Press Releases
Contact:
Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami
202-226-7616
For Immediate Release
12/12/2007
Pelosi Statement on House Passage of Defense Authorization Conference Report
Washington, D.C. -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the
following statement today on the House passage of the fiscal year 2008 Defense
Authorization Act Conference Report by a vote of 370 to 49:
“This legislation achieves the New Direction Congress’s
primary objective of making America
safer by addressing our military readiness crisis, investing in the equipment
that will make our troops safer in the field, and improving benefits for
military personnel and their families.
“America’s
military is the finest in the world, but the Bush Administration’s reckless Iraq policy has
dangerously reduced readiness and strained our ground forces to the breaking
point. This legislation begins to repair
the damage to our military by increasing the size of the Army and Marine Corps,
replenishing our depleted equipment inventories, and providing additional
resources for our strained National Guard units.
“I am proud that this legislation also includes the Wounded
Warrior Act, which responds to the Walter
Reed Army
Medical Center
scandal by improving care for injured soldiers, particularly those returning
from Iraq and Afghanistan,
and addressing many of the issues raised by the Dole-Shalala Commission. The service of our returning veterans can
never be fully repaid, but we can honor their service by ensuring they receive
only the highest quality medical care when they come home.
“This legislation strengthens America’s security and keeps faith
with our military personnel who so bravely serve our country. Soldiers, sailors, airmen, coast guardsmen,
and marines can rest assured that the Congress stands with them as they proudly
defend America.”