CHAIRMAN TED STEVENS
OPENING STATEMENT
GOOD MORNING, AND WELCOME TO OUR THREE WITNESESS.
THE SUBCOMMITTEE IS MEETING THIS MORNING AT A SPECIAL HEARING, CONVENED SPECIFICALLY TO REVIEW THE PRESIDENT’S RECENT REQUEST FOR A $25 BILLION RSERVE FUND FOR MILITARY OPERATIONS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR KAPLAN, WELCOME TO YOUR FIRST APPEARANCE BEFORE THE COMMITTEE.
MR. LANZILLOTTA, WELCOME BACK. WE HEARD FROM YOU WHEN YOU TESTIFIED WITH SECRETARY RUMSFELD ABOUT ONE MONTH AGO. IT IS A CHALLENGING AND IMPORTANT TIME TO BE THE ACTING DOD COMPTROLLER, AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE.
GENERAL PACE, IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
AS WE MEET TODAY, OUR SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN REMAIN ENGAGED IN COMBAT MISSIONS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE FIGHTING, AND WINNING, THIS GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM.
TO MEET THEIR COMMITMENT, AND TO ENSURE THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO GET THEIR JOB DONE, THE PRESIDENT HAS PROPOSED A $25 BILLION “CONTINGENT EMERGENCY RESERVE FUND”.
OUR MILITARY COMMANDERS MUST MAKE PRUDENT OPERATIONAL PLANS, AND BE PREPARED TO RESPOND TO DYNAMIC EVENTS ON THE BATTLEFIELD. WE EXPECT NOTHING LESS OF OUR MILITARY LEADERSHIP.
SO TOO, THE CONGRESS MUST PLAN FOR AND PROVIDE THE RESOURCES OUR MILITARY FORCES NEED TO DO THEIR JOB.
OUR MILITARY COMMANDERS IN THE FIELD, AND THE TROOPS WHO ARE DOING THE HARD WORK, MUST NOT FIND THAT FISCAL ISSUES OR THE AVAILABILITY OF MONEY CONSTRAIN THEM IN ANY WAY. THE LAST THING I WANT AN OPERATIONAL COMMANDER CONCERNED ABOUT IS WHETHER THERE IS ENOUGH MONEY TO DO THE JOB.
I APPLAUD THE PRESIDENT’S DECISION TO ASK FOR THESE RESOURCES NOW.
THE PRESIDENT HAS REQUESTED RESOURCES IN THE IRAQ FREEDOM FUND, A FLEXIBLE TRANSFER ACCOUNT THE CONGRESS CREATED IN THE FY 2003 IRAQ SUPPLEMENTAL.
AS REQUESTED, THIS VERSION OF THE IRAQ FREEDOM FUND, OR “IFF”, IS DIFFERENT IN TWO IMPORTANT WAYS:
FIRST, FUNDS ARE EXPLICITLY ONLY “TO SUPPORT OPERATIONS IN IRAQ OR AFGHANISTAN.” PREVIOUS “IFF” LANGUAGE WAS SOMEWHAT BROADER, AND ALLOWED USE OF FUNDS FOR THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM.
SECOND, FUNDS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE AFTER TWO ACTIONS BY THE PRESIDENT. THE PRESIDENT MUST FIRST TRANSMIT AN OFFICIAL BUDGET REQUEST, AND DESIGNATE THE AMOUNT AS AN EMERGENCY AND “ESSENTIAL TO SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OR AGENCIES IN IRAQ OR AFGHANISTAN”.
THE REQUEST INCLUDES A REQUIREMENT FOR A 5 DAY ADVANCE CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION BEFORE MAKING ANY TRANSFER FROM THE FUND, THE SAME REQUIREMENT THAT CONGRESS INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL IRAQ FREEDOM FUND.
NOW, I WANT TO REMIND THE COMMITTEE THAT THIS HEARING IS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT’S REQUEST FOR A $25 BILLION RESERVE FUND. IT IS NOT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO HAVE A POLICY DEBATE ON IRAQ, OR A HEARING ON ALLEGATIONS OF IRAQI PRISONER ABUSE.
I INTEND TO KEEP THIS HEARING ON TRACK, AND FOCUSED ON APPROPRIATIONS MATTERS.
WE WILL MAKE YOUR FULL STATEMENTS A PART OF THE COMMITTEE’S RECORD.
NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO TURN TO MY COLLEAGUE FROM HAWAII, THE CO-CHAIRMAN OF THIS SUBCOMMITTEE, FOR HIS OPENING REMARKS.
