Rodney Frelinghuysen

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Let me say I would be happy to work, like Mr. Pastor would, to see what we could do to be helpful to all involved. Mr. Kingston, as you know, we have yet to go to conference, but this is an interest that you and other Members have in terms of its effects on your particular States. You have my commitment, as well as the ranking member as you heard, to work with you and work it out.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time and ask how much time is available on both sides.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to Mr. Calvert of California, a member of our committee.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I'm pleased to yield 2 minutes to my colleague from New Jersey, Congressman Chris Smith.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I yield the gentlewoman 1 additional minute.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Yes. Mrs. Schmidt, I agree that 11 months is more than enough for the Department of Energy to act upon the loan guarantee submission for the front-end of the nuclear fuel cycle. It is a personal priority of mine to ensure that this program is run efficiently and in the best interest of U.S. taxpayers. While it needs to move quickly, the loan guarantee application process should be open and fair to all applicants.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I'm pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Schmidt) for purpose of a colloquy.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2010. This is a good bill because it is a significant improvement over the administration's budget request, and it was put together in a very bipartisan manner. Before I turn to the contents of the legislation before us, like Mr. Pastor, I would like to thank the fantastic staff--Taunja Berquam, the Clerk; Bob Sherman; Joe Levin; Jim Windle; Casey Pearce; and Lauren Minto. On the minority side, I would like to thank Rob Blair and Kevin Jones. In my personal office, I would like to thank Katie Hazlett and Nancy Fox. In Mr. Pastor's personal office, I would like to thank Rick Patrick. All of these individuals have worked tirelessly to put together the product before us. No one has worked harder than Mr. Pastor, and I want to thank Mr. Pastor for his friendship and for his leadership and guidance on this bill. The gentleman from Arizona is a pleasure to work with. I thank him for his leadership and for his assistance. Mr. Chairman, the subcommittee's recommendation totals $33.82 billion, which is $1.1 billion below the President's request and $200 million over the fiscal year 2000 enacted level. While the dollar amounts are significant, the issues contained in this bill are at the core of our Nation's economic prosperity and national security, especially the energy portfolio, and our historic responsibility for the reliability and the protection of our nuclear stockpile. Thus, it is worthy of debate and amendment on the House floor. The bill was preceded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which gave more than $44 billion to the agencies under our jurisdiction. In fact, nearly $39 billion alone went to the Department of Energy. The Department has nearly one-and-a-half times more money to manage even before we consider this annual appropriations bill, so our bill cannot be viewed simply through the traditional lens of annual appropriations. With the passage of the stimulus bill, Secretary Chu and his new team assumed new roles as major grant managers and accountants for billions of dollars for new Federal and State programs and hundreds of new employees. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased that we were able to improve upon the administration's request in several ways. For example, the legislation before us increases the budget request by over $400 million for the Army Corps of Engineers, enabling us to address more water needs across our country. The Army Corps projects touch virtually every congressional district; and I know Mr. Pastor and I highly respect the interests of all Members who, knowing their district needs, have sought some assistance; and we've done our best to accommodate them. Our recommendation increases research and development for both renewable energy and nuclear power while supporting clean coal initiatives and other technologies, such as geothermal, solar, fusion and wind power. I am exceptionally pleased that our bill keeps the Department on track for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant program. There are some areas that I would have done a bit differently, of course. Not surprisingly, I would have preferred to have done more to reverse the administration's decision to terminate the Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada, where we have spent over $11 billion of taxpayer and rate payer moneys--in fact, $7 billion of rate payer moneys--with little apparent return. We still have tons of waste to dispose of and to protect. The bill before us does contain the administration's significant cut to the program, and I am deeply concerned that this basically political decision will be followed by others trumping future scientific recommendations and judgments. However, our bill directs $70 million to ensure that the questions raised during the Yucca license application process can be answered; and it requires that funding for the President's suggested Blue Ribbon Panel is only available for a review, which includes all alternatives, including Yucca Mountain. I think this is the only way future review could be credible. I would also have preferred much more support for nuclear power here in the United States and the greater availability of nuclear loan guarantees. Given what China and other nations are doing to build new nuclear power plants, we could produce much more electricity ourselves while adding American jobs, which we need if the administration as well as House and Senate majority leadership were more supportive. American companies are working abroad building nuclear power plants while we dither here. The President and congressional leadership appear to have a strong bias against nuclear power as well as oil and gas production, which will leave our Nation severely disadvantaged. Energy-intensive industries, like what is left of our American manufacturing base, will no longer be able to compete with nations who are making nuclear and other types of capital investments a priority, and they're not subjecting themselves to self-imposed cap-and-trade emissions reductions. Our lack of investing in nuclear power, so well illustrated in the recent passage of the so-called American Clean Energy and Security Act, is a gift that keeps on giving to our economic competitors China and India, whose economies are already sucking away U.S. jobs at an alarming rate. We also improved that portion of the committee's jurisdiction that involves nuclear weapons activities, not to promote more nuclear weapons, but to provide more funds to reduce the weapons stockpile. The President's recent trip to Russia and his call for major changes in what is called our nuclear ``posture'' must be matched by the administration's funding requests that will pay for our country's nuclear dismantlements and for the science to certify the reliability of what's left. And we must provide adequate funding to retain our highly specialized nuclear scientists and technicians and to maintain the facilities and laboratories where they do their work. The only way to support our national security is by increasing this account, not by holding it flat. Talk about a delicate balance between nuclear and renewables is only talk, for investments in renewables received $60 billion in the $800 billion stimulus--all of that borrowed money, I should add--and nuclear received nothing. I do hope that we can address this disproportionality in conference. One of my biggest disappointments, however, is not with the bill but the way it was brought to the floor. With all the debate about climate change, global warming, conservation, carbon footprints and green jobs, Members of Congress in both parties should have the right to propose amendments to address their concerns and support sources of power that they specifically favor and know about, whether that be nuclear, hydroelectric, solar, wind, oil- or gas-based, fuel cell or fusion. That traditional right to amend our appropriations has been severely curtailed by the House leadership. Our appropriations bill affects virtually every part of our economy, the household budgets of every American family and job prospects for thousands, and the thought that renewables alone are going to give us energy independence is, of course, on its face, absurd. Before I close though, I'd like, on a positive note, to thank the Army Corps of Engineers, both military and civilian who, as we gather here today, continue to do their remarkable work in dangerous territory in Iraq and Afghanistan. We thank them for their courage, their work and their professionalism. Mr. Chairman, again I'd like to thank Vice Chairman Pastor for his leadership. Despite my unhappiness about the energy policy issues I have discussed, I intend to support the bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings).

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson).

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Bill: H.R. 3183, Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Section 205 Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: The entity to receive funding for this project is the Army Corps of Engineers North Atlantic Division, located at Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, 26 Federal Plaza, Room 2109, and New York, NY 10278-0090 Description of Request: H.R. 3183 lists the Jackson Brook project under the Section 205 CAP Program, which is authorized by Congress. The funding would be used for completion of design. Flood damages have occurred to the homes and property located on the lower part of the Jackson Brook Watershed, as well as damages to the public park facilities. Flooding has caused siltation in Hedden Pond. Bill: H.R. 3183, Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Construction Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: The entity to receive funding for this project is the Army Corps of Engineers North Atlantic Division, located at Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, 26 Federal Plaza, Room 2109, and New York, NY 10278-0090 Description of Request: H.R. 3183 includes $5,000,000 for the Passaic River Basin Flood Management project, which is authorized by Congress. The funding would be used for the continued acquisition and removal from the State defined Floodway of homes along the Passaic River. The authorization specifies that the buy-outs are to be from willing sellers. The flooding has long been a problem in the Passaic River Basin resulting in significant property loss and the loss of life. Bill: H.R. 3183, Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 Account: Department of Energy, Office of Science Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: The entity to receive funding for this project is the College of Saint Elizabeth located at 2 Convent Station, Morristown, NJ 07960. Description of Request: H.R. 3183 includes $1,000,000 for the College of Saint Elizabeth. It is my understanding the funding will assist the College with the partial renovation of the teaching and learning spaces dedicated to Nursing, Allied Health Studies, Health Care Management, and Foods and Nutrition programs. Additionally, the funding will assist the college with renovation of the teaching and learning spaces dedicated to programs in Biology, Chemistry, Applied Science, and Mathematics. The funding will provide for design, construction, and outfitting of classroom, lab, research and support spaces for these programs. The physical renewal of these spaces is being undertaken in conjunction with significant curricular revision of the College's undergraduate program with the goal of aligning pedagogy, technology, and teaching and learning spaces in ways that will better serve the educational needs of the wide range of students who use these facilities on a regular basis. Bill: H.R. 3183, Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 Account: Department of Energy, EERE Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: The entity to receive funding is Morris County Improvement Authority located at P.O. Box 900, Morristown, NJ 07960-0900. Description of Request: H.R. 3183 includes $2,000,000 for the Morris County Renewable Energy Initiative. It is my understanding that the funding would be used for the Morris County Renewable Energy Initiative for design, acquisition and installation of renewable energy equipment and facilities such as solar panels. BM: H.R. 3183, Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 Account: Department of Energy, EERE Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: The entity to receive funding for this project is the Newark Museum located at 49 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07102. Description of Request: H.R. 3183 includes $500,000 for the Newark Museum. It is my understanding that the funding would be used for green energy enhancements including various applications of water to water heat pumps, geothermal heating and photovoltaic collection units. It is my understanding that the Museum will be one of the most energy efficient in the United States and will be a model for future institutions. Bill: H.R. 3183, Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 Account: Department of Energy, EERE Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: The entity to receive funding is Somerset County located at 20 Grove Street, P.O. Box 3000, Somerville, NJ 08876. Description of Request: H.R. 3183 includes $2,000,000 for the Somerset County Renewable Energy Initiative. It is my understanding that the funding would be used for the Somerset County Renewable Energy Initiative for design, acquisition and installation of renewable energy equipment and facilities such as solar panels.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding a request for funding I made of the House Appropriations Committee for inclusion in H.R. 3082 the Military Construction--Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2010. Specifically, the project will be included in Title 1, Military Construction--Army. H.R. 3082 includes $10.2 million for Phase 2 of the Ballistic Evaluation Facility in the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act. The entity to receive the funding for this project is the United States Army, specifically the Armament Research Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) located at Picatinny Arsenal, Picatinny, New Jersey, 07806-5000. The actual design and construction will be executed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The funding will be used for planning, design and construction of a state-of-the-art Ballistic Experimentation Facility (BEF) for Large Caliber Armaments at Picatinny Arsenal. This process will produce a one-of-kind research and testing facility which will reduce Army's operational overhead and maintenance costs and improve safety for Army employees. The use of U.S. taxpayer funding is justified because this construction will provide near-term and long-range benefits to the joint warfighter--Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Bill: H.R. 2996, Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 Account: STAG Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: Borough of Hopatcong located at 111 River Styx Road, Hopatcong, New Jersey 07843. Description of Request: H.R. 2996 includes $500,000 for the Borough of Hopatcong's Drinking Water Disinfection Improvement project to provide safe drinking water to the residents of the Borough. The funds will be used to install large diameter pipes at public community supply wells to improve the disinfection of the raw water before being distributed. Bill: H.R. 2996, Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 Account: Land Acquisition (Fish and Wildlife Service) Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: The entity to receive funding for this project is the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge located at 241 Pleasant Plains Road, Basking Ridge, New Jersey 07920. Description of Request: H.R. 2996 includes $750,000 for the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, a component of the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Great Swamp Refuge is located in Morris County, New Jersey, about 26 miles west of Manhattan's Times Square. The refuge was established by an act of Congress on November 3, 1960. The protection of this gem of wilderness in the heart of dense suburban development is one of the success stories of our National Wilderness Preservation System. The funding would be used to acquire an 18.31 acre parcel of land, known as the Great Brook Property, adjacent to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, which provides critical habitat for numerous rare species.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding a request for funding I made of the House Armed Services Committee for inclusion in H.R. 2647 the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010. Specifically, the project will be included in Division B, Title XXI, Military Construction--Army. H.R. 2647 includes $10.2 million for Phase 2 of the Ballistic Evaluation Facility in the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act. The entity to receive the funding for this project is the United States Army, specifically the Armament Research Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) located at Picatinny Arsenal, Picatinny, New Jersey 07806-5000. The actual design and construction will be executed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The funding will be used for planning, design and construction of a state-of-the-art Ballistic Experimentation Facility (BEF) for Large Caliber Armaments at Picatinny Arsenal. This process will produce a one-of-kind research and testing facility which will reduce Army's operational overhead and maintenance costs and improve safety for Army employees. The use of U.S. taxpayer funding is justified because this construction will provide near-term and long-range benefits to the joint warfighter--Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Junior Matrons of Morristown, New Jersey who are celebrating their 50 Anniversary this year. The Junior Matrons of Morristown was started in 1959 by a motivated group of young African American women. They concentrated their time and energy on addressing the lack of young African American high school graduates pursuing post secondary education. For the past 50 years the Junior Matrons have focused on fulfilling their motto, ``Service through Scholarship''. This has been done through providing financial assistance to over 3,000 high school students, totaling over $2 million over the past half century. The beneficial and residual impact of this assistance cannot be over-estimated. The Junior Matrons sponsor an annual Graduation Ball and Cotillion. The purpose of this night is threefold. First, it helps to raise awareness among the African American community about how a college education can provide an avenue to economic, political and social advantage. Second, it recognizes and rewards those who have been committed to achieving their first major educational milestone. And finally, it generates the funds necessary for a high school graduate's dream of college to become a reality. This single evening can be summed up in a statement that these women pride themselves on, ``There were a lot of things we didn't know were impossible so we just went ahead and did them.'' The passion and energy behind the founding of the Junior Matrons has continued unabated for these last 50 years, and is a credit to the collective vision of twelve charter members: the late Sue Graddick, Harriet Britt, the late Frances Younginer, my dear friend Dr. Felicia B. Jamison, Emma L. Martin, Mattile Drew, Muriel Hiller, Nadine Alston, the late Emanualine Smith, Natalie Holmes, the late Marie Davis, the late Natalie Thurmond Lattimore and Cecelia Dowdy. Over the years the Junior Matrons have been honored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Urban League, among many others. Although a few of the original group are no longer with us, new leaders have taken on the mantle and are endowed with the same zeal and vision. Madam Speaker, I am quite certain that the Junior Matrons will continue to promote the cause quality education and help provide opportunities for our young people to pursue college degrees and productive, fulfilling careers. I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Junior Matrons of Morristown as they celebrate 50 dedicated years of serving our community.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as a part of H.R. 2892, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2010. Title III: Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery The 11th Congressional District was directly impacted by the events of 9/11 and it is critical to continue to make direct investments to improve first responder and law enforcement communications and for like technology and equipment upgrades. Bill Number: H.R. 2892 Account: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Operations Centers Legal Name of Entity: Morris County, New Jersey Office of Emergency Management Address of Requesting Entity: P.O. Box 900, Morristown, New Jersey 07960 Funding Level: $1,000,000 Description of Request: It is my understanding that the funding will be used to design and construct a state-of-the-art, environmentally sound, emergency operations center to consolidate the interoperable security across the entire county.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

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

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, personally, I believe that we do need to rein in excessive government spending and promote fiscal discipline, and I've been heavily involved in that. With that said, I want to thank you, Representative Flake, for bringing this very important project to everyone's attention. I know we can all agree on the importance of math and science education. Throughout my career in county, in State and now in Washington, I've been a strong proponent of instilling an interest in STEM education in our young people so that they may tackle our country's and our planet's most pressing issues. The Drew University Environmental Science Initiative--and Drew is located in Madison, New Jersey--fits perfectly in line with this goal of advancing science education. This program benefits Drew's undergraduate students, and it assists Drew in expanding its partnership with local elementary, middle and high schools. Many speakers had come to the floor earlier, saying, you know, How are we going to meet the challenges of China and India? One of the ways you meet the challenges of China and India with regard to their educational systems is to make sure that there are colleges and universities that are doing what they can to graduate students who are heavily involved in math and science studies. I strongly share Drew's belief that, in order to confront tomorrow's environmental challenges, we must capture the interest and imagination of our Nation's youth early in education, and Drew does this. I'd also add that this project, this science initiative, like all others proposed for funding, has been thoroughly vetted and completely transparent. And may I add, unlike the gentleman's home State of Arizona, which ranks 21st in the Nation in tax dollars returned from Washington, my home State of New Jersey ranks 50 out of 50, dead last. So, quite honestly, I don't apologize for looking after my State, my public and private universities, because we want the best of America to be well educated, and I think the investments we're making in science, math, technology, and engineering in New Jersey and colleges and universities across the country is money well spent. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, if the defense portion of the supplemental were considered as a stand-alone legislation it would receive my support and the majority of those on this side of the aisle. We recognize that we need to provide our deployed men and women, all volunteers, with the funding and resources they need to accomplish their important ongoing missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. But unfortunately, the majority has added items to this measure totally unrelated to these wars. First, the much-debated IMF provision, which interestingly enough, allows our country drawing rights for the first time in the history of the IMF. Secondly, the majority stripped language from this bill that would have prevented release of photographs of detainees, thus endangering U.S. citizens and members of our own Armed Forces overseas. Thirdly, the majority inserted watered-down language on the closing of Guantanamo Bay, allowing for these dangerous prisoners to be brought to the U.S. for trial 45 days after the Obama administration submits certain paperwork to Congress. These all represent reasons to vote ``no,'' to send this legislation back to the drawing board, and to come back with a straightforward bill that supports our troops. But I want to use this time to talk about the direction of our national security funding, our defense spending. If you believe the administration, this will be the last supplemental appropriations bill to fund our operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, even though our forces will remain in Iraq for a significant number of years and our efforts in Afghanistan are just now ramping up. The administration says it's putting such costs for future soldier needs into the base appropriations bill. However, it doesn't take a green eyeshade to determine that the administration's request, combined with the rate of inflation, essentially adds up to no growth. We're standing still. We're treading water. And in a world where the North Koreans threaten conventional nuclear war, Russia is becoming more resurgent and aggressive, and China is rapidly increasing its aggressiveness. For these reasons, I rise to oppose this conference report.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as a part of H.R. 2847, the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2010. Title II: Department of Justice The 11th Congressional District was directly impacted by the events of 9/11 and it is critical to continue to make direct investments to improve first responder and law enforcement communications and for like technology and equipment upgrades. Bill Number: H.R. 2847 Account: Community Oriented Policing Services Legal Name of Entity: Somerset County Office of Emergency Management Address of Requesting Entity: 20 Grove Street, P.O. Box 3000, Somerville, NJ 08876 Funding Level: $1,000,000 Description of Request: It is my understanding that the funding would be used for police communication equipment upgrades and interoperability technology enhancements. Bill Number: H.R. 2847 Account: Community Oriented Policing Services Legal Name of Entity: Sussex County Office of Emergency Management Address of Requesting Entity: 39 High Street, Newton, New Jersey 07860 Funding Level: $1,000,000 Description of Request: It is my understanding that the funding would be used for police communication equipment upgrades and interoperability technology enhancements. Bill Number: H.R. 2847 Account: Community Oriented Policing Services Legal Name of Entity: Essex County Office of Emergency Management Address of Requesting Entity: 50 Nelson Place--2nd Floor, New Courts Building, Newark, New Jersey 07102. Funding Level: $1,000,000 Description of Request: It is my understanding that the funding would be used for police communication equipment upgrades and interoperability technology enhancements. Title IV: Science Bill Number: H.R. 2847 Account: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cross-Agency Support Programs Legal Name of Entity: Drew University Funding Level: $1,000,000 Address of Requesting Entity: 36 Madison Avenue, Madison, New Jersey 07940 Description of Request: It is my understanding the funding will be used for research and curricula enhancements, including GIS mapping and space imagery of the impact of climate change on forest resources and development of new environmental studies courses and for construction and improvements of science laboratories, for science equipment and technology, and for improvements to associated science classroom space.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the motion to instruct conferees providing for supplemental appropriations for ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. I support the portion of these instructions that would require the Secretary of Defense to certify if the release of photographs of detainees would endanger citizens of the U.S. or members of the armed services. We send our soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen abroad to protect our security. We owe it to them to make sure that we do not do anything that puts them in needless jeopardy. And I also strongly support the notion that we need to endorse the higher House funding levels for defense and military construction. Absolutely needed. If we are going to believe the administration and congressional leadership, this will be the last supplemental bill to fund the needs of our soldiers in Iraq and, may I add, their mission, those soldiers' mission, expanded mission, in Afghanistan. Personally, I find that hard to believe. This supplemental should not be considered in a vacuum. What should not be lost in all of this is that our President is proposing a defense budget that barely keeps up with inflation and specifically contains a significant cut in our ballistic missile program, at a time when North Korea and Iran are testing their capabilities and, quite honestly, testing our resolve. And, lastly, Madam Speaker, I have concerns about the expanded spending authority of the International Monetary Fund, who would be eligible to tap that fund in terms of drawing rights. And what's more bizarre is that under the recent agreements that we've been reading about, the United States of America now is eligible, shall we say, like other Third World countries, to have its own drawing rights, which is totally bizarre and inappropriate. Madam Speaker, our first responsibility as Members is to protect our constituents, including those in the military. This motion to instruct helps achieve that mission and other important missions.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. That's a little farther south from where I live.