Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as Co-Chair of the Romanian Caucus in the House of Representatives, to support the unanimous consent to Senate Resolution S. Con. Res. 67, which Senator George Voinovich introduced on June 30 of this year, to celebrate 130 years of U.S.-Romanian diplomatic relations, to congratulate the Romanian people of their achievements as a great nation, and to reaffirm the deep bonds of trust and values between the United States and Romania. This Resolution is concurrent with House Resolution H. Con. Res. 291 that I introduced on June 29 of this year.

In my five years of leadership of the Romanian Caucus I worked closely with Romanian officials and leaders, and witnessed their commitment to upholding and advancing the values of freedom, democracy and prosperity. Romania has been an extraordinary ally in NATO and a critical partner in the European Union, in addressing some of the most important challenges facing our transatlantic and global community-- from ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan, to nuclear proliferation, to energy security. Romania is a trusted ally and a strategic partner of the United States, with whom we have developed great cooperation on issues of common interest, including security, economic and political conditions in Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Black Sea and Caucasus regions.

I am very proud of the Congress passing this Resolution, as it reflects and commends the many achievements of the U.S.-Romanian partnership and of the Romanian people. I thank all my colleagues who supported the Resolution and I urge Congress to continue to support cooperation between the United States and Romania, and to deepen the bonds of trust and friendship between our two countries.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my deepest and most sincere appreciation to my colleagues of this Congress, and the constituents of South Texas, which has been part of my life while representing the 27th Congressional District of Texas for close to 28 years. I have had the distinct honor to serve as an elected official for the past 46 years, beginning at the ripe age of 27 as a County Constable, County Commissioner, County Sheriff, and finally as a Member of Congress.

I leave many great memories of my time in the Halls of Congress and in the U.S. House of Representatives. Those vivid memories of my arrival that cold winter day in Washington, shortly after the victorious election of 1982, will live on forever. I remember driving around the Capitol and through Washington, DC; the opportunity was great; the moment was there; I had been granted the chance to represent hundreds of thousands of constituents from Deep South Texas.

Today, as I retire from the distinguished House of Representatives, I reflect on the past with satisfaction as I look forward to the future with enthusiasm for the next chapter of what life has to offer. I will be spending well deserved time with my beautiful children--Solomon Jr. and Yvette--as well as my grandson, Oscar, and the rest of my family. I look forward to a much less hectic life. I must admit, I will miss my colleagues--both Democrats and Republicans--and will miss representing some of the most loving, caring, amazing and interesting people of Texas--the constituents of the 27th Congressional District of Texas.

To my friends, supporters and those who have been with me since I was first elected to office in 1964 at the age of 27, from the very bottom of my heart, I thank you for standing by me and with me through it all. Words cannot tell how much I appreciate the love and support you have shown me and my family over the years. Thank you for the good memories and endless accomplishments; thank you for your vote of confidence and for believing in me; thank you for your love and words of encouragement as I worked to be the voice for all the people of South Texas, including minorities, the middle class, poor, vulnerable, and less fortunate.

As I deliver these last few words in the House of Representatives, I am at ease and peace with myself, my family, my colleagues in Congress, my constituents, life and most importantly, I am at ease with God. I truly believe that through our work and significant contributions during my years of service in Congress, we leave South Texas better than before. A more vibrant, economic-friendly and socially developed South Texas. Through the work of local, county, state and federal officials we were able to accomplish great deeds.

Thousands of memories from experiences in my service remain part of the tapestry of my life and always will. I remember the votes on war . . . on economic justice. The battles for bases and 21st Century transportation in South Texas . . . fights and alliances with White House occupants . . . all I remember and savor--whether my side prevailed or not.

This is a great place--despite the shortcomings . . . despite the pettiness of our members from time to time, and despite the dangerous political climate created by those who turned cable news shows into political juggernauts. Democracy is by no means perfect . . . but it still beats all the alternatives.

I leave the national stage, certain of having done the right thing for those I represented. In the thousands of votes I cast in Congress for the 27th Congressional District of Texas, time and time again, I voted to make South Texas and this nation a better and stronger place.

I end my public service with an appropriate verse from Robert Frost's ``The Road Not Taken.''

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

It certainly has made all the difference.

I yield back my time, for the last time.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall Nos. 644, 645, and 646, I was inadvertently detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my unconditional and complete support for the American DREAM Act.

This bill is intended to address the situation faced by such young people among us who were brought to the United States years ago as undocumented immigrant children. In fact, some of these children didn't even know that they were born in a foreign country.

These children have grown up and stayed here, stayed in school. They kept out of trouble. They dream of becoming a full-fledged American, but are prevented from doing so because they lack the legal status. The American DREAM Act would provide an avenue for these young people to acquire legal status, pursue a college degree or join the military, and give back to the communities and to the country that they consider home.

I've worked with these students. I represent a border State. These children are intelligent. They're smart and, not only that, they love this country.

As a veteran and as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I recognize the benefits that the DREAM Act can bring to this Nation. And I would ask my colleagues to support this bill. This is a good bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the work, dedication and leadership of Nueces, UTB/TSC President, Dr. Juliet V. Garcia, who will receive this evening the Latina Leader Award at the Washington Court Hotel.

Dr. Garcia joined The University of Texas System as the president of The University of Texas at Brownsville in January 1992 after having served as president of Texas Southmost College for six years. When she was named as president of TSC in 1986, she became the first Mexican- American woman in the nation to become president of a college or university.

Under Dr. Garcia's leadership, the campus has grown from 49 acres to more than 460 acres; the budget has increased from $31.4 million to $150 million, and the total fall enrollment has grown from 7,000 students to more than 15,000 students.

While the university has continued to increase in quantity, it has also grown in quality. The vocational nursing graduates have achieved a pass rate of more than 95 percent for their state licensures, likewise, the teacher education graduates achieved a 94 percent pass rate on their certification exams, with education students specializing in music, school counseling, Spanish, social studies, special education, physical education and mathematics achieving a 100 percent pass rate.

Dr. Garcia has established a campus culture that promotes student success. She was instrumental in the establishment of a Math and Science Academy for high school students, an Early College High School in collaboration with the Brownsville Independent School District.

She has a strong history of public service. She served as chair of the Advisory Committee to Congress on Student Financial Assistance and on the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. Most recently, Dr. Garcia has served on the boards of National Campus Compact, chaired Texas Campus Compact, and was a member of President-Elect Obama's Transition Team.

She currently serves on the boards of Ford Foundation, the Public Welfare Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Humanities Texas, and Raise Your Hand Texas. She is also currently serving as the co-chair of the Notre Dame University Task Force: On the Participation of Latino Children and Families in Catholic Schools in America.

Among the many honors Dr. Garcia has received for her work is induction into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame for Lifetime Achievement in Education and the Hispanic Heritage Award. She has received the Reginald V. Wilson Diversity Award from the Office of Minority Affairs from the American Council on Education. She was named one of the Top 10 College Presidents by Time magazine; Hispanic Business magazine recognized her multiple times in their 100 Most Influential Hispanics annual publication. The Brownsville Independent School District named the Juliet V. Garcia Middle School after her.

She has received honorary degrees from the University of Notre Dame and Brown University. Dr. Garcia earned a Ph.D. in Communications and Linguistics from The University of Texas at Austin and an M.A. and B.A. in Classical Rhetoric and Public Address and English from the University of Houston. For more than a decade, she has been invited annually to lecture at Harvard's Institute for Educational Management on the university presidency. She is often invited to speak at national conferences on the issues of access and innovation in higher education.

She is married to Oscar E. Garcia for 40 years. They are the parents of two grown children, Oscar D. Garcia and Paulita Rico, and are blessed with four grandchildren.

I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating UTB/TSC President Dr. Juliet V. Garcia for her work and dedication to UTB/TSC and her well deserved award as a Latina Leader.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the work, dedication and leadership of Nueces County Commissioner, Betty Jean Longoria, who will receive this evening the Latina Leader Award at the Washington Court Hotel.

Commissioner Longoria was first elected to the Nueces County Commissioner's Court in November 2002. On January 1, 2003, Betty Jean Longoria took her oath of office to become the first elected Hispanic woman to serve as a Commissioner since the Commissioner's Court was established. She represents Agua Dulce, Petronila, Banquete, Bishop and the western part of Corpus Christi.

Prior to being elected to the Commissioner's Court, Commissioner Longoria served on the Corpus Christi City Council for 10 years and was a school board trustee with the Tuloso-Midway Independent School District for 6 years. Throughout her political career, she has been a strong advocate of education. She has served as a student mentor at Crossley Special Emphasis, Lamar Elementary, Blanche Moore Elementary, South Park Middle School and Solomon Coles Elementary.

Commissioner Longoria serves on the board of directors for the Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens, Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas, Friends of the Corpus Christi Public Libraries and board of trustees for the South Texas Institute for the Arts. Previously, she has served on the boards of the National Conference for Community and Justice, Goodwill Industries of Corpus Christi, Nueces County Community Action Agency, Westside Business Association, Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce, Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Women's Network.

Her record of service, leadership and advocacy of business and community development, has led her to receive numerous recognitions and awards from various civic organizations, including the Westside Business Association; the Hispanic Women's Network; the National Conference for Community and Justice; Leadership Corpus Christi; and the Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Commissioner Longoria was born and raised in Corpus Christi and graduated from Roy Miller High School. Commissioner Longoria and her husband, Alfredo Longoria, Jr., have been married for 49 years and have four sons and eight grandchildren.

I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating Commissioner Longoria for her work and dedication to the people of Nueces County and her well deserved award as a Latina Leader.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a constituent, friend, supporter, community activist and long-time columnist for the San Antonio Express-News, Carlos Guerra. On Friday, September, 24, 2010, friends, family members and loved ones will gather at El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio, Texas, to pay respect and honor to a man who has done so much for so many of us. On this day, Texas A&M University--Kingsville has designated September 24 as ``Carlos Guerra Day in San Antonio.''

Guerra grew up in Robstown, Texas, which happens to be my hometown, too. His parents were educators and owned a family restaurant. After graduating from Robstown High School, Guerra enrolled at then-Texas A&I University in Kingsville where he quickly became involved in the rising civil rights movement for Mexican Americans. In 1969, he earned his bachelor's degree in history. While enrolled at Texas A&I University in Kingsville, Guerra was a member of the debate team as well as on the staff of the student newspaper.

He helped found the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO) and Raza Unida Party, two of the primary civil rights organizations for Mexican Americans. Guerra's civil rights activist days lasted from the 1960s through the 1980s, and he was a pallbearer in the funeral of United Farm Workers founder and civil rights icon Cesar Chavez in 1993.

Guerra started his newspaper career in 1991 when he was a front-page columnist for the San Antonio Light. When that newspaper ceased publication, he moved to the San Antonio Express-News where he was a metro columnist for more than 18 years.

Guerra has worked for several philanthropic foundations on the East Coast and has traveled extensively throughout the United States and Latin America. He has led all by example and continues to be a leading voice in the Hispanic movement.

During his time as a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News, Guerra's opinion columns were syndicated in other newspapers throughout the country.

In 2009, Guerra retired from the San Antonio Express-News. Today, he is a communications consultant and continues to be involved in civic engagement. Most recently, he helped launch a scholarship at Texas A&M University--Kingsville in the Communications Theater Arts Department.

I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the work, dedication, vision, leadership and commitment of a respected role model, friend and mentor, Carlos Guerra.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the bill before us today, which takes direct action to secure an ample education workforce that continues to prepare our children for the future. Teachers are the core of our educational system, and we must do all we can to ensure that their jobs do not fall victim to our economy, budget cuts or state partisan politics.

As Dean of the Texas Democratic delegation, I would like to thank the Speaker of the House, Committee Chairmen and their staffs for their support and willingness to work with the Texas delegation to ensure that Texas teachers and students directly benefit from this bill.

Included in the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act is explicit language requiring the State of Texas, specifically Governor Perry, certify that our emergency federal appropriations for public education will be used solely to add new funds for public education and not diverted for other purposes as was done last year with the Economic Recovery Act State Stabilization monies. We want to ensure that any new emergency funds Congress provides for education goes to enhancing our Texas schools and not the states' rainy day fund.

These funds will be directly distributed to local schools as long as the Governor certifies that (1) federal funds will not be used merely to replace state education support, and (2) education funding will not be cut proportionally more than any other item in the budgets of upcoming years. This prevents any further shell games with federal education dollars at the expense of local schools districts, who desperately need these dollars.

This approach has been endorsed by Texas statewide education organizations representing teachers, principals, school boards, school administrators, and nearly 40 superintendents, including those representing Brownsville ISD, Corpus Christi ISD, Gregory-Portland ISD, Kingsville ISD, Port Aransas ISD, and Robstown ISD.

To further address the claims from my friends across the aisle that this language is unconstitutional, the bill does not mandate any state or Governor to make a binding contract, but simply a good faith assurance that state education dollars will remain a priority in the coming years.

My Texas Democratic delegation colleagues and I have been fighting for this language to be included in the bill to ensure local school districts in Texas have the support they need. This is a good and long awaited bill that will save over 700 jobs in my district.

I strongly urge my colleagues to support it.

I rise in opposition to the Flake amendment. This amendment would seek to strike certain modifications to the Military Construction appropriations bill.

I believe that it is essential that this body work with the administration and determine a budget that is best for the Nation. I believe that the process that my subcommittee and Chairman Edwards' subcommittee has put in place accomplishes this goal.

For example, the projects that this amendment would seek to strike have been individually reviewed by the administration for cost and the way it's going to be executed. The projects are carefully compared against a very long list of requirements that the Department of Defense has generated. These projects have been included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 that this body has recently passed.

Finally, all of these military construction projects that are included at the end of this process, including all of the projects that this amendment seeks to strike, will be competitively awarded.

We cannot forget the fact that we are involved in two wars. We have soldiers stationed in 120 countries. Whatever we do today, let's do it for our servicepeople. They are my sons and your daughters and family here who are serving our country.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor in memoriam the dedication and outstanding leadership of COL. H. William ``Bill'' Card, who served as mayor of Harlingen, Texas, from 1987 to 1998. He passed away Sunday, July 18, 2010, in Harlingen at the age of 88.

Colonel Card, who spent more than 2 decades in selfless service as Mayor of Harlingen, championed a united front of Rio Grande Valley communities to develop a regional effort for business opportunities and economic development. He was an unsung hero of the Rio Grande Valley.

Colonel Card was the longest-serving mayor of Harlingen, where he served 4 terms as mayor of the city. During his leadership, Harlingen was named an ``All-American City.''

Colonel Card retired from the Marine Corps after 28 years of service and relocated to Harlingen in 1968 to become commander of the Marine Military Academy. In 1975, he began his career as a banker and went on to become president of the First National Bank of Harlingen.

Colonel Card is survived by his wife, Garrison, his son, Bill Card III, and his daughter, Patti Card Smith. He is preceded in death by his daughter Cheryl Card Gray.

Today, I ask that my colleagues join me in commemorating the life of Colonel Card, who served this Nation with dignity, honor, respect and admiration. He will long be remembered by the communities he cared so much for in South Texas. His family, friends and loved ones will miss him dearly--so will I.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the sacrifice made by those brave sailors and Marines aboard the USS Liberty on June 8, 1967. Those sailors were put in the worst possible situation by virtue of their clandestine mission, undergoing an unprovoked, brutal attack from an ally. I am certain the incident will never be closed in the hearts and minds of those who survived this attack.

The USS Liberty, a United States Navy technical research ship, was attacked by Israeli Air Force jet fighter aircraft and motor torpedo boats, during the Six-Day War. Out of a crew of 294, 34 were killed, and 174 were wounded during this tragic incident. As a result of the brave actions of the crewmen that day, the ship received the Presidential Unit Citation, and the ship's commander received the Medal of Honor.

My thoughts and prayers are with the survivors and families of the USS Liberty, as well as those 34 crewmen who gave their lives that day.

Our nation has a great deal of work to do today with our continued engagement in two separate wars and the largest influx of veterans coming home since World War II. We need to ensure that all of our brave young men and women are taken care of, and receive the benefits they have earned and so rightly deserve.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lt. Col. Richard Castillo of Corpus Christi, Texas, who was shot down in Laos in 1972 while on a mission. The 14-man crew flew aboard an AC-130, REFNO 1807.

About six weeks ago, the family of Lt. Col. Castillo was contacted by the Air Force and informed that the last unidentified remains from his plane will be buried tomorrow, June 17, 2010, at Arlington National Cemetery along with the remains of the 13 men who accompanied Lt. Col. Castillo on the mission.

In 1986 after negotiations with the Laotian government, the United States was finally able to send a team to the crash site. After much work and many hours spent sifting through debris, bone fragments and personal belongings, the men's remains were found. Two teeth were positively identified as Lt. Col. Castillo's and were buried in a ceremony later that year at Randolph Air Force Base, with interment at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio.

In the November 1986 edition of National Geographic, a picture of Lt. Col. Castillo's dog tags was published alongside an article telling the story of the search and recovery effort of the crew by the United States government and military.

A few years ago, the Air Force informed Lt. Col. Castillo's wife, Elizabeth May Castillo, that they were beginning DNA testing on the bone fragments found among the wreckage.

With the advances made in DNA testing, they believed all 14 men would finally be accounted for. The Air Force obtained a cheek swab from Lt. Col. Castillo's mother and performed mitochondrial DNA testing. On November 21, 2008, the Air Force held a small private service for the Castillo family at Lt. Col. Castillo's grave site at Ft. Sam Houston. An urn containing the fragments positively identified as Lt. Col. Castillo was buried on top of his casket. This day was especially meaningful to the family because it would have been his 70th birthday.

Lt. Col. Castillo is survived by his wife, Elizabeth May Castillo and their children, Mary Edith Castillo Hamilton, Mary Elizabeth Castillo Tierce, Mary Esther Castillo Harper, Mary Elaine Castillo Colmenero and Richard Lee Castillo. His youngest son, Ronald Ronnie Castillo, died on February 16, 2005.

I would like to take this time to thank Lt. Col. Castillo for his service and dedication to this country. It is because of him that today you and I enjoy the freedoms and rights he so bravely fought for. He served this country diligently and paid the ultimate sacrifice for us.

I ask my colleagues to please join me in commemorating the work and honor of Lt. Col. Castillo whose remains will be buried tomorrow at Arlington National Cemetery.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 286) recognizing the 235th birthday of the United States Army.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the resolution under consideration.

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

I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 286, and it is my honor to stand here today and recognize the Army for its 235th birthday.

Since 1775, the United States Army has stood prepared to fight and win our Nation's wars and has provided us with some of the greatest moments in our history.

You know, as a poor child growing up in south Texas, I never knew what existed outside my neighborhood. However, when I joined the Army and left south Texas, the world soon opened to me. When I arrived in Paris, France, as a military policeman fresh out of basic training and advanced military training, I knew that my life had changed forever.

Shortly after arriving in Paris, a friend of mine from West Virginia, who had just finished basic and military police school training, we headed down to see the Eiffel Tower. While walking around the city, a limousine pulled over to our side of the road and a young woman stepped out of the biggest car I had ever seen in my life and approached my friend and me. She wanted to take a picture with us, two young soldiers fresh out of basic training. But it was not until about 6 months later that we discovered that this woman was one of the most popular movie stars in France.

But all she wanted was to have a picture with two young soldiers wearing the American uniform.

While in France, I became interested in learning more about police duties and investigations. The Army saw that maybe I could learn some of the stuff that they were teaching, and I was reassigned to the Army Criminal Investigation Division. I took the lessons and skills I learned back to South Texas where I became constable later after my return from the military, and later I became sheriff in Wasis County, which is my county.

The Army experience shaped my life like nothing else has ever done. It sent me on the pathway to become a better human being, a better elected official, a better constable, a better county commissioner, a better sheriff, and a better Congressman. The training was hard and work was even harder, but the lessons were never lost.

Just as was true in the early 1960s, when a French movie star stopped to take a picture with a poor boy from South Texas, our soldiers are respected and admired around the world for their professionalism and dedication to each other.

I am proud of my service and my Army experience. I am also proud of today's soldiers as they continue to fight and win our Nation's wars as they have done for the last 235 years. From the private in Washington's Continental Army facing a mighty adversary to the sergeant leading a patrol through the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan, the strength of our Nation is our Army, and I am proud to be part of that legacy. I am proud to wish the Army happy birthday.

But you know, time has really changed. When I served back then in the 1960s, I went to the draft board, and I volunteered to the draft because my father had passed away, and I had four siblings, two brothers and two sister. Jobs were scarce, and I volunteered to go and serve the Army.

Today is a different story. Today, we have all-volunteer services. You can join the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Coast Guard, the National Guard, the Reserves. They serve and they volunteer because they love our country, and this is why we're so proud of the young men and women who sacrifice so that you and I can enjoy the freedoms that we have in this country. And the day when we fail to recognize the sacrifices of these young men and women who serve, this is when the fibers of this country start to begin to deteriorate.

I am so proud to say that I served in the Army, and I wish everybody who is either serving now or have served in the past a happy birthday.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield such time as my good friend from Texas (Mr. Edwards) may consume, my friend and colleague and member of the Appropriations Committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my good friend and colleague from New York (Mr. Hall), a member of the Energy and Global Warming Subcommittee. And as always, he does a great job.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific of the Foreign Affairs Committee, my good friend and colleague from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega), my good friend with whom I have had the privilege of working for many years.

Madam Speaker, at the same time we are honoring these soldiers, we cannot forget their families, because they have sacrificed as well.

I have known 29 soldiers who have been killed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. At one of these funerals that I attended, I met a young soldier who was escorting a body to my district, and he gave me this poem that I will always carry with me and that I will never forget. These are the people whose birthday we are celebrating today.

It is entitled, ``Soldier.''

``I was that which others did not want to be.

``I went where others feared to go and did what others failed to do.

``I asked nothing from those who gave nothing, and reluctantly accepted the thought of eternal loneliness should I fail.

``I have seen the face of terror, felt the stinging cold of fear, and enjoyed the sweet taste of a moment's love.

``I have cried, pained, and hoped; but most of all, I have lived times others would say were best forgotten.

``At least someday I will be able to say that I was proud of what I was, a soldier.''

This is their birthday, the United States Army.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First, let me thank you for your leadership that you bring to the committee and being able to get the committee to work together. Mr. McKeon as well.

I rise in support of H.R. 5136, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2011. The bill before us today continues efforts begun last year to address readiness shortfalls.

It supports the President's request for increased training funding for all of the active duty forces and provides funding to continue reset of equipment damaged or worn out through 9 years of continuous combat operations. The bill authorizes $20 billion for military construction and $168 billion for operation and maintenance, a $12 billion increase in O&M. This funding is needed over the amount authorized last year in the defense budget.

To reduce budgetary risk to readiness in areas where the services identified shortfalls, the bill includes additional funding for Navy ship depot maintenance; Army Reserve depot maintenance; contract and performance management; Army base operating services and trainee barracks construction; Guard and Reserve construction; energy conservation and renewable energy projects; and day-to-day facilities maintenance and repair.

Our combatant commanders should not have to wait years to have the right infrastructure to support wartime operations. This bill provides the tools that the Department needs to ensure that General Petraeus has the right facilities at the right location at the right time.

The bill also supports the Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative, which ensures the long-term viability of military testing and training ranges by protecting them from encroachment.

The bill provides provisions related to benefits for DOD civilians who are deployed to combat zones. These provisions are very important because Federal civilian employees are increasingly providing important support in contingency operations.

The bill supports the President's request for a much-needed reinvestment in Army training and readiness. Increases in funding for all Army components, along with a drawdown from Iraq, should begin to put the Army on a path to restoring its readiness posture.

The bill sustains the Navy's course correction of flying-hour funding to meet operational requirements. To ensure the sea services can attain fleet air training goals, the bill includes $185 million in additional funding for naval

training and aircraft depot maintenance.

The bill contains additional funding for Air Force accounts critical to supporting emergent missions and taking care of an aging aircraft fleet.

Mr. Chairman, this is a good bill, and I ask my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 286 and 287, if I had been present, I would have voted ``yes''.