Floor Statements

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 4435, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015. The bill provides critical authorities to support our men and women in uniform.

In particular, I appreciate the leadership of Readiness Chairman, Mr. Rob Wittman of Virginia, and the way we have worked together to address the readiness of our United States military. Our hearings this session have highlighted some serious challenges to readiness in the coming years if we do not solve the broader issue of sequestration, which I believe is achievable if we put everything on the table for discussion.

The Readiness title of the bill recommends additional funds to address particular readiness shortfalls, such as Pacific Command's prepositioned munitions; corrosion control, prevention, and mitigation; Air Force training range improvements; depot-level maintenance; operational tempo; aviation readiness; and National Guard training, among other readiness priorities.

Additionally, the bill addresses policy issues such as prepositioned stocks, crisis response elements, regionally aligned forces, ship homeport designations and overseas maintenance, readiness metrics, and the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region, including airlift and tanker capabilities in the Pacific.

But as much as we do to enhance readiness by authorizing increased funding by some $1.6 billion in the areas mentioned earlier, I believe this bill goes too far in cutting the operation and maintenance accounts in order to find funding for items not requested in the President's Budget in other titles of the bill.

The bill authorizes $164.3 billion in operations and maintenance funding, which is $1.4 billion below what the President's Budget requested. I am particularly concerned about the $2.5 billion in cuts from four areas: unobligated balances, civilian personnel, and contracts for facilities maintenance and for Other Services. The cuts in these areas far outstrip the $455 million targeted reductions adjudicated by the committee staff on a bipartisan basis after careful consideration of the services' operations and maintenance budgets.

I am not a fan of using expensive contractors for functions that could, and should, have been performed by civilian personnel, contracting is a fact of life and we are nearing the end of 13 years of two wars where we were heavily dependent on contractor support for execution of those wars.

The budget request had already reduced facility maintenance to 60-70% of the stated requirement in fiscal year 2015. A further reduction of $419 million in this bill means the military services would forego repairs and upgrades to airfield runways, taxiways, and aprons; and to mission-critical facilities and infrastructure such as electrical systems, heating and air conditioning systems, and roofs. It would mean delays in renovations, consolidations, conversions, and demolitions to more efficiently use space and reduce operations and maintenance costs; deferral of repairs and upgrades to alleviate life, health, and safety deficiencies, including fire protection systems upgrades. And it would mean postponement of repairs, replacements, or reconfigurations of gates and other installation security components.

The $399 million cut to the Other Services account could impact the quality of life for servicemembers by reducing or eliminating food service, tuition assistance, general training, family support programs, library support, physical fitness services, laundry services, testing, general and employee training, professional credentialing for health professionals, and ROTC scholarships instructor pay and textbooks.

Unlike the $1.4 billion in cuts to unobligated balances which are taken in an undistributed manner at the military service level, the cuts in facility maintenance and Other Services are levied in every budget sub-activity group. This means we have hit almost every readiness account in operations and maintenance, including maneuver units, force readiness operations, depot maintenance, base operations, combatant commander mission support, strategic mobility, prepositioned stocks, industrial preparedness, ROTC, specialized skill training, professional development education, training support, logistic support, ammunition management, service-wide communications, manpower management, and classified programs.

Further, I would note that contracts for Other Services includes professional services the Pentagon purchases to research, compile, and publish the reports that this committee and others require each year, including the hundreds of new reports required in this bill alone!

Because of hiring freezes, sequestration, furloughs, pay freezes, and legislative mandates, most Department of Defense components and defense agencies have been functioning at 80 percent of their authorized manpower for the past 2 to 3 years and were only starting to recover in this fiscal year. Along with the services contracts cuts, a $315 million cut to civilian personnel funding in fiscal year 2015 makes a mockery of the Total Force Management concepts this committee adopted and endorsed just three years ago, as defense components have told me they could not shed people fast enough and would have to undertake arbitrary reductions in force without consideration of mission requirements.

Compounding these cuts is the $2 billion military personnel-related funding hole the Department will have to fill resulting from other actions this committee is considering today. Those funds, most likely, will come out of the operations and maintenance accounts when the Department of Defense executes the fiscal year 2015 budget.

At a time when only 50% of Air Force pilots have returned to appropriate training levels; when the Navy has been forced to propose Phased Modernization of cruisers and amphibious warships to extend their service life, when the Marine Corps is establishing crisis response task forces without programming the full funding needed to resource them, and when the Army has identified $1.7 billion in unfunded training needs, I believe it is unwise and extraordinarily risky to fund the readiness accounts at $1.4 billion below the President's budget request. These cuts essentially impose another level of sequestration on the operation and maintenance accounts.

As noted in a Readiness hearing this year, our top priority should be to ensure that no soldier, sailor, airman, or marine ever enters a fair fight. Our subcommittee has highlighted and documented the operations and maintenance shortfalls for the past three years and it is our duty and responsibility to ensure our men and women who serve have the necessary resources to dominate in any operational environment.

I am concerned that our bill does not address an issue that I and a number of other Members in the House of Representatives have concerns about regarding the transition of the Global Privately Owned Vehicle Contract (GPC) to a new contractor. The prior contractor performed well for the US government on the prior GPC contract. But a decision was made to change contractors to save some money, despite concerns being raised about the new contractor's ability to perform and questions about whether there were any real cost savings. I raised some of those concerns during a recent Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing, and my colleagues have also made inquiries regarding the contractor change.

Guam receives a significant shipment of privately owned vehicles, and our servicemembers rely on efficient and timely privately owned vehicle delivery to help integrate into their new units and to help their families cope with the difficulties associated with Permanent Change in Station assignments. I ask that you work with me, along with others on the Committee who have expressed similar concerns, to closely monitor and provide greater oversight on the transition to the new contractor. The new contractor assumed responsibility on May 1, and I understand some facilities were still not fully operational at that time and the contractor's logistics IT network was not fully deployed. Unfortunately, it appears that many of our concerns regarding the new contractor's ability to perform may be coming into fruition.

Going forward, I hope the Committee will monitor the transition and ensure that the best value decision was made with respect to this important contract and in support of our service members and their families.

Finally, this bill continues a tradition of supporting the Department of Defense's efforts to support the Obama Administration's Asia-Pacific rebalance strategy. The bill fully funds military construction related to the realignment of Marines from Okinawa, Japan to Guam. The realignment is the most tangible aspect of the rebalance strategy and showing our commitment has a profoundly positive impact on the rebalance. Further, like the last several years, the bill eliminates restrictions on use of Government of Japan funds to support the realignment. Given the current budget constraints at the Department of Defense it is prudent that we free up Government of Japan direct contributions to support this endeavor.

I am concerned that this bill cuts over $80 million requested in the President's Budget to support critical upgrades to civilian water and wastewater systems on Guam. I believe that these upgrades are needed to support a robust military presence on island and are needed now. However, I appreciate that the bill does include language authorizing a $13 million civilian infrastructure project that was appropriated in Fiscal Year 2012. Specifically, the project is for the development of a cultural repository which is needed to meet federal standards for the preservation of artifacts that are discovered during military construction activities. This project was agreed to in the Programmatic Agreement signed several years ago by Governor Calvo and various federal entities. Authorizing funds for this project keeps the U.S. Government's commitment to the people of Guam.

The bill also included an amendment adopted during full committee consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 that requires the Department of Defense and Department of State, working in coordination with other relevant federal agencies, to develop a clear strategy for the Asia-Pacific rebalance. I offered this amendment with Mr. Forbes of Virginia and Ms. Hanabusa of Hawaii. The provision outlines what the strategy should contain and is mirrored off Department of Defense East Asia Strategy Reviews from the 1990s. It is important that our allies clearly understand what the Asia-Pacific rebalance strategy is so that there are assurances about the United States' presence in this critical region of the world.

Moreover, this provision would also require the National Security Council, working with the Office of Management and Budget, to use the strategy to develop an implementation plan for budget development. Another concern that has been articulated by a number of think tanks as well as allies in the region is about the commitment of the United States in putting real resources towards this rebalance strategy. It is important that the implementation plan give clear guidance to relevant agencies in what programs and projects they should fund to support the Asia-Pacific rebalance strategy. The rebalance to the Asia-Pacific is an important and wise strategic goal and the implementation plan should help to ensure that this effort lasts past any one Administration.

Again, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4435.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of my amendment number 129 as part of en-bloc package 7. The overall intent of this amendment is to address potential legal impediment of allowing a surface danger zone (SDZ) over the Ritidian unit of the Guam National Wildlife Refuge. My amendment would allow the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of Interior to enter into agreement over the establishment of an SDZ over the refuge. It would also outline areas that would need to be mitigated if an SDZ were located over the Ritidian Unit. The amendment is similar to compromise language developed by Navy and Fish and Wildlife Service following an April 29, 2014 hearing in the House Committee on Natural Resources on this bill.

I believe this amendment will keep the Navy and the Fish and Wildlife Service talking about the potential impacts of a firing range on Northwest Field. In fact, I believe this amendment is important to keep the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process on track so that these two agencies can discuss potential mitigations should this location ultimately be chosen as the location for a firing range on Guam. The Navy has just commenced the draft supplemental environmental impact statement hearings (SEIS) so there is ample time to review all alternatives. The amendment does not prejudge the outcome of this NEPA process, indeed it is intended to keep the process on track so we do not suffer any unnecessary delays in the realignment of Marines from Okinawa, Japan to Guam. As the Navy has testified and stated publicly, without H.R. 4402 in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 the military build-up would likely suffer significant delays and could significant consequences for our bilateral relationship with Japan.

I fully respect and appreciate the Guam community's close engagement on these issues and their participation during the draft SEIS public meetings this past week. I was able to hear directly from our community on this amendment over the past week, and community feedback is absolutely critical to the process. It provides the Navy and other stakeholders with important viewpoints to consider when final decisions are made for the Record of Decision.

I would also like to underscore the importance of training to the overall readiness of Marines in the Asia-Pacific region. This importance is highlighted by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel in a letter to Congress, stating a live-fire training range is critical to, ``maintain the military training and readiness of Marine Corps personnel relocating to the island''. I have been and remain a staunch advocate for the military build-up on Guam. I believe that this bill keeps the process moving forward and ensures that we have no further unnecessary delays. The bottom line and undeniable fact is that without a live-fire training range on Guam, we will not have a military build- up.

I thank the Chairman and Ranking Member for agreeing to put this amendment in en-bloc package 7 and urge its immediate adoption.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of former Guam Senator G. Ricardo Salas, a dedicated public servant and successful businessman on Guam. Senator Salas passed away on April 4, 2014, at the age of 90.

Affectionately known as Rick, G. Ricardo Salas was born in Guam's capital city of Hagaatnna on November 14, 1923, to Jose and Coltilde Santos Salas. When he was just eight years old, Rick began helping with his family's business; he would assist his father and brother in their architecture and land-surveying professions and walk through the streets of Hagaatnna selling baked goods.

As a young man on Guam after World War II, Rick decided to move to the U.S. mainland to pursue higher education. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business from Doane College in Crete, Nebraska, in 1949.

Mr. Salas married Rosa Teresita Perez on November 26, 1951. Together they had eight children: Richard Conrad, Sr.; Melissa; Ronald John; Kathleen Angelica; Lucina Elaine; Teresita Marie; Vicente Ramon and Solange Mirim. They also raised their first grandchild, Richard ``Ricky Boy'' Conrad, Jr., and were blessed with 19 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Rick began his career of public service with the Government of Guam, working at the Department of Land Management and later at the Department of Revenue and Taxation. He was an active member of the Republican Party of Guam, and in 1972, he represented Guam as a delegate to the Republican National Convention. In 19XX, he was elected a Senator to the 12th Guam Legislature. He went on to serve an additional term in the 13th Guam Legislature before returning to the private sector.

As a businessman, Senator Salas played an integral role in diversifying business on Guam. He used his background in real-estate to successfully attract international clientele from Asia to invest in Guam. He also managed his family businesses, the Salas Agency Corporation, Salas Services, and Salas Equipment Co. until his retirement in 2005. However, despite retiring many continued to rely on his advice and expertise of real estate on Guam.

Senator Salas will always be remembered for his years of public service and many contributions to the people of Guam. I am deeply saddened by his passing, and I join the people of Guam in mourning a great businessman and statesman. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. His legacy will live on in the memories of the people of Guam.

Mr. Speaker, I have introduced a bill to amend the Sikes Act to promote the use of cooperative agreements for land management related to the Department of Defense (DoD) readiness activities. The bill provides common sense reforms to the Sikes Act. These reforms afford both programs with greater flexibility to leverage cooperative agreements and other federal funds to meet program requirements.

In particular, the bill would provide additional enhancements to the authorities provided to DoD under the Sikes Act and parallels a similar amendment made in the FY 2012 National

Defense Authorization Act to the REPI program. Specifically, the provision would authorize DoD, pursuant to a cooperative agreement under the Sikes Act, to provide funds for the long term maintenance and improvement of natural resources on non-DoD lands without first having to protect such lands through acquisition of easements. This will greatly enhance the ability of DoD to take action to relieve or eliminate current or anticipated challenges that could restrict, impede, or otherwise interfere with, whether directly or indirectly, current or anticipated military activities. For example, this provision would help DoD meet its obligations under the Endangered Species Act and other applicable statutory and regulatory requirements through actions on non-DoD lands pursuant to a cooperative agreement with a state or local agency or a private landowner. This authority would help avoid or reduce the need to restrict training and testing activities on DoD lands.

A similar version of this bill was included as section 314 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 as passed in the House of Representatives. My bill makes some improvements to section 314 and addresses concerns raised by the Department of Defense regarding percentage of funds allowed for administration of the program as well as auditing requirements. I look forward to working with the relevant Committee to incorporate this bill as a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015.

Again, the bill is a common sense approach to better enabling DoD to meet its conservation goals and requirements while protecting its ability to meet readiness requirements. In a time of fiscal austerity, it is important for Congress to provide the Administration with the tools and authorities to be flexible and adaptable to challenges with innovative thinking and minimal investment. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. Speaker, today I come to the floor of the House of Representatives to recognize the importance of the Taiwan Relations Act which this Congress passed thirty-five years ago. The Taiwan Relations Act passed this Congress and was signed into law on April 10, 1979. For the last three and a half decades this legislation has been a cornerstone of our defense relationship with Taiwan and the result has been peace and prosperity for our important ally.

Peace in the Taiwan straits remains among the highest national interests of our country, indeed the entire Asia-Pacific region. Congress and the U.S. people remain steadfast in their support for Taiwan and maintaining strong defense and economic relations.

Since the Taiwan Relations Act was signed into law, the U.S.-Taiwan relationship has been fostered by a series of thirteen representatives from Taiwan. For the last year and a half that representative has been King Pu-tsung who will soon be returning to Taiwan to serve as Secretary-General of Taiwan's National Security Council. I have enjoyed the opportunity to work closely with Representative King and applaud his efforts to continue the strong relationship our two countries enjoy.

As we look ahead to the 4th decade of the Taiwan Relations Act we should continue our work to advance our relationship, particularly as it relates to trade and bilateral investment.

I look forward to working with my colleagues on these issues of mutual concern for both nations as our relationship with Taiwan continues to develop and evolve.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. This bill specifically prohibits the expenditure of Federal funds for any abortion, and clarifies that no federal funds can be used for any health benefits coverage that includes coverage for abortions. While I believe that the Stupak amendment to the health care reform legislation codified the Hyde amendment, I believe that this bill provides extra measures to ensure Federal funds are not used for abortion.

As a society, I believe that we have a responsibility to safeguard the lives of those who are unable to protect themselves. H.R. 7 takes important steps to limiting the instances where the rights of the unborn are violated. This bill ensures that no public funding is used to pay for health care plans that include abortion coverage, and it restricts tax credits from applying to health care plans that include abortion coverage in its benefits package.

The bill does make important exemptions to these prohibitions that protect the health of mothers. The prohibitions will not apply to pregnancies that result from rape or incest or in instances where a mother's life is in danger. I believe that these exemptions provide a good balance in ensuring human life is respected.

As a strong and consistent prolife supporter, I believe that our government has an obligation to protect the lives of our country's most vulnerable citizens. I strongly support H.R. 7 and I urge my colleagues to pass this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of my good friend, the late Vicente ``Ben'' Tomas Garrido Blaz, a retired Brigadier General in the United States Marine Corps and former Member of Congress who represented the people of Guam. Congressman Blaz was a hero and leader who inspired generations on Guam. He passed away on January 8, 2014 at the age of 85.

Congressman Blaz was born on February 14, 1928 to Vicente Cruz Blaz and Rita Garrido Blaz from the village of Ordot, Guam, and he was the third of eight children. He married his late wife, Ann Evers Blaz, in 1953, and they had two sons, Thomas and Michael and five grandchildren. Congressman Blaz was predeceased by his wife and parents, and his siblings and in-laws: Rosario and Pedro Cruz, Maria Blaz, Emilia and Alfred Rios, Brigida Blaz, and Alfred Blaz. He is survived by his sons, Tom and Mike, and their spouses, Shelane and Barbara; his five grandchildren; and his siblings and in-laws: Joaquin Blaz, Patricia and Jose Borja, and Frank and Julie Blaz.

On December 8, 1941, Ben was 13 when Guam was invaded by enemy forces during World War II. He endured the hardships of the 32 months of enemy occupation, and was among those conscripted into forced labor. As a survivor of the occupation, General Blaz had a strong sense of patriotism and duty to our country. He never forgot these experiences and they helped to inspire him to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps and to continue a life of service as a Congressman.

After the war, Ben graduated from George Washington High School and was awarded an academic scholarship to attend the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Ben was a patriot, and when war broke out in Korea, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and attended Officer Candidate School. In 1951, Ben graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science degree and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He continued his professional education and earned a Master of Arts degree from the George Washington University in 1963 and graduated from the Naval War College in 1970. General Blaz was bestowed an honorary Doctors of Laws from the University of Guam in 1974; in 1988 he was recognized as a distinguished alumnus of the University of Notre Dame, where he was conferred the Rev. William Corby Award for his notable military service.

As an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, Brigadier General Blaz served our nation with honor and distinction. He served three overseas tours in Vietnam; Okinawa, Japan; and Osaka, Japan. He was appointed as the Commanding Officer of the 9th Marines, and had the honor of commanding one of the Marine Corps regiments which liberated Guam during World War II. In 1977, Ben was promoted to Brigadier General, becoming the first Chamorro to attain flag officer rank. He retired in 1980 after 30 years of distinguished service in the Marine Corps. During his service, his awards and decorations included the Legion of Merit (twice awarded); Bronze Star (with Combat V); Navy Commendation Medal (twice awarded); Combat Action Ribbon; and Vietnam Cross of Gallantry (Gold Star).

Following his military retirement, General Blaz ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1982. He was successful in 1984 when he was elected to the 99th Congress, and he served in the House of Representatives for four terms from 1985 to 1993. At the start of his first term, Congressman Blaz was elected by his peers to serve as the president of his freshman class. Congressman Blaz worked to improve the relationship between the federal government and Guam. As a member of the Armed Services, Natural Resources, and Foreign Affairs Committees, he worked to address Guam's issues, national security issues and Asia-Pacific issues. He promoted improving Guam's political status, advocated for war reparations for Guam, worked to improve education and health programs, and sought the return of excess federal lands to the people of Guam.

Ben never truly retired from public service, and after he left Congress, he became Guam's senior statesman. He was an invaluable mentor to Congressman Robert Underwood and myself, and I would often look to him for counsel and support on issues important to Guam. During his time in Congress, Congressman Blaz often remarked of the territories, ``We are equal in war but not in peace,'' recognizing the inequality between U.S. citizens residing in the territories and those living in the 50 states. During my time in Congress, I too have recognized the sentiment behind this profound statement, and I kept a plaque of Ben's quote on my desk when I first took office. Congressman Blaz was also a strong supporter of the events held in Washington to commemorate the Liberation of Guam. He faithfully attended the wreath laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and the receptions on Capitol Hill that are held every year.

Throughout his life, Ben worked to promote and preserve the Chamorro culture, language, and history. He produced two television series Nihi Ta Bisita (Let Us Visit) which centered on

Guam's culture, language, and history, and Nihi Ta Hasso (Let Us Remember) which centered on the occupation and liberation of Guam during World War II, and was later published as a book. He is also the author of Bisita Guam: A Special Place in the Sun, which is an important resource in Guam's schools.

I join the people of Guam in honoring the memory of Congressman Ben Blaz and commemorating his many contributions to our island and our nation. I extend my sincere condolences to the entire Blaz family. While General Blaz is no longer with us, his legacy of selfless service and patriotism inspires our young men and women in the military and throughout our island.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss several matters of importance to Azerbaijan. I note that January 20, 2013 marked the 23rd anniversary of an historic and tragic day in the history of the country of Azerbaijan. On the night of January 19, 1990, 26,000 Soviet troops invaded the capital city of Baku and surrounding areas. By the end of the next day, more than 130 people had died, 611 were injured, 841 were arrested and 5 were missing. This event is memorialized as ``Black January,'' and, for the citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan this event left an indelible mark on the minds of all citizens.

Soviet troops entered Azerbaijan under the pretext of restoring public order, while actually aiming to forcefully end peaceful demonstrations for independence. However, Soviet incursion further incited aspirations of Azerbaijani people to regain their independence after 70 years of Soviet rule.

In the end, Azerbaijan's pro-Moscow regime grew weaker and by 1991, popular pressure resulted in restoration of independence of Azerbaijan. On August 30, 1991, Azerbaijan's Parliament adopted the Declaration on the Restoration of the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and on October 18, 1991, the Constitutional Act on the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan was approved. November 1991 marked the beginning of international recognition of Azerbaijan's independence. The United States opened an embassy in Baku in March 1992 and it has remained committed to aiding Azerbaijan in its transition to democracy and its formation of an open market economy.

Some historical observers have noted that the violence inflicted on the citizens of Baku may have been intended to send a message to other Soviet republics that similar aspirations of nationalism would not be tolerated. In the wake of this horrific act and inspired by the strength of the Azerbaijani people's belief in the principles of democracy, the Republic of Azerbaijan has maintained its independence for more than 16 years, despite lingering economic and social problems from the Soviet era. Today, Azerbaijan has developed into a thriving country with double digit growth, in large part due to a freely-elected president and parliament, free market reforms led by the energy sector, and most importantly, no foreign troops on its soil.

The road to independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity for the Azerbaijani people has not come without adversity and sacrifice. Athough Azerbaijan thrives today, the people of Azerbaijan recognize those who lost their lives on Black January in 1990 and honor their sacrifice through their commitment to the ideals of democracy. As we reflect on this terrible tragedy, we who believe in the tenets of freedom and the hope of democracy should recognize the incredible sacrifice made by the people of Azerbaijan and by free people all around the world.

I also rise to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the Khojaly massacre perpetrated by Armenian armed forces on February 25 through February 26, 1992 in the town of Khojaly in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. Khojaly, now under the occupation of Armenian armed forces, was the site of the largest killing of ethnic Azerbaijani civilians in the course of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Khojaly, once the home to 7,000 people, was completely destroyed. Six hundred thirteen people were killed, of which 106 were women, 83 were children and 56 were purported to have been killed. In addition, 1,275 people were taken hostage, 150 went missing and 487 people became disabled. Also in the records maintained, 76 of the victims were teenagers, 8 families were wiped out and 25 children lost both of their parents while 130 lost one of their parents. According to Human Rights Watch and other international observers, the Armenian Armed forces were reportedly aided by the Russian 366th Motor Rifle Regiment.

At the time, Newsweek magazine reported: ``Azerbaijan was a charnel house again last week: a place of mourning refugees and dozens of mangled corpses dragged to a makeshift morgue behind the mosque. They were ordinary Azerbaijani men, women and children of Khojaly, a small village in war-torn Nagorno-Karabakh overrun by Armenian forces on 25- 26 February. Many were killed at close range while trying to flee; some had their faces mutilated, others were scalped.''

As part of the Khojaly population that tried to escape, they encountered violent ambushes that led to abuses, torture, mutilation and death. The Russian organization, Memorial, stated that 200 Azerbaijani corpses were brought from Khojaly to Agdam within four days.

Time magazine published the following description: ``While the details are argued, this

much is plain: something grim and unconscionable happened in the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly 2 weeks ago. So far, some 200 dead Azerbaijanis, many of them mutilated, have been transported out of the town tucked inside the Armenian-dominated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh for burial in neighboring Azerbaijan. The total number of deaths--the Azerbaijanis claim 1,324 civilians have been slaughtered, most of them women and children--is unknown.''

The extent of the cruelty of this massacre against women, children and the elderly was unfathomable. This anniversary reminds us of the need to redouble efforts to help resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. The United States as a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group should intensify its efforts to reach a resolution of this protracted conflict.

Mr. Speaker, Azerbaijan is a strong ally of the United States in a strategically important and complex region of the world. I ask my colleagues to join me and our Azerbaijani friends in commemorating the tragedy that occurred in the town of Khojaly as well as Black January.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my colleagues to join me here as I deliver this eulogy for a former Member of Congress.

I rise to pay tribute to the late Vicente ``Ben'' Garrido Blaz, Guam's former Congressman and a retired brigadier general in the United States Marine Corps. Ben passed away last night at the age of 85.

Ben was a longtime friend whose lifetime of service to Guam and our Nation has been an inspiration to generations. As a survivor of the Japanese occupation of Guam during World War II, Ben had a strong sense of patriotism and duty to our country. He was commissioned as an officer of the Marine Corps in 1951 and went on to become the first Chamorro to achieve the rank of brigadier general. In 1984, Ben was elected to serve in this House of Representatives, where he represented the people of Guam for four terms.

Throughout my time in Congress, Ben has been a strong source of support and guidance. I am grateful for his counsel and friendship, and I will miss him dearly.

I join the people of Guam mourning the loss of Congressman Ben Blaz. Our thoughts and prayers are with his sons, Mike and Tom, and their families.

I now ask for the House to observe a moment of silence in remembrance of Congressman Blaz.

I thank my colleagues who have joined me here, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the defense authorization bill for fiscal year 2014. In a time of tight budgets, it is important that we provide the resources to make sure that our forces are properly trained, equipped, and appropriately manned. That is the essence of military readiness. Our military must maintain a high level of readiness to address a wide range of threats across this globe. This bill helps to achieve that goal. This is all about keeping our Nation secure and safe.

In particular, this bill makes significant progress in advancing our posture in the Asia-Pacific region. The bill upholds the U.S. commitment to modernizing our force posture which is a critical component of the strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region. In particular, Mr. Speaker, freeing up Japanese funds for the realignment of marines from Okinawa is financially prudent and confirms our support of the Guam International Agreement.

I thank Chairman McKeon; Ranking Member Smith; my chairman, Mr. Wittman; our partners in the Senate; the staff on the committee and in my personal office for their support in developing this important bill.

I urge my colleagues to support this measure and pass it so the Senate can act on this critical measure which is so important to our men and women serving this Nation in defense.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014, H. Res. 441 which provides for concurrence in the House to amendments to H.R. 3304 with amendment, the text of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. I appreciate the efforts of Chairman Buck McKeon, Ranking Member Adam Smith, Chairman Carl Levin and Ranking Member Jim Inhofe for their work to ensure we have a compromise package that keeps our 51-year streak of passing defense authorization bills alive. It is unfortunate that the Senate was unable to proceed under regular order in completing a defense bill which would have allowed for a true Conference Committee to negotiate outcomes. Nevertheless, this compromise package is not perfect but has many elements that are critical for supporting our service members and our nation's defense posture.

In particular, I appreciate the provisions in this bill that send a clear signal of the U.S. commitment to the rebalance to the Asia- Pacific region. The most tangible defense component of our rebalance effort is the realignment of Marines from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam. The bill authorizes nearly $86 million in construction of a U.S. Marine Corps aviation hangar that directly supports the realignment efforts. Most importantly, the bill provides greater exemptions for the use of Government of Japan direct contributions to the realignment. It allows Japanese funds to be used for a $114 million site improvements project at the North Ramp on Andersen Air Force Base. It also allows does not constrain the use of Japanese or U.S. funds for planning and design for realignment projects. We continue to hold the Department of Defense (DoD) accountable

for providing Congress with additional cost information about the realignment. The bill authorizes an additional $233 million in other Navy military construction projects on Guam. One such project is the construction of a hangar for the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) MQ-4C platform on Guam. Guam's strategic location provides significant benefit to stationing unmanned aerial vehicle assets at military installations on-island.

Further, the bill fully authorizes $176.2 million in authorization of appropriations for Air Force military construction projects at Andersen Air Force Base which support the Air Force's Pacific Airpower Resiliency (PAR) program. Additionally, the bill authorizes $128 million for the hardening of a fuel cell hangar that was authorized as an unhardened hangar in last year's bill. The PAR program provides for selective hardening and dispersal of Air Force assets and facilities in the Western Pacific. This program is an important component of an overarching strategy to respond to anti-access area of denial capabilities in the region. Some have questioned the cost of this program, but as Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh stated to the Senate Armed Services Committee on November 7, 2013, ``In this particular case, the hardened facilities on Guam are a response to a combatant commander request to provide more resilient capability on Guam because of an increased threat of surface-to-surface missile attack. He (Admiral Locklear) didn't request that everything be hardened, just those key facilities you couldn't improvise if there was damage--improvise for if there was damage on an air field. And that's what those facilities are based on. So we are trying to support U.S. Pacific Command in that effort to meet his war plan requirements.'' The PAR program provides long-term improvement in our posture and readiness in the Western Pacific for years to come. It is a wise investment for the security of our country and allies.

These actions taken together send a clear message that the United States is committed to our rebalance strategy. Moreover, the bill is a clear indication that the United States is willing to put significant resources to this important national strategic initiative. To be clear, the rebalance strategy is broader and farther ranging than just military construction, but these projects are real, tangible, and immediate evidence of our commitment.

Unfortunately, this bill does not provide authorization of operation and maintenance funds to support civilian infrastructure requirements on Guam. There is a historical context for the Department of Defense providing local governments with support for civilian infrastructure requirements such as at Kings Bay, Georgia, and Bangor, Washington, and I fundamentally disagree with the opposition to this funding because it will support our military servicemembers. However, the bill does provide a compromise that requires the Secretary of Defense to convene a meeting of the Economic Adjustment Committee (EAC) within 90 days of this measure being signed into law. It also requires a report from DoD no later than the signing of a Record of Decision on the realignment of Marines from Okinawa. This provision provides the Government of Guam to reassess their civilian infrastructure requirements in light of recent changes to the size of the Marine realignment yet holds DoD accountable for considering this requirement. Civilian infrastructure improvements on Guam are needed to support and sustain the current military footprint as well as increased military presence on-island. I look forward to working with the Secretary of Defense, Governor of Guam, and other stakeholders as the EAC process moves forward.

I also strongly support the bill's continued prohibition on the retirement or mothballing of Global Hawk Block 30 unmanned systems through 2014. The Global Hawk is a critical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance asset, and the Air Force's rationale for wanting to retire this aircraft and continue flying an aging aircraft for the foreseeable future remains lacking. In a time of constrained budgets we need to look carefully at what platforms will provide the military with the best capabilities. I strongly believe that the Global Hawk Block 30 program provides the U.S. Air Force with a better capability in the long term. Although not addressed in this bill, I support the Appropriations Committee's effort to provide additional funding to the Air Force to investigate the potential to modify the Global Hawk Block 30 aircraft to adapt to certain sensor programs. The long-term endurance surveillance missions are served well by UAVs, and I believe the Global Hawk supports that mission well.

I also greatly support the additional $1.1 million in funding for the Sea Cadet Corps program. This funding is in addition to $1.7 million that was programmed by the U.S. Navy in the Fiscal Year 2014 budget. The Sea Cadet program facilitates professional development for almost 9,000 Sea Cadets ages 11-17, in 387 units nationwide. The Naval Sea Cadet Corps instills in every Cadet a sense of patriotism, courage, and a foundation of personal honor and significantly assists in promoting the Navy and Coast Guard, particularly in those areas of the United States where these Services have little presence.

As Ranking Member of the Readiness Subcommittee, I support this bill which provides the resources to ensure our forces are properly trained, equipped, and manned, all of which are the essence of military readiness. In particular, the bill provides $176.5 billion in operation and maintenance funding to help mend some of the damage that has been done to overused equipment and neglected facilities. The mindless and arbitrary cuts imposed by sequestration have challenged our operation and maintenance accounts, yet this funding helps mitigate that impact. The bill authorizes $62.5 billion for operation and maintenance for Overseas Contingency Operations, with $2.9 billion in additional funding for depot-level maintenance, fuel costs, and equipment spares and reset. As we put these significant resources into accounts that support our readiness, the bill takes steps to strengthen and improve the reports that the House Armed Services Committee receives each quarter detailing readiness metrics. In particular, it enhances the Committee's visibility of geographic and functional combatant commanders' ability to execute the full range of operational and contingency plans to meet worldwide threats. The bill also extends the waiver of limitations on premium pay for federal civilian employees who work overseas in support of contingency operations and allows payment to DoD civilians serving in combat zones of allowances, benefits, and bonuses comparable to members of the foreign service.

Earlier I discussed investment in certain force posture efforts, but this bill takes other steps that address our ability to react to a wide range of threats worldwide. In particular, it increases funding for Marine security guards at embassies worldwide by $13.4 million. It also increases, by $40 million, the funding for special-purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force to respond to security challenges or humanitarian emergencies, such as the recent humanitarian emergency we responded to in the Philippines. It also establishes the requirement for a strategic policy for equipment and materiel prepositioned throughout the world to respond to emerging contingencies to be aligned with defense strategic guidance. This is of particular importance as we demonstrate our commitment to the Asia-Pacific rebalance strategy.

Finally, I do have some concerns about the provision that authorizes the National Guard State Partnership program. The compromise provision included in this bill is significantly different from legislation that I introduced and included in the House-passed measure in June. I appreciate that we finally authorize this program in law but the requirements for how NGB must execute the program deserve greater scrutiny.

The National Guard State Partnership Program supports the geographic Combatant Commanders and U.S. Ambassadors via capacity-building partnerships between NGB units across the United States and partner nations. This program provides a long-term capacity-building mechanism that leverages the unique capabilities of the National Guard. However, the provision, as currently written, does not recognize the unique capabilities of the National Guard and has an arbitrary sunset date. Further, the reporting provisions are onerous and will add unnecessary bureaucratic work instead of focusing on accomplishing broader goals. I look forward to working with my colleagues to improve this provision in next year's bill.

The defense bill is a year-long process and is put together with the help and assistance of our outstanding staff. In particular, I appreciate the hard work and coordination of the entire House and Senate Armed Services staffs, and in particular I want to thank Vickie Plunkett, Brian Garrett, Debra Wada, Leonor Tomero, and Doug Bush of the House minority staff for their work with this effort. I strongly support this bill and urge my colleagues to pass this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in solidarity with the people of the Philippines in the wake of the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Haiyan.

I just returned yesterday from my district, Guam, where we have a large Filipino population trying to reach relatives, all to no avail. Remember, we are the closest neighbors to the Philippines.

The images that we see on TV are horrific and unimaginable. We are strong allies with the Philippines and have deep historic and cultural ties.

As we have done in the past, we will stand by our allies in need, and I commend the Obama administration for rushing to the aid of the Filipino people. Also, I commend the efforts of the Filipino community of Guam, the Government of Guam, and the local nonprofits and businesses for mobilizing to provide resources to their counterparts. Like Operation Tomodachi, we are rushing to the aid of the Philippines. This is how we demonstrate our commitment to the Pacific partners.

I appreciate and commend the efforts of our Federal Government to send significant resources to the impacted areas of the Philippines, and I urge this Congress to reaffirm this commitment to the Philippines and to support providing resources necessary to help them recover.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 3304, introduced by my friend and colleague, Mr. Deutch of Florida.

H.R. 3304 authorizes the President of the United States to award the Medal of Honor to Bennie G. Adkins, Donald P. Sloat, Melvin Morris, Ardie Copas, Jack Weinstein, Leonard Kravitz, Alfred Nietzel, Donald Schwab, and William Leonard.

These individuals have distinguished themselves in service to our Nation in previous conflicts, ranging from World War II to Vietnam. The individuals were reviewed by the appropriate services, and their nominations were given careful consideration by the Secretary of Defense, and their names have been submitted to the Congress.

Section 3744 of title X, United States Code, requires the Medal of Honor to be awarded within 3 years after the date of the act justifying the award, which is why we are here on the floor--to seek a statutory time waiver to allow the President of the United States to award the Medal of Honor to these particular individuals. So I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), the author of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, but I do want to commend the author of this bill, this very worthwhile piece of legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Norwood ``Woody'' Olmsted on the occasion of his retirement, after 31 years of service with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Office of Legislative Affairs, and legacy Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). His retirement was effective on June 28, 2013.

Before Woody began his extensive career as a federal civilian employee, he spent 18 years as a high school music teacher. He later worked with the INS as an Immigration Inspector in Maine. He was subsequently transferred to the Los Angeles International Airport where he continued as an Immigration Inspector until he was promoted to an Immigration Examiner position at the Los Angeles District Office. He moved to Washington, D.C., in 1988, to work in the INS Office of Congressional Relations, now the USCIS Office of Legislative Affairs. During this time, Woody shared his knowledge and expertise on immigration laws and regulations with Congressional staff and helped resolve many urgent and high-profile inquiries. His dedication to his work earned him numerous awards and recognitions, and he remains well- regarded among Members of Congress and Congressional staffers.

Woody is married to Emily Duenas Olmsted from Guam; both are active and longtime members of the Guam Society of America in Washington, D.C.

For his service to our country, I extend a very sincere un Dangkulo na Si Yu'os Ma'ase. I wish Woody and his wife, Emily, the very best as they transition to the next stage of their life and enjoy a long and happy retirement together.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of Delfina Tyquiengco Aguigui, a devoted educator and public servant on Guam. She was born in the village of Merizo on December 1, 1921 to Ignacio Babauta Aguigui and Buevenida Tyquiengco Aguigui. She passed away on September 21, 2013 at the age of 91.

Delfina dedicated herself to educating Guam's youth. Upon graduating from Syracuse University in New York, she returned to Guam as a teacher within the Guam public school system. She went on to become the principal of George Washington High School in Mangilao, Associate Superintendent for Secondary Education, and then the Deputy Director of the Guam Department of Education. In these capacities, she worked to improve the quality of education for Guam's public school students. She was also a member of the University of Guam faculty where she was responsible for student housing.

Delfina also worked to improve the federal-territorial relationship between the United States and Guam. In 1975, she was appointed to the 13th Guam Legislature's Political Status Commission, which worked to educate the people of Guam on the need to review Guam's political relationship with the U.S. This Commission organized the first formal plebiscite, which was held in September of 1976, where the people of Guam expressed their desire to improve Guam's political relationship with the U.S. In 1976 Delfina was also appointed the Executive Director of the Guam American Revolution Bicentennial Commission and organized local festivities to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the American Revolution.

Delfina will be missed by all who knew her. I extend my sincere condolences to her family, friends, and loved ones. I join the people of Guam in honoring her for her many contributions to our island and people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the people of Taiwan on the upcoming celebration of the 102nd anniversary of ``Double Ten Day.'' Double Ten Day traces its roots to the Wuchang Uprising that occurred on October 10, 1911. The Wuchang Uprising signaled the end of the Qing Dynasty and the start of a democratic movement that we continue to celebrate and recognize. Double Ten Day is a celebration of the birth of democracy and the Republic of China.

I want to especially recognize the people of Taiwan on this important occasion. The strength of the relationship between the people of Taiwan and the people of the United States is strong. I look forward to continue working to expand business opportunities as well as deepen our mutual appreciation for each other's unique cultures. Exchange of our cultures is clearly evidenced on Guam, which is home to many people of Chinese ancestry. Guam continues to benefit from their cultural contributions to our community and the promotion of trade and economic opportunities.

Again, I congratulate the people of Taiwan on the 102nd anniversary of Double Ten Day. We celebrate this historic occasion with them and we honor their friendship with the American people.