Rob Andrews

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for offering this outstanding amendment. Our side of the committee strongly supports it. We think it does a great deal of good for some great heroes. We would urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. ANDREWS. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. I yield 1 additional minute to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Mr. ANDREWS. Reclaiming my time, I don't know precisely what the author said--he will speak--but I do know that Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen have said that. Admiral Mullen has said he feels repeal is the right policy. The issue is when and how, which is what Mr. Murphy's amendment addresses. I would at this time be happy to yield 2 minutes to my friend who is focused on the issue of departing servicemembers, when they separate from service, and their knowing their rights and opportunities, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Carson).

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, before I yield to my friend, I yield myself 90 seconds. The gentleman from Indiana's point about the servicemembers being listened to is absolutely right, which is why Mr. Murphy's amendment says--I will comment since he did--if after hearing the comments of the servicemembers the Secretary of Defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff believe that there would be an impairment of their ability to defend the country, they would not certify to the change in the policy. There is an echo in this debate, which is a quote from prior debate: The President's move would seriously impair the morale of the Army at a time when our Armed Forces should be at their strongest and most efficient. Such an action is most unfortunate, the Senator declared. The quote is taken from Senator Lister Hill in 1948. The issue was the racial integration of the Armed Forces in 1948. I think this is the same issue.

Mr. ANDREWS. Yes, I would yield.

Mr. ANDREWS. I think that the process that my friend from California lays out is a correct one, that there should be wide solicitation of views from those who wear the uniform, and there will be. And the amendment that Mr. Murphy will be offering later today simply says this: If, after that process the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Staff believe that the evidence shows that implementation of the repeal would undercut the readiness or effectiveness of our troops, they will not certify that the policy should be put into effect, and it won't be. The Secretary has repeatedly said, Admiral Mullen has repeatedly said the question is not whether repeal should take place, but how. Mr. Murphy's amendment will set up a rational process for that to take place. I believe it's the right thing to do, and I support Mr. Smith's amendment which is before us right now.

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky) who has done very careful work on making sure that the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction is fully discharging very important functions.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to the time remaining?

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire how much time each side has left on this amendment.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, pursuant to section 4 of House Resolution 1404, I hereby give notice that amendment No. 79 may be offered out of order.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time and urge support of the en bloc amendment.

Mr. ANDREWS. May I inquire of the Chair how much time is remaining on each side.

Mr. ANDREWS. Again, we appreciate the efforts of Members on both sides of the aisle in working through a wide array of problems in a very thoughtful way. Each of these amendments has been reviewed and accepted by both the minority and majority staff. We thank the Members for their efforts. At this time, I yield 5 minutes to the author of one of the en bloc amendments, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Braley).

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, pursuant to House Resolution 1404, as the designee of the chairman of the Committee on Armed Services, I offer amendments en bloc No. 5.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to the time remaining on both sides?

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, again, this is an example of Members from both sides of the aisle making well thought out, constructive contributions on a whole range of issues that we think improve the bill. Both the majority and minority have examined each of the provisions in the en bloc amendment. We support each of them. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ANDREWS. I yield myself 2 minutes. I also wanted to make reference to the excellent work that's been done in this bill in the area of our missile defense program. Now, there are obviously disagreements over what the structure of that program ought to be; but when one looks at the fortification of defenses that we already have at Fort Greely and other places, when one looks at the additional investment that we are making in the successful regional-range missile programs that have tested and been quite efficient, I think that the accurate conclusion is that we are fortifying the defenses which have been proven to work in the missile defense field, we are building upon those successes, and we are preparing ourselves for a future generation of defenses that are effective both in a regional context and in the context of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The nonproliferation strategy really has two aspects: it is to be prepared to defend ourselves if a strike occurs, but it is to discourage the proliferation of nuclear capability around the world, as the administration has done in the Security Council negotiations with Iran and it has done with its layered defense missile strategy. So, again, I think this is another point where there is more consensus than disagreement. There is disagreement between the two sides over the best way to pursue an effective ballistic missile defense. I don't think there is a disagreement over whether the pursuit of a ballistic missile defense is in the interest of the country. It most certainly is. I would conclude at this point, Mr. Chairman, where I began. We know that the cornerstone of our country's defense is not found in this Chamber. It is found at bases throughout the world, both in the Continental United States and at forward-operating bases and other places overseas. We are profoundly grateful to the men and women who volunteer to serve this country. We, on a bipartisan basis, are expressing our gratitude where it counts: compensation, support for families, education, health care, and other opportunities. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, it is my pleasure at this point to yield 1 minute to a gentleman who has been in the forefront of trying to promote American jobs through this bill, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Murphy).

Mr. ANDREWS. I would make a unanimous consent request to extend for each side 1 minute.

Mr. ANDREWS. I would yield 1 minute to the Speaker of the House, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).

Mr. ANDREWS. The committee supports this amendment because we support Mr. Sarbanes' approach of merit-driven decision-making. The OMB will oversee this process. We believe it will improve quality and protect the taxpayers. We support the amendment.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi), who has had some important personal experience with the issue contained in the Murphy amendment.

Mr. ANDREWS. I yield the gentleman 30 additional seconds.

Mr. ANDREWS. I yield the balance of my time to my friend from California (Mr. Garamendi).