Press Release

May 5, 2005

FY’05 Supplemental Funds National Emergency Spending

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Sanford Bishop’s request for funding was granted when the FY’05 Supplemental Appropriations Conference funding included more then $518 million (MCLB) for the Marine Corps’ Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) program, which includes new funds to retrofit armored vehicles being used in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It is expected that approximately 350 LAV’s will be retrofitted at the Albany Marine Corps Logistics Base.

“This money will be vital to our efforts to support our troops in harms way,” said Congressman Bishop. “And I was very pleased that my colleagues agreed that the work being done at the Marine Corps Base in Albany is vital to that mission.”

The Emergency Supplemental Wartime Appropriations Act (H.R. 1268) provides $82 billion in added government funding classified as “emergency.”  This total includes $75.9 billion for U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as additional funding for reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, foreign assistance, international peacekeeping and tsunami disaster relief.

The bill additionally improves Traumatic Injury Protection Insurance and death benefits for service members by increasing the Service Member Group Life Insurance benefits from $250,000 to $400,000; the one time death gratuity for combat fatalities from $12,000 to $100,000 and adds a new insurance benefit of up to $100,000 for service members who suffer traumatic injuries.

H.R. 1268 passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 368 – 58. It will now go to the full Senate for passage and then be sent to President Bush for his signature and enactment into law.  A complete summary of H.R. 1268 is available at:  http://appropriations.house.gov

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