John P. Murtha

Madam Speaker, I rise today to mourn the passing of John Alfred ``Fred'' Bennett and to pay tribute to his life of leadership and service. Mr. Bennett was a beloved husband, father, friend, and community leader in my district. He was born in Franklin Borough, Cambria County to James A. and Shirley R. Bennett. He grew up with a love of

sports and was especially fond of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mr. Bennett graduated from Greater Johnstown High School and later attended St. Francis University.

After serving his country honorably in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Mr. Bennett came home to Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He was employed for more than 40 years by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, where he worked in many positions. He was a delegate to the Johnstown Regional Central Labor Council, became one of the area's most preeminent Masons, and was a dedicated Elk.

A devout Christian, Mr. Bennett filled many leadership roles as a member of Mount Sinai Institutional Baptist Church. He served on the church's board of trustees and also participated as a member of the Male Chorus, Adult Gospel Choir, Lily of the Valley, and the John Bennett Singers.

Madam Speaker, Mr. Bennett was the former president and a lifetime member of the Johnstown Branch National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and also served as Chairman of the Civil Rights Committee of United Steelworkers of America 2634 Rod and Wire Mill.

At 78 years old, John Bennett lived a full and prosperous life. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Rosemarie and his loving family.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding officer who will shortly be leaving active duty. Major William W. Ma will be retiring from the United States Marine Corps on March 31, 2010, after more than 21 years of active military service, culminating as Director, Marine Corps Appropriations Matters in the Secretary of the Navy's Appropriations Matters office.

Major Ma enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1988 and in 1993 was accepted into the Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning and Education Program. In 1996 he graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Arizona and received his commission in the Marine Corps. Throughout his career Major Ma has held numerous high level financial management, leadership and staff positions, including tours with the Force Service Support Group at Camp Pendleton, California; Company Commander Headquarters Support Battalion at Camp Pendleton, California; Head of the Programs and Resources Congressional Branch at Headquarters Marine Corps Washington, DC; Comptroller, Marine Corps University at Quantico, Virginia; Director, Marine Corps Appropriations Matters at Headquarters Marine Corps Washington, DC. Over his distinguished career he has been awarded two Meritorious Services Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, the Navy Unit Commendation, and various campaign and theatre specific awards. Major Ma's civilian education includes an undergraduate degree in finance and Master of Business Administration from the Naval Postgraduate School as a Conrad Scholar Awardee.

It was during his last assignment that I first came to know Major Ma. In this capacity, he has proved to be an invaluable link between the United States Marine Corps and the Appropriations Committee. Major Ma has escorted me, other Members of Congress, and staff on several occasions as the committee conducted inspection trips to review military operations and confirm the health and welfare of our troops.

On every occasion, Major Ma performed his duties in an exacting and precise manner. But far more important to me was his thorough knowledge of the Marine Corps and the appropriations and budget process. He could always be depended on to know the status of funds and the impact they were having on our Marines and their families.

Madam Speaker, I also want to recognize the Ma family: his wife Julie Kay, daughter Alysson, and his son Andrew. We can ill afford to forget that it is the strength of family, and indeed their love and support, that make it possible to honorably serve in uniform.

In closing, I want to express my thanks and appreciation for the special contribution Major Bill Ma has made to the Department of the Navy and the United States Marine Corps. I wish Major Ma and his family continued success. Semper Fidelis.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 976, I call up the bill (H.R. 3326) making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, and for other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Madam Speaker, I offer the motion at the desk.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include tabular and extraneous material.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, Members of the House, this is the largest appropriations bill that we have ever handled. It was completely bipartisan. We never did anything without working together. It is basically the same bill we voted on before it went to the Senate but with a few minor changes. I am pleased to say that we made some conciliatory changes with the White House and also with the Senate. This, as a matter of fact, is $625 billion. The House passed $636 billion. It pays for first-class medical care for military personnel.

I have to say I don't usually talk on any one thing, but having been out at Bethesda in intensive care for 2 days, I have to endorse the money that we have spent on the care at Bethesda. They did a marvelous job, and I am so pleased about the way the money is being handled out there.

Medical research, of course, the committee under my leadership and under the leadership of Jerry Lewis and Bill Young, has always been in the forefront. There are peer-reviewed programs, which have turned out to be as good as any programs you will find any place. We are supporting military families, operations and maintenance, civilian workforce, and insourcing. We are trying to reduce the contractors, and we are struggling in doing that. The inspector of general oversight, we worked at that for 2 or 3 years. This bill includes the MRAP program and $526 million for situational awareness.

In other words, this is as good a bill as we could come up with given the amount of money that was apportioned to us.

The Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations Bill puts troops first, ensuring their readiness, providing them with first class weapons and equipment, and ensuring the availability of care and support for their families.

The bill makes critical investments in the health, well-being and readiness of our armed forces; addressing issues raised by service members, their families, and Department of Defense officials in testimony before the Congress, and discovered through visits to military bases across the United States and overseas. The bill also reins in the use of contractors and begins to return inherently governmental functions to Department of Defense personnel.

For the first time since the beginning of operations in Iraq, this bill includes funding for Overseas Contingency Operations in Afghanistan and Iraq for the upcoming fiscal year; providing $128.3 billion to support current operations, and to meet the needs of our troops in the field and their families here at home. The bill does not address the President's new Afghanistan security strategy because the Administration has yet to request funding for that initiative.

[Bill total in billions]

2009 Total Enacted...............................................$625.3 President's Request...............................................640.1 House Passed......................................................636.3 Senate Passed.....................................................636.3 2010 Total Bill...................................................636.3

Military Personnel and Pay: The bill provides a 3.4 percent military pay increase, 0.5 percent above the request. The bill also includes $1 billion pursuant to an amended budget request in order to increase U.S. Army troop strength.

First Class Medical Care: The bill recommends a total of $29.2 billion for the Defense Health Program, $3 billion above fiscal year 2009 and $1 billion above the 2010 request. The increase includes $307 million above the request to provide for shortfalls in the TRICARE program. The bill also includes $300 million above the request for transportation infrastructure issues related to base closure.

To provide quality medical care for service members and their families, and address the serious financial challenges facing the Defense Health Program, the bill recommends the following funding:

HIV Research................................................$20,000,000 Wound Care Research..........................................13,000,000 Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research ($372m budget

+ $120m over budget)......................................120,000,000 Global HIV/AIDS Prevention...................................10,000,000 Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program.......................50,000,000 Peer-Reviewed Breast Cancer Research........................150,000,000 Peer-Reviewed Ovarian Cancer Research Program................18,750,000 Peer-Reviewed Prostate Cancer Research Program...............80,000,000

Supporting Military Families: The bill provides greater support for military families. The bill includes funding for quality child care, job training for spouses, and expanded counseling and outreach to families that have experienced the separation and stress of war. The bill fully funds $472.4 million for Family Advocacy programs and fully funds Family Support and Yellow Ribbon programs.

Operation and Maintenance: The bill recommends $154 billion for operation and maintenance, an increase of $1.3 billion above the fiscal year 2009 enacted level. The recommendation includes funding above the budget request for the following items:

Hybrid Operations Readiness Training (Hybrid--DoD's new terminology for

full-spectrum training)...................................$43,000,000 Army Helicopter Readiness Training..........................142,000,000 Navy Aircraft Depot Maintenance..............................35,000,000 Environmental Restoration....................................32,500,000

The recommendation rebalances funding from preparing for Cold War-era types of conflicts to the highest priority readiness requirements for the hybrid operations that the military services will be facing for the foreseeable future. The bill also includes adjustments based on trends in DoD budget execution.

Civilian Workforce and In-Sourcing: The bill supports increased funding for DoD civilian personnel to in-source workload. The Department estimates that every position converted from contract to federal civilian saves on average $44,000 per year. Additionally, the bill includes general provisions to suspend further conversions by the Department of Defense from government functions to contractors.

The bill also includes $100 million, as requested, to fund further development and training for the DoD acquisition workforce.

Inspector General Oversight: the bill includes $288 million, $16 million above the request, for the Inspector General to hire additional investigators to ensure proper oversight of DoD acquisition and contracting.

Procurement Programs: The bill recommends $104.4 billion for procurement, an increase of $3.46 billion above the fiscal year 2009 enacted level and a decrease of $816 million below the 2010 request. The bill includes:

$6.8 billion, the requested amount, for the procurement of 30 F-35 Lightning Aircraft, 16

Short Take-off and Vertical Landing variants for the Marine Corps, 4 Carrier variants for the Navy, and 10 conventional variants for the Air Force.

$465 million above the request to continue development and initial procurement of the Alternative Engine for the Joint Strike Fighter.

$2.5 billion above the request for procurement of 10 additional C-17 aircraft.

The bill also includes:

$6.3 billion for the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle Fund, an increase of $825 million above the request.

$526 million as requested for Situational Awareness upgrades to 353 Bradley Fighting Vehicles.

$498 million for the procurement of Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles.

$613 million for the procurement of Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles.

$15 billion, $120 million above the request, for Navy Shipbuilding and Conversion and the National Defense Sealift Fund for the procurement of 7 Navy ships, including: one DDG-51 Guided Missile Destroyer; one SSN-774 Attack Submarine; two Littoral Combat Ships; and one Intra-theater Connector Ship (joint high speed vessel to move personnel and equipment within theater).

Additionally, this funding provides for the final increments of funding for the CVN-78 Aircraft Carrier, the third DDG-1000 Guided Missile Destroyer, and the tenth LPD-17 Amphibious Transport Dock.

$30 million, not requested, for the shipbuilding loan guarantee program to assist in stimulating the domestic shipbuilding industry.

$1.5 billion for the procurement of 18 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Tactical aircraft, nine above the request.

$1.6 billion, the requested amount for 22 EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft.

$2.7 billion for the procurement of 30 MV-22 and five CV-22 Osprey aircraft.

$950 million for National Guard and Reserve Equipment.

Research and Development: The bill recommends $80.5 billion for research and development, an increase of $17 million above the fiscal year 2009 enacted level, and a $2 billion increase over the fiscal year 2010 request. Major funding items include:

$4 billion for the continued development of the F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, $430 million above the President's request.

$130 million for Presidential Helicopter, of which $100 million is for technology capture to recoup investments in research and development of the VH-71, an increase of $44.8 million above the request.

$306 million for the development of the Next Generation Aerial Refueling Aircraft.

$62 million for JSTARS re-engineering research and development, an increase of $46 million above the request.

$202 million for the Israeli Cooperative Program (Arrow). The recommendation is $82.8 million above the President's request.

$50.5 million, the President's request for Ballistic Missile Defense European Capability.

$2.2 billion for the continued development of the restructured Future Combat Systems Program.

$1.2 billion for the continued development of the P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft.

$387.5 million, the President's request, starting development of the replacement for the Ohio class ballistic missile submarine.

$526 million for the continued development of the DDG-1000 Guided Missile Destroyer.

Overseas Contingency Operations: The recommendation addresses a number of policy issues concerning operations in Iraq and Afghanistan including:

A general provision prohibiting the establishment of permanent bases in Iraq or Afghanistan;

A general provision prohibiting the torture of detainees held in U.S. custody;

The bill provides $1.2 billion, a reduction of $300 million from the request for the Commanders Emergency Response Program (CERP) authority and fences $500 million pending a spending plan from the Department of Defense; and

Provides no funds for the closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Naval base.

I yield back the balance of my time, Madam Speaker.