Buck McKeon

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. At this point, Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of our time to the vice chairman of the committee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry).

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that my amendment No. 1 be modified in the manner that I have placed at the desk.

Mr. McKEON. And I have the right to close?

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We have worked long and hard, the staff has worked long and hard to get us to this point. This manager's amendment that we've worked on has been worked through both sides. We have unanimous agreement on it. It's a good bill, a good addition to the bill, and I ask that it be approved. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I just want to rise to commend the gentleman, Mr. Berman, for his strong work on this amendment, for the work that he's done to further this cause of helping businesses in being able to do business abroad while still protecting the security of America. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, pursuant to H. Res. 661, I offer amendments en bloc.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 1 minute. Mr. Chairman, I oppose the Conyers amendment. The F 35B is a short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the F 35 stealth fighter, and it's in the final stages of development and has entered low-rate initial production. The F 35B will operate from large deck amphibious ships as well as have the capability to operate from forward operating bases and damaged air strips to support Marine Corps ground maneuver forces ashore. The Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Amos, wrote to the committee yesterday and said: The importance of the F 35B short takeoff vertical landing variant to the Marine Corps and the Nation cannot be overstated. The F 35B has made significant progress in the last year, under General Amos' guidance, by completing all of the plan test points in 2011 and accomplishing 260 vertical landings. If passed, this amendment could have major negative impacts to our Nation's future combat power, increase the cost of the overall F 35 program, and negatively affect the eight international program partners in foreign military sales. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the Conyers amendment.

Mr. McKEON. I do agree that protecting our men and women in the military from the detrimental effects of prescription drug misuse, especially protecting our combat-wounded servicemembers, is of vital importance. As the gentlelady knows, the committee report of H.R. 4310 includes an item of special interest that expresses the support for substance abuse treatment programs within the military services and that encourages the Department of Defense to pursue research aimed at developing new treatments to help our troops who are struggling with the devastating problem. I will be happy to work with the gentlewoman from California to consider the appropriate measures to address this critical issue.

Mr. McKEON. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, we had an amendment earlier to cut off all funds to Pakistan. This is a more moderate approach. Pakistan is part of the problem, we understand that. They live in a tough neighborhood. We know that in some ways they help us, in some ways they don't help us. This amendment is kind of a carrot-and-stick approach. We say, when you do the things that you say you'll do, when you open these Ground Lines of Communication, we'll be giving you some of the funds. I think that's the proper approach that we should take, and I think that will help us in moving forward our effort in that area. I thank the gentleman for his amendment. I think it makes the bill stronger. I thank him for his work in this regard. I ask support of the amendment and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry).

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition to the amendment although I don't oppose the amendment.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chair, I submit the following letters: House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Washington, DC, May 11, 2012. Hon. Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman McKeon: I write concerning H.R. 4310, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, as amended. There are certain provisions in the legislation which fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. However, in order to expedite this legislation for floor consideration, the Committee will forgo action on this bill. This, of course, is conditional on our mutual understanding that forgoing consideration of the bill does not prejudice the Committee with respect to the appointment of conferees or to any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill or similar legislation which fall within the Committee's Rule X jurisdiction. I request you urge the Speaker to name members of the Committee to any conference committee named to consider such provisions. Please place a copy of this letter and your response acknowledging our jurisdictional interest into the committee report on H.R. 4310 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Sincerely, John L. Mica, Chairman.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Hanabusa), my friend and colleague on the committee.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of our time to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Forbes).

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith), the ranking member of the committee.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I will just note that the President increased over $4.5 billion over the Deficit Reduction Act, and we went $3.7 billion more than the President's in order to protect TRICARE and some other others things for the troops. At this time, I yield 2 minutes the chairman of the Budget Committee, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan).

Mr. McKEON. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. I yield myself the balance of the time. Mr. Chairman, I wish we were wrong, and I would hope that they are right in that we could continue to cut defense--cut it to the bone, cut it to the marrow--and that we could just live one big, happy, paradisiacal life, but history shows that that isn't the way things work. As Reagan said, it is important to have peace through strength. You will remember before he was elected, when President Carter tried to deal with the hostage situation in Iran, that our helicopters couldn't even fly across the desert. We'd cut back the military so far that we had a hollow military. There is a lot of talk about General Eisenhower and about President Eisenhower, and the thing he said, ``Beware of the military-industrial complex.'' He also said we have to have a very strong military because, if we don't, someone will take advantage of us. We have to be so strong that they're afraid to attack us for fear of annihilation. I was talking to one of our leading military leaders just a few months ago. Mr. Smith was in the meeting also. At the end of the meeting, he looked at me, and he said, In my 37 years, I've never seen a time more dangerous. If we are right and if we go through with all of these cuts and hollow out our military, we are talking about cutting $100 billion a year for the next 10 years. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Hearing the word ``undermined'' brings to mind the fact that they are way underground building this nuclear facility. It kind of stretches the credibility thinking that they're doing that just to build a power plant. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of our time to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Forbes).

Mr. McKEON. I yield myself 1\1/2\ minutes. This is a very clear opportunity to see the difference of the two sides of the aisle, how they feel about supporting the defense of our Nation. We have taken, with the Deficit Reduction Act, half of the savings has come out of defense. Less than 19 percent of the budget goes for defense, but half of the savings. So if we had a big pie and we had 19 percent of the spending comes out of defense; but then when we take the savings, we're taking half out of defense. Mr. Chairman, if we continue to try to solve our deficit problem on the backs of our military, our troops, who's going to have our backs the next time we're attacked? Over my lifetime, we have cut back the military after every war. This is the first time I've seen us cut back during the war. We have troops right now going outside the wire, and they, when they get back to camp, they watch ``Fox News.'' I've been there. I've seen it. They find out what's going on, and they listen to this debate, and they feel that there are some who don't have their backs. Well, it's not this side of the aisle. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. McKEON. I yield 2 minutes to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter).

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