FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                          CONTACT: Kevin Lawlor, 202/225-1880

December 12, 2007                                                                                       www.tauscher.house.gov

Rep. Ellen Tauscher Backs Legislation to Strengthen Military, Support Our Troops

House Defense Bill will bring funds and improve facilities at Travis Air Force Base.

Washington, DC - Rep. Ellen Tauscher, Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, today joined an overwhelming bipartisan majority and backed a plan to strengthen our military, support our troops and improve military readiness. The Defense Authorization Bill was approved by a vote of 370 - 49 and is expected to be approved by the Senate and signed into law.

“The men and women of our armed services deployed overseas, including our friends and neighbors based out of Travis Air Force Base as well as the National Guard’s 143rd Field Artillery out of Walnut Creek, will benefit from this bill because they need and deserve the best protection available on the ground and best medical care and services available when they return home,” said Rep. Tauscher. “Not only will it protect those currently deployed but the bill goes a step further by helping to restore our nation’s military readiness.”

The bill delivers particularly well for Travis Air Force base, going above and beyond the funding levels of previous years.  Included in the bill is $4.6 million for C-17 road improvements, $22 million for a C-17 southwest landing zone, and $10.8 million for Global Support Squadron facility. 

“I am consistently amazed and impressed by the men and women of Travis -- not only do they protect our families and our national security but they are the backbone of the community.  Fighting for them in Congress is both an honor and a pleasure.  I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure that the programs and missions at Travis continue to expand and grow.  America’s security depends on it,” said Rep. Tauscher.

Also included in the bill was a provision authored by Rep. Tauscher that would allow the dependents of a federal civilian employee who dies while on deployment in a combat zone to be relocated to their home of record at the government’s expense.  The Department of Defense has grown increasingly reliant on its federal civilian workforce to support contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. These federal civilian personnel support a range of essential missions from intelligence collection to criminal investigations. 

“The families of federal employees deployed in a war zone should be given the same opportunities and benefits as the families of deployed active military should the unthinkable occur,” Rep. Tauscher added. 

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