq.

4. Coordination with CPA.

GOJ extends personnel cooperation through the Coalition

Provisional Authority.

5. Cooperation with Arab and neighboring countries.

GOJ will promote such cooperation, for example, by

promoting medical assistance through the Hashemite Charity

Organization of Jordan, and Japan-Egypt Joint Medical

Cooperation. As for the Japan-Egypt Joint Medical

Cooperation, it is planned to start training of approximately

100 medical related Iraqi personnel in Egypt.

6. Cooperation under the International Peace Co-operation

Law.

(1) In-kind contribution to UNHCR (2003 March 28).

Tents for 1,600 refugees were transported by 2 special

government aircraft, and handed over to UNHCR in Jordan.

(2) Transportation cooperation.

Operation of JSDF Aircraft (C-130H) between Brindisi

(Italy) and Amman (Jordan) for transportation of humanitarian

relief materials (140 tons) of UN from 17 July 2003 till 12

August 2003.

7. Assistance for neighboring countries and others ($322.25

million).

(1) Jordan: grant assistance ($100 million) (2003 March

23).

(2) Palestine: food aid ($4.2 million) (2003 March 23).

(3) Palestine: announcement of a new assistance package

($22.25 million, including the above-mentioned food aid)

(2003 April 29).

(4) Egypt: loans and grants (over $200 million) (2003 May

24).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for the time.

Now, there is a lot of concern here about the mechanics of what we are about to do: pass a rule, increase the debt limit, provide for the welfare of our young men and women in uniform. But I think when we are moving forward, mostly through all this rhetoric, we need to step back and look at the history of our economy, see how we got into this position and why it is important that we move forward.

I know a lot of my colleagues remember back in the late 1990s, we had an overheated economy. The Federal Reserve reacted by raising interest rates. Then we had the tech bust of 1999, followed by the beginnings of a recession in November of 2000. Then September 11, 2001, hit. We saw a huge blow to our economy. In my hometown of Wichita, Kansas, we had the highest percentage of jobs lost in the total community compared with any other city in the United States. Our aerospace community, the air capital of the world, saw more layoffs in aerospace than we have seen in a short amount of time since World War II.

During that period of time, the Federal revenue has dropped 14 percent. There have been increased demands on the Federal budget. We have increased homeland security to make our Nation safe. We have increased our spending on defense to fight the worldwide war on terrorism; but when our revenues dropped, nobody down here complaining today about how we are doing business said, well, let us cut Medicare by 14 percent so we do not have to raise the debt. Nobody came down here and said let us cut Social Security by 14 percent so we do not have to raise the debt. Nobody came down here and said let us cut education by 14 percent so we do not have to raise the debt.

Well, let us do the math: decreasing revenue because of the impact of terrorism and a recession that started around the year 2000, increasing demand on the battle to fight terrorism around the world and a higher Federal debt. So if we do not address this problem, if we do not use the most expedient means available, we will not be able to fund Social Security. The threat of not having checks going to seniors in America would become reality. No one wants that.

So where is the grief here? Where is the contrary opinion? Do those who advocate a different solution here want to come down and say let us not raise the debt? I think they know the practicality of what we have to do.

We have to move forward and conduct the business of the United States Government, and that includes addressing an issue that is very difficult for many of us to address. I did not come to Washington to raise the debt. I doubt if anybody came to Washington for the purpose of raising the debt, but we are pragmatic. We are realists. We know that there have been attacks by terrorists against our very culture, using our own technology against us. We know that we are being sabotaged around the world. We know that there is an increased demand on what the Federal Government is trying to protect our Nation.

Now, there has been some implication on the floor that there has been some misleading of Americans that perhaps we are not telling the truth. This is a free and open society. Everything we do is a matter of public record. There is no deceit here on the floor of the House, not when it comes to this issue, this bill, raising the Federal debt limit.

So I do not want to leave anybody with the impression that we are trying to hide a thing. It is all a matter of public record, and I think it is very important that as Americans we acknowledge that we have some tasks that are not easy to handle, but, yet, this is something necessary. The circumstances demand it.

So Mr. Speaker, I say that we should vote for this rule and that we should move forward with this legislation to continue the function of the government.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for the time.

I think it is very interesting that the gentleman from Texas would like us to do something about what is going on. Well, we have done something. It is hard to ignore that when we look at the economy today.

We passed tax relief that did one of three things for Americans, when putting money in their pocket. They either spent it, which was demand for goods and demand for more jobs; or they saved it, which made money available in the form of home mortgages, which drove the home building industry and created more jobs; or they invested it, which has allowed many American corporations to expand.

Right now, in the State of Kansas, unemployment just dropped three- tenths of a percent because we have an expansion in our economy. Well, what happens when we have an expansion in the economy is we have more Federal revenue, and our Federal revenue is going up. We are doing something about Federal revenue, but right here on the floor of the House we also passed a Republican budget that froze domestic spending. The results are that we now have more Americans working than we have ever had in the history of our country. We have the lowest unemployment and lower than average of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s; and we have one of the fastest growing economies, growing so fast that the Federal Reserve is now considering raising interest rates so they can slow it down a little bit.

We are doing something about this Federal debt. We are very proactive in that, but the gentleman from Texas said he was willing to do anything at any cost. He said at any cost. Is he willing to cut Social Security? Is the gentleman willing to cut even education? Is the gentleman willing to cut Defense? What does ``any cost'' mean?

I think a vote against this rule is a vote against funding the government and threatening Social Security, veterans benefits, and all of those things that we are doing right to protect our young men and women in uniform.

Mr. Speaker, I am a little amazed by the comments made by the gentleman from Mississippi. He said that we were cowardly Americans. Now, I know that words have been taken down for a lot less than that, and I think that that kind of language does not have any place on the floor of the House.

We have a free and open society. Everything we do is a matter of public record. There is nothing cowardly about what we are doing here. To try to turn this into something to be called a cowardly act, I think, is really incredible and it is grounds for taking someone's words down.

Let us talk about this Federal debt a little so we can define what Federal debt is. There are two parts to Federal debt: One is the public instruments held by people, like treasury bonds, like savings bonds. Those are financial instruments with a financial obligation that is hard and fast. It is in writing. It is black and white. The rest of the public debt is projections on the future; about how much we are going to need for my Social Security, for your Social Security, for my children's Social Security, for Medicare for all of us, for Medicaid for all of us that require it in the United States. It is a future projection.

Now, if you wanted to do something about the Federal debt, we could change the law. We could cut the benefits for Social Security. Are any of you

suggesting that we should cut the benefits for Social Security to manage the Federal debt? It is just a future obligation. Well I don't hear any of that. In fact, I hear zero solutions.

No, I will not yield. I think you referred to me as cowardly, so I do not think I am going to give you any time.

Cowardly Americans. I cannot believe it, Mr. Speaker. I think it was something that should not be tolerated on the floor. And as a warning, if I hear it again, I will ask for the words to be taken down.

Now, another allegation was made that we had cigars lit; that when it was time for the Committee on Rules to meet, that cigars were lit. Well, I was not in the Committee on Rules room. There were people here that were in that room. The last time I was in the Committee on Rules room, it was a no smoking policy. I saw no cigars being lit. In fact, there is a no smoking policy in the Capitol. We have places outside for people to smoke, but there are no cigars lit in here.

I think it is a little misleading to say we are in some dark room in the dark of night lighting cigars and dreaming up ways we can gouge people. Nothing of the sort is going on. We are conducting the business of government. And sometimes it is difficult. There is an old saying about how you do not want to see sausage, or laws being made. Well, this is the part they are talking about. Now. Right now. This is the difficult part.

If we do not address this issue, the rule happens to be the most convenient vehicle, but if we do not address this issue, there will be a shortage of funds in the United States Treasury. Now, what does that mean? The gentleman from Mississippi before me talked about funding the needs of our young men and women in uniform. And he is right, we have to do that. We have to provide them with the bullets and the backup and the vests and the hardened Humvees. All those things we have to provide for them but we cannot if there is nothing in the Treasury.

What we are doing here are the hard cold facts of trying to protect Americans, trying to keep the lights on in this government, trying to make sure that we are safe in our homes, where our kids are going to school, where we shop, where we go to church. And the way we do that is by addressing these tough issues. It is not cowardly. It is the furthest thing from cowardly. It is up front.

People are saying do not vote for the rule because it has this in it. Of all the Members I have heard speak, I do not think any of them have voted for any of the rules this year. It is standard practice for the opposition to vote against the rule. It is standard policy for the majority side to vote for the rule. That is not a reason to call somebody cowardly or to suggest cigars were lit in a dark room. That has not occurred around here.

What has occurred is we have moved forward on carrying out the business of the United States Government.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) and I were originally going to offer an amendment, but we are not going to do that. We are withdrawing the amendment; and instead, we look forward to engaging in a colloquy with the chairman and the ranking member.

Mr. Chairman, the issue that we are discussing today is of extraordinary importance. In the midst of Iraq and Afghanistan, let us never forget that 100,000 veterans from the first Gulf War continue to suffer from a yet not fully understood debilitating illness commonly known as Gulf War Illness.

The gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) and I for a number of years have been working together on this issue, and I want to applaud him for his leadership. The fact of the matter is that over the years, while the Congress has appropriated many, many millions of dollars to research and tried to understand Gulf War Illness, in fact, much of that money has not been effective in getting us to better understand this problem.

As many will recall, at the beginning of this discussion, the DOD and the VA were both saying, hey, there is no problem; and then more and more veterans came forward and they said, well, there is a problem, but it is stress related. Finally, after many, many years, I think both the VA and the DOD now understand that we have a very serious physical problem.

Mr. Chairman, I am happy to inform my colleagues that the good news is that real progress is now being made in our understanding of Gulf War Illness. Medical researchers like Dr. Robert Haley of the University of Texas and other researchers can now measure real physical neurological damage in many Gulf War Illness sufferers. These injuries are likely the result of low-level exposure to chemical nerve agents during the first Gulf War. Much of the evidence suggests that exposure to these nerve agents is the direct result of the destruction of a major chemical weapons dump in Iraq by the U.S. military that created a plume of chemicals that may have exposed hundreds of thousands of U.S. military personnel and civilians in the region.

In hearings held by the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) in the last couple of weeks, we heard from Dr. Haley about the status of his research. Dr. Haley's findings were corroborated at the hearing by Dr. Paul Greengard, a 2000 Nobel Laureate and head of the Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience at the Rockefeller University. He agreed that research into neurological damage caused by low-level nerve agents is the most promising in terms of finding a cause and a treatment for Gulf War Illness.

There has also been a change in attitude in the Pentagon and the VA about this illness. It appears that both now acknowledge that this is a very real physical injury. Secretary of VA Anthony Principi has taken an active interest in supporting Gulf War Illness research and has committed $15 million to continuing the fight.

Mr. Chairman, I would introduce into the Record at this point a letter from Jim Binns, who is the chairman of the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses, who supports this line of research.

VA Eastern Kansas

Healthcare System,

Topeka, KS, June 22, 2004.

Hon. Christopher Shays,

Chairman, Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats

and International Relations, Committee on Government

Reform, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for the opportunity to testify

before your subcommittee on June 1. As you could tell from

the hearing, we are at a moment of truth on Gulf War

illnesses. On the one hand, the science is finally there to

show that this is a medical problem, an important component

of which is neurological in nature. Furthermore, researchers

like Dr. Paul Greengard of Rockefeller University are waiting

in the wings with projects that have a real chance of

producing a cure. As you know, Dr. Greengard received the

Nobel Prize in medicine in 2000 for his work to uncover the

brain mechanisms involved in Parkinsons disease and to

develop a treatment for that disease, and he testified that

the same approach can succeed in Gulf War illnesses. In

response to these new scientific findings, research managers

at VA and DoD recognize the opportunity to pursue this type

of research.

On the other hand, while Secretary Principi is going to

increase VA funding to $15 million, DoD, which has

historically funded three-quarters of Gulf War illnesses

research, is currently funding no new projects in this area

because of its internal priorities. In addition to the

financial implications, this withdrawal of DoD from Gulf War

illnesses research dramatically limits the universe of

researchers whose talents can be brought to bear, because VA

by law can only fund VA internal research. Unlike DoD or NIH,

VA cannot give grants to outside researchers. Thus,

researchers like Dr. Greengard and others who have done

important, DoD-funded work in the past, cannot be funded with

the possible exception of minor sub-contractor roles. Other

respected scientists with relevant expertise similarly cannot

be engaged unless they work for VA. So just as there is

finally something solid to research, and a willingness on the

part of the research managers to spend in the right places,

funding is dramatically down, and the cadre of potential

researchers is dramatically limited.

On behalf of the membership of the Research Advisory

Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses, I urgently request

you to seek an amendment to the DoD appropriations bill to

provide $30 million to the U.S. Army Medical Research and

Materiel Command for Gulf War illnesses research in FY 2005.

I have been told that Gulf War illnesses formerly was a line

item in the DoD budget, in the period when federal spending

was at the $45 million annual level (direct and indirect) in

1999-2002.

It would also be constructive to include language requiring

that ninety percent of this funding be placed with non-

governmental researchers, that DoD develop with VA and NIH

(specifically the National Institute of Neurological

Disorders and Stroke) a comprehensive federal research plan

for Gulf War veterans illnesses, and that DoD seek the input

and review of the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War

Veterans Illnesses in the creation of this plan and decisions

on which research to fund in pursuit of the plan.

I apologize not to have brought this matter to your

attention earlier, but our energies have been focuses on VA.

Thank you for your consideration of this request at this

critical juncture.

Respectfully,

James H. Binns,

Chairman, Research Advisory

Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses.

Mr. Chairman, I would also enter into the Record at this point a letter from Ross Perot, who has been one of the leaders on this issue over the years, who also understands that we are dealing with neurological illness.

Plano, TX,

June 22, 2004.

Congressmen Bernie Sanders and Chris Shays,

Congress of the United States,

Washington, DC.

Dear Congressmen Sanders and Shays: As you both know, I

have long been active in promoting and funding research to

find treatments and a cure for Gulf War Illness--which now

affects over 100,000 veterans of the first Gulf War.

In recent years, great strides have been made in our

understanding of the actual physical harm that these veterans

have suffered. Researchers like Dr. Haley and others have

been able to detect brain damage that likely resulted from

exposure to low levels of sarin nerve agents.

While the advances have been impressive, so much more still

needs to be done. That is why I am pleased to support your

amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations bill to

provide $30 million in Gulf War Illness research.

Not only will this type of research help victims of Gulf

War Illness, but it could provide us with knowledge that

would increase our ability to defend soldiers and civilians

against future chemical attacks.

This research could also provide clues to other illnesses

in both the military and civilian context that may be caused

by low level chemical exposure.

Once again, I strongly support this amendment and look

forward to working together to end the terrible suffering

that so many Gulf War veterans are suffering.

Sincerely,

Ross Perot.

Mr. Chairman, I now move into the colloquy between the chairman and the ranking member, if I might.

Am I correct that the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) are committing to work with the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) and me to secure additional

funding for Gulf War Illness research when the bill goes to conference?

I yield to the gentleman from California.

Does that commitment include the gentleman's willingness to support higher funding for Gulf War Illness research that might be included in the Senate version of the bill?

Mr. Chairman, would the gentlemen be willing to work with the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) and me to develop conference report language that would indicate the conference's expectation that the Department of Defense make a significant commitment to continue the breakthrough research which has recently indicated that the neurological damage associated with Gulf War Illness is caused by low-level chemical exposure?

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) very, very much for their support for this important breakthrough.

I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, to the chairman of the subcommittee, first of all, let me add my appreciation as well for the years of service that we can count on Members with his kind of commitment to do their very best, and we thank him very much. As usual as well, let me add my appreciation to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), who has not only been both committed and dedicated with his expertise but has been forthright in some of the very difficult times that we have faced over the last 2 years.

9/11 changed America. It changed the way we wage wars. It changed the way we dealt with conflicts. And as we have seen over the last 2 years, it seemed the number of service personnel that we have utilized in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq in particular. Over the last year, we have seen a number of statistics that frighten and concern us.

One, the question and debate about whether or not we need more personnel both in Afghanistan and Iraq, continuing debate about whether we should have a draft or continue in the volunteer army as we have, the continuing debate about Reservists and National Guard.

But one thing glares very loudly, and that is the high degree of suicides in the war of Iraq, the terrible tragedies that have occurred in some of our Reservists or returning soldiers who have come home.

I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, let me thank him very much.

As I was saying, the number of suicides and the number of family incidences that have occurred by our Reservists and others indicate, Mr. Chairman, that this need for mental health services is very important. I would only say that representing a veterans hospital, I can assure him that the need for increased dollars there be to treat veterans is important. I would look forward then to working with him on the mental health resources. I appreciate the language that has been put on by the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

As a Chair of the Children's Caucus, let me say that we have dealt with mental health issues. What greater population is impacted than families? Women and children were impacted by this when returning. Soldiers come home, and might I say women, men, and children because, as we know, men and women come home from the conflict.

I would like to be able to withdraw this amendment with the understanding, of course, and working with the chairman on this idea that mental health is part of defense, mental health for our personnel is part of defense, and I hope that we will be able to work on adding new resources for that.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, this issue speaks particularly to comments made earlier on the floor today, and I again add my appreciation to the chairman of the Defense Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations and as well the ranking member, and I add my appreciation to the Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs Subcommittee. All of them worked very hard on this issue, and that is of course the terrible tragedy that is going on in Darfur in Sudan. We do know that right now there are negotiations and a final peace treaty dealing with the western part of Sudan. There are negotiations and settlement going on in Kenya. But we also recognize those of us who are concerned on human rights and the needs of children around the world of the terrible tragedy and displacement of the black Muslims in the Sudan.

Four hundred thousand moving to Chad; some 30,000 a day dying. We appreciate the $95 million that has been placed in this defense bill, but let me add why I would like to add the extra $10 million.

We know that the Sudan is also where al Qaeda is both lodged and festering. We also know that Sudan is a country that has faced terrorism and has the elements of terrorists engaged or placed in their country. While we try to establish humanitarian needs, I think it is important that when we place humanitarian needs and resources there, we help fight the terrorists. I want to make sure that we have the necessary funds to the very penny to allow for the equipment to come in that is necessary for potable water, for the villages that have been pillaged and burned to be rebuilt, for the security forces to be there.

This is a crisis, and it is interesting to note that while we are settling one aspect, we are in the crises in the eastern part of Sudan. That is what these resources are for, and I would hope that my colleagues will look favorably on an additional increase of dollars that would take from the resources on the missile defense, which is extremely hard and large, to help quell terrorism by going into the homesite of al Qaeda and working with those who are trying to survive and trying to restore their lives.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for his response.

Reclaiming my time, as the chairman well knows, Sudan has been a hosting place for terrorists, but we are trying to help solve that problem in Darfur, and I want to make sure that we have all the resources we need.

I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. Chairman, I thank both the chairman and the ranking member for their comments.

I also want to make mention my greatest appreciation for the Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs Subcommittee and note that the Members that were already mentioned on the floor of the House have worked on this issue. I add my appreciation with that and being able to work with the conference committee, recognizing that all is not well in Sudan, all is not well with the government, and nothing is perfect, but that if we can be one small measure of fighting against terrorism but helping innocent people, we should do so. With that, and working with the conference committee and the ranking member and the chairman, I will withdraw this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to introduce an amendment calling for an extra $10,000,000 in funds to be provided to the ``International Disaster and Famine Assistance'' Account. I request this increase for one simple reason, I feel we need more funds set aside for potential international catastrophes or famines. Although the current allocation of $70,000,000 is noble, I feel more can and should be done.

We as a nation are blessed with many gifts and attributes. We live in a safe and stable environment where freedom is cherished. We as Americans are immensely fortunate to live where we do. But we must not take for granted all the wonderful things provided for us. We must not forget that there are others in this world that are not as fortunate as we are. There are others in this world that do not live in a society of peace and security. We must be cognizant of those who are less fortunate.

I feel that we, as the most advanced nation in the world, have some sort of obligation to help those around us who have fallen on hard times. At certain times a nation or a region faces such disastrous circumstances that it is unable to provide its citizens the means to survive. In times such as this we have an absolute obligation to lend a helping hand and alleviate the pain and suffering of these peoples. And this is the very obligation that the ``International Disaster and Famine Relief'' account was set up to fulfill. And I repeat, I do praise this account.

Unfortunately, I feel the current allocation of funding might not be sufficient to accomplish our goal. I fear that if the current crises in Chad and Sudan do not improve, or worsen, the current level of funding might not be able to handle another large scale crisis development. We must increase funding for this account so that we are able to support the crises in Sudan, Chad, and other unforeseen events.

My amendment would pay for this increase by decreasing funds from the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Defense-Wide account by the equal amount, offsetting all expenses. Opponents of my amendment will argue that I am tapping into our Military's vital Research and Development funds and weakening our future national defense and security. They will argue that we must make every effort to ensure that our military has the newest, most effective technology in the world. And I agree with them in principle.

We as a nation must ensure our survival, through diplomacy, through economic force, and if necessary through military might. But we must also prioritize our spending. My amendment will take $10,000,000 out of the account that funds research as the Star Wars program. It is in my opinion that our money is much better spent alleviating international disaster and famines than research a program such as Star Wars that shows almost no chance of success. We have a choice; help alleviate famine in the world or fund nonsensical research programs that will amount to no more than a waste of money. My amendment would help to ensure that we have plenty of resources to help alleviate international disaster and famines. Please support the Jackson-Lee amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.