To authorize appropriations for Operation Stonegarden of the Department of Homeland Security.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of National Defense Authorization Act of 2009.

The Department of Defense directed the Army to restructure its premier modernization program known as Future Combat Systems--FCS program--which includes a network of new sensors, radios, robotic vehicles and a fleet of new combat vehicles.

I personally commend the thousands of dedicated soldiers, department of defense civilians and their defense industry partners who worked on the project.

More than 1,000 of these dedicated men and women that do the engineering work for the FCS program live and work in my district. Some 10,000 employees in 74 Michigan companies worked to provide the Army a new ground combat vehicle fleet.

Many of them will be economically disadvantaged, despite their best efforts, by termination of the combat vehicle project.

Legislation passed by the Armed Services committee recognizes the restructuring of the FCS program and provides guidance on how the Army should proceed.

Providing for the national defense is in the preamble of the Constitution of the United States, it is this body's most solemn duty and responsibility. We must ensure that the men and women we send into harm's way have the very best training and equipment we can provide.

It's imperative that we move rapidly to provide the Army a new ground combat vehicle that protects American soldiers against IEDs, road side bombs and anti-tank munitions. We must not lose the momentum gained during six years of research and development and the multibillion dollar taxpayer investment on this project.

Any new program must consider both Army and Marine Corps needs for manned ground combat vehicles now and in the future. It must build on what we have learned from three separate FCS ground vehicle designs as well as lessons learned from combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We have the best trained and dedicated Armed Forces in the world. Will we ask them to go to combat with vehicles that are nearly two generations old, designed for a different enemy and more conventional warfare?

Instead, let's build on the work that has already been done; ensure that billions of taxpayer dollars already spent are not wasted by starting from scratch, and provide U.S. Soldiers and Marines vehicles and systems that provide increased situational awareness for the conflicts of the future.

I urge the members to make a new combat vehicle the centerpiece of Army's research and development efforts in a restructured program.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 2647, the National Defense Authorization Act and encourage its passage. Earlier this Congress I introduced H.R. 1267, ``Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Act of 2009, which provides legislative authority to the Navy and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to jointly operate the new ``Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center.'' In the other body, Senator Dick Durbin has been working to include similar language in the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act.

After completion, the Lovell Federal Health Care Center will be the first health care facility in the nation to be operated jointly between the VA and the Navy saving taxpayers millions of dollars that would otherwise have been needed to rebuild or renovate the Navy's nearby hospital. Without this legislation, the Center will not be able to provide essential services to

thousands of military beneficiaries in the region. Beneficiaries who had previously received care at the Naval Health Clinic Great Lakes would either be ineligible for care or would charged a significant co- pay for certain care, including emergency, hospitalization, outpatient, and behavioral health services. The facility is scheduled to begin joint operations on October 1, 2010.

While my legislation was not included in the underlying bill, it is my understanding that Senator Durbin will be able to include similar language in the Senate NDAA. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate on its inclusion, and encourage passage of the underlying bill.