• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Statement of Chairman Solomon Ortiz Readiness Subcommittee Mark-Up H.R. 5658, National Defense Authorization Act for FY2009

May 8, 2008

"The subcommittee will come to order. This afternoon the Readiness Subcommittee meets to mark up H.R. 5658, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009.

"I would like to thank my ranking member, Mr. Forbes from Virginia, for his and his staff's help in preparing this mark. I also would like to express my appreciation to the Readiness Subcommittee staff for all their work on this bill.

"Before you are the bill and report language related to areas of subcommittee jurisdiction within Titles 3, 11, 14, 21 through 28, and Title 34.

"Our proposed legislation for H.R. 5658 addresses readiness, depot maintenance, civilian personnel, military construction, energy security, and environmental issues that affect the Department of Defense.

"This mark authorizes $143 billion for operation and maintenance and $24 billion for military construction. In addition, I have recommended that Chairman Skelton add additional funds for Army training, prepositioned stocks and aircraft maintenance in the fiscal year 2009 supplemental which we will authorize during the full committee mark-up.

"I remain gravely concerned that the readiness of our armed forces continues to decline. More than six years of continuous combat operations have strained readiness. This strain is manifesting itself in more and more aspects of our military forces.

"Equipment shortfalls hamper training and deployment of ground forces. Personnel shortfalls require sailors and airmen to perform ground combat missions. Resource shortfalls and aging equipment reduce the mission capability of aircraft. Maintenance shortfalls have created equipment readiness deficiencies in the Navy's surface fleet.

"To address some of these shortfalls, in this mark I have added $950 million to operation and maintenance accounts. These increases include:

"In March the subcommittee heard testimony on the proper role of the government and the increasing reliance by the Department of Defense on contractor services. The subcommittee mark requires a comprehensive analysis of what constitutes an 'inherently governmental function' and the development of a single definition that may be used consistently by all federal agencies.

"The mark also includes provisions to address civilians deployed in combat zones. It extends the authority to waive limitations on premium pay available to civilian employees who work overseas in combat zones. We also ask for a thorough review of the medical policies and treatment procedures for civilians deployed to support military operations, with recommendations on how such care may be improved.

"To address depot workloads following equipment reset, I have included a requirement that the Department of Defense contract for a comprehensive, independent assessment of the organic capability that will be needed to provide depot-level maintenance in the future.

"The mark takes several actions related to energy and environmental policy. It authorizes $80 million for energy conservation projects and updates installation energy reporting requirements.

"For military construction, base realignment and closure, and family housing in fiscal year 2009, the mark authorizes more than $24 billion.

"The mark includes several provisions related to BRAC. The subcommittee received testimony from communities and interests groups about how the Department and the BRAC Commission arrived at their 2005 recommendations. Since the Commission reported its recommendations, we have seen costs increase almost 50% and savings decline.

"If a future administration were to request a new round of closures, the BRAC process will need to be dramatically different. As such, this year's mark cancels the BRAC Commission and the existing process that arrived at such decisions.

"The subcommittee remains steadfast to completing the 2005 BRAC round on time, by September 2011, and has fully funded the administration's request.

"I am dismayed that military facilities continue to decline. The most recent cause for alarm was the placement of our nation's airborne troops at Fort Bragg in rundown and broken barracks. I have recommended that funds in the fiscal year 2009 supplemental be directed to address this problem.

"The chair now will recognize the ranking member, Mr. Forbes, for any remarks he would like to make."