Dodd Army Readiness Amendment Approved by House-Senate Defense Panel
September 28, 2006

Washington- Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today announced that his amendment, which was co-sponsored by Senators Dan Inouye (D-HI) and Jack Reed (D-RI), to the 2007 Defense Appropriations Bill, addressing potential shortfalls in critical combat gear that challenge U.S. military readiness, was retained during the conferences between the Senate and the House Appropriations Committees. The 2007 Defense Appropriations Bill conference report is expected to be voted on by the Senate by the end of the week; the House of Representatives passed the conference report yesterday.

“Our military personnel’s bravery and valor can never be exhausted.  But our military hardware is stretched thin and our fleets of aircraft, tanks, and trucks are wearing out,” Dodd said. “The Bush Administration needs to provide more than just hollow rhetoric to 'stay the course.'   If we are truly serious about making Americans safe from terrorism, then our armed forces must have the resources they need to be successful.”

The Dodd-Inouye-Reed Amendment addresses shortfalls in critical combat gear that challenge U.S. military readiness identified by military commanders. Sen. Dodd’s amendment, which was included as part of the 2007 Defense Appropriations bill and previously approved by the Senate 98-0, would ensure that the Army had access to an additional $17 billion for its critical needs.  In a compromise with the Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, $6.8 billion of the overall sum would have been made available only from funds that were left unused at the end of the fiscal year.

Earlier this year, Army Chief of Staff Peter Schoomaker identified the $17 billion shortfall in the President’s budget and requested that Congress step in to ensure that U.S. soldiers have the equipment they need to perform their duties.  Military leaders have testified that a failure to meet these funding requirements could lead to degradation in the Army’s ability to perform future combat missions. 

Senator Dodd sent a letter to Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Stevens and Ranking Member Inouye requesting that the final appropriations bill contain the full $17 billion for this priority and that all restrictions be removed from the allocation of funding.  Ultimately, the Defense Appropriations Conference Committee agreed to Senator Dodd’s request and fulfilled the Army’s full equipment requirements.

“As the United States confronts growing threats to peace and security throughout the globe—from the Korean Peninsula to the Middle East—it is essential that we ensure that our nation’s military is fully prepared to perform its combat missions,” Dodd stated. “We owe our nation, and our men and women in uniform, no less.”

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( published in: Media Center | National Security | Press Releases | Strengthening our Military | Terrorism )