House Approves Defense Authorization and Spending Bills for Fiscal Year 2006

Includes $89.5 Million in Military Construction Funding for Guam

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—December 19, 2005—Washington, D.C.—

In a rare Sunday session that lasted into the early morning hours of Monday, December 19, 2005, the House of Representative passed both H.R. 1815, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, and H.R. 2863, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2006.  Over the weekend, both the House and the Senate have been conducting final business before the adjournment of the first session of the 109^th Congress.

“It is very important to provide the very best to our servicemen and women and these bills help us achieve this goal,” Bordallo said.

Both defense bills include important provisions for Guam that Congresswoman Bordallo requested and worked on throughout this past year.  H.R. 1815 authorizes military construction projects on Guam formalizing the commitment of $89.5 million in funding allocated in the Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act that was signed into law by the President on November 30, 2005.  Among the construction funded for 2006 is a facility for the Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (CST) of the Guam Army National Guard.  Congresswoman Bordallo led a coalition of Members last year in securing appropriations to fund the establishment of a CST in every State and territory in the nation.  The new facility, authorized and appropriated under the bills passed today, will grant the CST the administrative, training, and equipment space they need to execute their mission. 

H.R. 2863, the Defense Appropriations Act, a $403.5 billion bill, includes funding for improvements to a “Helix House” in Japan that is essential to U.S. submarine communications in the Pacific. Congresswoman Bordallo fought to provide $1 million in funding for this project which had appeared on the Chief of Naval Operation’s Unfunded Mandate Priority List after it was excluded from the President’s budget request to Congress.  The Congresswoman also joined a coalition of Members of Congress in supporting the Global Hawk UAV program. As many as six Global Hawk UAVs are planned to be stationed at Andersen Air Force Base in the future.  $364 million under H.R. 2863 has been allocated for Global Hawk procurement in 2006.

“The continuing growth of MILCON projects on Guam serves as further recognition of the strategic value and importance of Guam. Funding the CST facility is particularly important to ensuring that the Guam National Guard has the first rate facilities needed to serve our island and protect us from any incident involving a weapon of mass destruction,” Bordallo said. “Funding the Helix House will serve to support the crews of the submarines based in Guam.  This project will give them important communication capacity needed for their mission in the Pacific.  Advancement of the Global Hawk UAV, which will be stationed on Guam, ensures this tremendous intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance asset will soon be in service to our country on Guam to protect our national security,” Bordallo continued. 

The Defense Authorization bill also included provisions addressing detainee treatment and reporting to Congress on the ongoing war in Iraq.  Language championed by Senator John McCain, a former POW in Vietnam, was ultimately included in the bill and codifies directives on detainee treatment and interrogation procedures.  The inclusion of this provision was the result of a last minute compromise with the White House and averted a Presidential veto, which had been threatened, and possible adjournment without a bill.  The Defense Authorization bill also establishes a more detailed and extensive Presidential reporting process that requires the submission of information on a quarterly basis to Congress to include specific benchmarks for the War in Iraq.

“The authorization bill sends a message to the entire world that the United States will not and does not tolerate torture.  This is important to protecting our national values, for protecting our servicemen and women overseas and for making certain that America always represents the highest standards in moral and ethical treatment of all detainees,” Bordallo said.

The Defense Authorization bill passed today also expands death benefits for servicemembers killed in combat, permanently increasing the death gratuity to $100,000.  Additionally, the bill authorizes the Department of Defense to cover the monthly Servicemembers Group Life Insurance premium for all individuals serving in a combat zone up to $150,000, and expanded availability of TRICARE military healthcare to military reservists.  For the first time ever, all reservists who agree to continue service in the Selected Reserves will have an opportunity, depending on their status, to buy into a government subsidized TRICARE Standard health care program for themselves and their families. The authorization also provides a 3.1% pay raise for servicemembers and authorizes end strength increases of 30,000 soldiers in the Army and 4,000 Marines.  Congresswoman Bordallo, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, strongly supported and advocated for each of these provisions as the bill moved through legislative process this year.

“I am very pleased that Congress included provisions to expand healthcare availability to our reserve forces.  The National Guard and Reserve have taken on a prominent and burdensome role in fighting the War on Terror and our country owes them a deep debt of gratitude.  This provision is a first step forward in ensuring these reserve forces have healthcare available to them,” Bordallo said.

Lastly, H.R. 2863, the Defense Appropriations bill, includes an avian flu preparedness package.  Although this package is not as strong and comprehensive as other proposals, including several bills supported and cosponsored by Congresswoman Bordallo, the bill will provide federal agencies some financing and resources needed to help prepare States and territories for an outbreak.  Specifically, the bill allocates $3.778 billion to prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic.  This total includes $350 million for upgrading State, territorial and local response capacity; $267 million for international activities, disease surveillance, vaccine registries, research, and clinical trials; and $50 million to increase laboratory capacity through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  Other funding is provided for the stockpiling of pandemic vaccine, antivirals and other supplies, as well as for international assistance, monitoring and tracking, and research and development projects.

Both bills now await final approval by the Senate, after which they will be sent to the President, who is expected to sign them into law.

Military Construction Projects Funded for Guam:

• $25.5 million for improvements at Alpha and Bravo Wharves at the Naval Base. 
• $15 million for new ammunition storage igloos at Andersen Air Force Base.
• $3.5 million for a new Military Working Dog facility at Andersen Air Force Base.
• $40.5 million for a new joint middle and elementary school at the Naval Base.
• $4.5 million for a new headquarters for the Army National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Civil Support Team (CST).

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Contact: Alicia Chon in Washington, D.C. at (202) 225-1188 or Joseph Duenas in Guam at (671) 477-4272/4.

www.house.gov/bordallo

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