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U.S.
Senator Ken Salazar
Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs
Committees
2300 15th
Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO
80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C.
20510
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Senate Passes
DOD Authorization with Six Salazar Amendments
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United
States Senate acted today to shape the way the Defense Department will
spend its appropriated funds in the upcoming fiscal year with its passage
of S. 1042, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006.
The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support today by a vote
of 98 to 0. United States Senator Ken Salazar successfully added six
amendments to improve the quality of life for America’s service members
and their families as well as job training opportunities for military
spouses.
“With these amendments,”
said Senator Salazar, “our service members will be better protected
at home and abroad, the livelihoods of their families will be more secure
and the city of Pueblo will be safer from the threat of chemical leaks.
I am pleased to have affected this bill in such a broad way for Colorado.”
Senator Salazar’s six successful
amendments to the DOD Authorization bill are as follows. A quote from
Senator Salazar accompanies each amendment description:
- Pushing the Administration
to Better Protect Soldiers In Iraq and Afghanistan: Senator
Salazar’s amendment (S.A. 2481) expresses the Sense of the Senate
that the administration should ask for full funding in their next
supplemental budget request of the Common Remotely Operated Weapons
Station (CROWS) program, a remote gun turret mounted on top of an
up-armored Humvee that allows a soldier to move out of exposed gunner’s
seat and inside the vehicle, substantially reducing their exposure
to enemy fire or IED attacks. “The simple fact is that CROWS can save
lives. When we ask our soldiers to risk their lives, we owe it to
them to provide every possible protection to keep them safe,” said
Senator Salazar.
- Providing Mental
Health Care for Our Service Members: The Landrieu-Salazar
amendment (S.A. 1451) requires the Department of Defense to provide
mental health screenings for members of our armed forces. Mental health
experts predict that because of the intensity of warfare in Iraq and
Afghanistan, between 15 percent and 30 percent of the service members
returning from these conflicts will develop post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD). Additionally, concussions both small and large can
cause what is known as Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI, considered
the “signature injury” of the war. “Without more mental health screenings,
too many of these injuries will continue to go undiagnosed. This amendment
will help to diagnose soldiers earlier, and improve their long-term
quality of life,” said Senator Salazar.
- Providing DOD
Safety and Security Support to the Paralympics: Senator Salazar’s
amendment (S.A. 2490), which was added to the Defense Authorization
bill on Wednesday, will allow the DOD to provide security and logistical
support to a broad group of officially-sanctioned Paralympic events.
The amendment has no cost, instead making a technical correction to
allow the Paralympics access to already existing funds available to
the Olympics and Special Olympics. In 2005, six Paralympic events
could have received support. In 2006, 11 Paralympic events could be
eligible for assistance. “Keeping Americans safe, at home and abroad,
is the paramount responsibility of the federal government. A technical
quirk should not prevent the Defense Department from using its know-how
to protect international athletes,” said Senator Salazar.
- Training Spouses
Uprooted By a Duty Station Change for a New Job: Senator
Salazar’s amendment will create a grant program for employment services
provided to service members’ spouses who have lost their job to accommodate
a service member’s permanent change in duty station, as well as those
who have experienced a reduction in family income due to a service
member’s deployment, disability, death or the activation of a National
Guardsman or Reservist. “Helping our military families cope with the
disruption that comes with deployment cycles and frequent moves is
the least we can do, and I thank the managers for including my amendment,”
said Senator Salazar.
- Moving Work at
Pueblo Chemical Depot Forward: The McConnell-Salazar amendment
– added to the bill earlier this year – will correct a technical problem
previously stalling work at the Pueblo Chemical Depot and ensure that
$51 million dollars will be available to be spent in FY2006 for construction,
planning, and design work at both the Pueblo Chemical and at the Bluegrass,
Kentucky Chemical Depots. Senator Salazar stated, “This amendment
is an essential step forward for the destruction of the tons of chemical
weapons still stored at the Pueblo Chemical Depot. I hope this is
another indication that the Pentagon recognizes the urgency this situation
demands – an urgency the people of Pueblo and all of Colorado are
right to expect.”
- Allowing Dept.
of Energy to Purchase Mineral Rights for Rocky Flats: The
Salazar-Allard amendment will allow the DOD to use $10 million to
purchase the mineral rights associated with the Rocky Flats site,
which will ensure that the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge will
continue to be a natural sanctuary for wildlife. “Securing the private
mineral rights at Rocky Flats is an important step for the people
of Colorado. We will forever protect the tall grass prairie at Rocky
Flats from destruction by future mining operations, and we will preserve
this precious habitat as a home for the wildlife of our State. And
we will do this the right way, by making sure that mineral rights
owners are compensated fairly and voluntarily,” Senator Salazar said.
Having been approved today
by the Senate, the FY06 Defense Authorization bill will proceed to conference
committee to iron out differences between House and Senate versions
before being voted upon a second time by both the House and Senate.
If the House and Senate both approve the conference report, it will
go on to the President’s desk for signature or veto.
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