John Murtha

Mr. MURTHA

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. MURTHA. We want to help.

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, we have $409 million in this program. I think it is premature what she asks here. But if the gentlewoman would withdraw her amendment, we will certainly take it into consideration and try to work something out here because there is no question it could be a problem in the future, and I think what she is addressing is a very important issue. But I think it would be premature, and I hate to see her turned down when we have got $409 million there. If the gentlewoman would withdraw the amendment, I assure her we will do everything we can to work something out in relation to what she is trying to do, which would be to put $15 million into Iran in case it comes up, or Iraq. I do not anticipate it is going to come up on Iraq, but certainly Iran.

Mr. MURTHA. And North Korea, absolutely.

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, there is no one who has worked harder on this issue than the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer). The committee is very aware of it, and we put report language in to make sure to try and go in the direction the gentleman tried to. We made a slight increase in the amount of money available. We know it is a massive problem. This committee has been in the forefront of trying to address this problem. We appreciate the gentleman's concern. He has brought it to our attention over and over again, and we are doing the best we can. We know some of the things the gentleman pointed out, we put into the language to say we have got to get it straightened out. So we appreciate the gentleman's hard work and dedication in trying to solve this very difficult problem.

Mr. MURTHA. I would just say to the gentleman, we are trying to figure out exactly what he wants to do because no one has been more on the forefront of this particular issue than he has. We want to help him. We understand it. We know how serious it is. We have done this in a number of different places. If this will clear 8 million acres, we certainly want to help. If the gentleman will withdraw his amendment, we will find a way to take care of his 8 million acres.

Mr. MURTHA. I would hope we would be able to work this out. I do not know if we will add to the $204 million, but we certainly can take this $5 million if the gentleman thinks it is this important. He has been involved in this for so long. We will try to work it out. Otherwise, we go to a vote, and whether you win or not, I do not know; but the point is, we will try to work it out.

Mr. MURTHA. Wait a minute. The gentleman says it is a little project. This is a project you are advocating. This is not a little project. It is a project you are advocating. It is $5 million.

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I want to assure the gentlewoman from California I agree with her on the point and appreciate her intention in raising this issue, and I want to assure the gentlewoman that as the bill moves forward we will be mindful of this issue and work with her and her staff to do everything we can to help.

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words, and I yield to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, I just want to say we did the best we could do with the amount of money we have available. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman should take full credit. He is the one who asked and the one that recognized it, and we are certainly glad for the Subcommittee on Foreign Operation, Export Financing and Related Programs; but he is the guy that made sure that this got in there.

Mr. MURTHA

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman will further yield, I do not doubt they are, and I appreciate their recommendation; but this is the wrong approach to it. It just goes a little too far. I think we need to work on this kind of thing together. And at the last minute, it just makes it hard for us to accept something like this. So I would hope we defeat this amendment and try to work something out later on.

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, we certainly appreciate what she is saying. We will take a look at it in conference, and I hope that the gentlewoman would withdraw this amendment, but we will certainly take a look at it. I see exactly what she is talking about and we have that problem. Sometimes we put humanitarian aid, and we do not have the resources to get it to the people who really need it, and al Qaeda and the terrorists actually use the money to their benefit. So I appreciate what she is saying, and we will certainly take a look at this in conference.

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, we know she has been at the forefront of this issue. We know that so many service people have been affected by the fact they have been overseas, and then they come home, and in the bill last year we said when they come home, each person has to be counseled. We found that they have not been counseled. The gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro) has some language, which the chairman accepted, in mental health and the same type of thing. What the gentlewoman is trying to do we agree with completely. If the gentlewoman will withdraw her amendment, we will do everything we can to make sure this gets done.

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, I have to oppose this amendment. It has just come up at the last minute. As technical as it is, and the gentleman talked to me about it and I looked at it, and all of us are trying to do the same thing: make sure that we do some reform, but that we do not go too far. I think Gordon England is the right one to look at this thing. I know the Defense Department is very nervous about the direction they were going at first, and I am afraid this bill will be vetoed if it has this language in it.

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, we will make sure there is enough money to take care of those airplanes.

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, we have no problem with the amendments.