FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2001
CONTACT: Lisette Mondello
SENATOR HUTCHISON TOURS LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE
DEL RIO, TX -- After touring Laughlin Air Force Base on Tuesday, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison called it one of the Air Force's top pilot training facilities and pledged to continue working to ensure it remains equipped to produce "the best of the best."
"Laughlin remains an integral part of America's defense effort," Senator Hutchison said. "I want you to know Congress will continue to make military funding a priority. The world may have changed, but our national security still is at stake."
Senator Hutchison said that Congress must provide the assets to achieve the military's mission, and said that includes better pay, quality of life and training for the military.
"Laughlin is training the pilots who will defend America and our allies," she said. "Congress is focusing on attracting and retaining high-caliber personnel for our Armed Services. Quality-of-life improvements at bases such as Laughlin are becoming increasingly important to building and maintaining a strong defense."
She praised President Bush's initiative to add $1.4 billion in pay and bonuses for service men and women, saying it will help close the gap between military and civilian pay.
Senator Hutchison serves as the ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee's military construction subcommittee and also serves on its defense subcommittee. In July she was appointed to the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee.
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