Jon Runyan

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment simply states that none of the funds made available by this act may be used to retire, divest, or transfer--or to prepare to retire, divest or transfer--the KC-10.

During my time in Congress, I have been a strong supporter of the Air Force's new tanker, the KC-46A. We must bring a new tanker online, but during the transition, it is critical that we are able to meet all mission requirements.

This is why I am strongly concerned by the Air Force's proposal to do a possible vertical cut of the KC-10 tanker and retire it. Having a mission capability shortfall by eliminating the newest tanker currently in our inventory while the KC-46A comes online is simply unacceptable.

As many of you are aware, I am proud to have Joint Base McGuire-Dix- Lakehurst in my district, and my colleague Mr. Garamendi has Travis Air Force Base in California, which are both home to the KC-10. This is not parochial. It is an air refueling and air mobility mission readiness issue.

The KC-10 platform has more than proved itself as a workhorse in support of air refueling and air mobility in Iraq, Afghanistan, our homeland defense, and other missions as called upon.

Unlike other tankers in our inventory, it can refuel Air Force, Navy, and international military aircraft with its dual boom and hose-and- drogue systems. The KC-10 itself can also be refueled while in flight, helping extend our global reach.

Most importantly, this aircraft is critical to providing an air bridge across the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific routes to support our combatant commanders.

This amendment sends a message to the Air Force and the DOD that Congress remains committed to active oversight of our air refueling mission platforms and sufficient capacity to support our warfighters.

I want to thank the chairman, the members of the subcommittee, and the staff for working with me on this important amendment. I would particularly highlight our appreciation for the strong support Chairman Frelinghuysen has shown for the KC-10 platform, and his concern for ensuring there is no mission gap for our military's air refueling needs.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for those kind words, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for his comments on that. And I will just tell the committee that I have had many conversations with the Air Force about this exact issue, and to be able to take a capability away from what we can do in our global reach and not have a legitimate answer in the near future I think would be devastating to what we can do and how we can project power globally.

So the readiness issue has not been answered, and I think this is a step in the right direction to make sure that our national security is at the forefront. So, with that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment moves $6 million to Air Force Other Procurement to provide for a much-needed joint training platform and for facility upgrades. More specifically, the funding is aimed at supporting upgrades to joint training and training development facilities at Air Force installations. The offset for this amendment reduces the amount allocated for the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Over the last decade, many of the service branches have procured various training systems and infrastructure that are in desperate need of repair. These are not expensive upgrades, and they will preserve the shelf life of some of the most state-of-the-art training systems in the United States military. My amendment seeks to increase the Air Force procurement funding to provide for critical upgrades for these underfunded systems, technologies, and training infrastructure.

We have made great investments in our joint training aids and support systems to ensure our servicemembers are combat ready and proficient at a low cost for high value to the taxpayer. It would be a shame to see these assets atrophy from the withholding of what is a relatively small amount in comparison to our initial investments in these programs.

I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this commonsense amendment and support our warfighters.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this week marks the 20th anniversary of National Men's Health Week (NMHW), which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton in 1994. NMHW was legislation sponsored by Senator Bob Dole and Congressman Bill Richardson and is celebrated each year during the week that ends on Father's Day.

Recognizing that many health problems that affect men can be prevented, the week was designed to encourage men, boys and their families to develop positive health attitudes, engage in preventive behaviors, lead healthy lifestyles, and seek timely medical advice and care.

As co-chair of the Congressional Men's Health Caucus, I am proud to celebrate this week and help raise awareness of health issues that affect men, boys, and their families.

This week I participated in the Men's Health Network's health screenings that were being offered to Members and their staff. It is so important that we encourage men to be proactive about their health so that they can live longer and healthier lives. I applaud the Men's Health Network for helping to raise awareness right here on Capitol Hill.

As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of National Men's Health Week, we are reminded of how far our country has come in improving the health and well-being of men and boys, but there is still a lot of work left to be done.

Mr. Speaker, this week, along with the entire month of June (Men's Health Month), provides an excellent opportunity to focus on ways that we and our loved ones can live healthier, longer lives.