Rodney Frelinghuysen

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I am pleased to accept the gentleman's amendment.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, fuel for our troops' mobility and strike capability is one of our military's most critical resources. The provision it would strike ensures that our military has all the options it needs for fuel. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the further consideration of H.R. 5293, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to accept the gentlewoman's amendment, and thank her for her advocacy.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, let me thank Chairman Shuster for his strong advocacy on behalf of our military, our Army, our depot, and our arsenals. Let me explain why I am opposed to his amendment. This amendment is in response to the committee's decision to make targeted reductions to the Army Working Capital Fund due to the historically large carryover balances above the allowable ceiling. Our bill does not cut funds for Army depots. Please understand that our bill strongly supports the depots and the organic industrial base. In fact, our bill provides an additional $750 million in the fiscal year 2017 budget for additional depot maintenance work across all of our services. I know the gentleman is aware that given the fiscal constraints under the current budgetary caps, targeted reductions aimed at money unspent helps alleviate the need for actual programmatic reductions in the Army and the department's O&M activities. I can't support an amendment that would cut operations and maintenance accounts, which this does. These accounts provide critical funding for training, operations, maintenance, and readiness programs, things our committee bill has emphasized. After a decade of war, restoring readiness is the top priority for both the Army and our committee. Therefore, while I appreciate my colleague's concern and pledge to work with him closely on this issue, I urge rejection of his amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), the ranking member.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. We are very pleased to support the gentlewoman's amendment, and we thank her for her advocacy on behalf of much-needed modernization of these ammunition plants.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I appreciate the gentleman's concerns and share those concerns very deeply, as do all members of our committee. Concerns about PFCs have been proliferating nationwide as more evidence becomes available about the toxicity of these compounds. Our bill does provide $33 billion for the Defense Health Program and another $289 million for the Navy Environmental Restoration Program, nearly $8 million more than requested. However, it has come to our attention that the Department may lack the authority presently to administer blood screening tests or spend funds requested by my colleague for this specific activity. Our committee is certainly committed to working with him and thanks him for his leadership. We will be working very closely with him and closely with the State of Pennsylvania to see what sort of partnerships we could put together to address this problem and what would be a success in Pennsylvania. We could look across the Nation for implementation as well. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment to give the gentleman a further opportunity to make his case, and I also recognize his leadership on this important issue.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan F. Boyle).

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I, again, thank both of the gentlemen from Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky).

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meehan).

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, pursuant to House Resolution 783, I offer amendments en bloc.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, the majority and minority have agreed to this en bloc amendment package. These are noncontroversial amendments that cover topics such as lung cancer, personnel security, and gulf war illness. The sponsors of the amendments have agreed to the amendments being considered en bloc. I ask for the adoption of the amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I commend the gentleman for bringing this important issue to our attention. We support his amendment and commend him for his work. This is something that needs to be done. It is hard to believe that we are still flying Hueys out there, and the fact that we are moving into competition I think is a very positive development. I thank the gentleman for his special service to our Nation.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Will the gentleman yield?