Sue Myrick

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mrs. MYRICK. Well, in this particular case, it is the State courts, the right to be left to the State courts.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 7\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hostettler), the sponsor of this bill. (Mr. HOSTETTLER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce).

Mrs. MYRICK. I have no more speakers.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 735, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. The Defense Appropriations Conference Report provides the tools and the resources for our military to wage an aggressive war against terrorism, while defending our Nation against ever-changing military threats. Each generation of Americans has been called to defend our freedom, and each time our forefathers and -mothers have answered that call. Our generation's time of national trial has come, and we are being called to stop a new kind of enemy, different from any that we have ever fought before. This enemy is patient, building resources and striking where and when we are least prepared. The enemy uses a different method each time, and this enemy requires a new kind of defense. And this is what the conference report is continuing to build. I agree with President Bush when he says that our Armed Forces must be ready to confront every threat from any source that can bring sudden terror and suffering to America. Our forces must be ready to deploy to any point of the globe on short notice, and this bill provides $416.2 billion in new discretionary spending authority for the Department of Defense. It also includes $25 billion in emergency spending, requested by the President for early fiscal year 2005 costs associated with operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our Nation must have, and we will have, ready forces that can bring victory to our country and safety to our people. The world's best soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines also deserve the world's best weaponry; and to ensure that, we must invest in procurement accounts. And this report contains $77.6 billion for procurement. We need to give our military the weapons that they need for the future threats. If this war against terror means that we must find it wherever it exists and pull it out by the roots and bring people to justice, our military must have the means to achieve this. This bill also makes significant improvements in the quality of life for our men and women who serve in the Armed Forces, including a 3.5 percent pay raise and targeted pay raises to mid-grade noncommissioned officers, generous housing allowances that will significantly decrease the out-of-pocket housing expenses of our service personnel, and provide access to high quality health care. We can never pay our men and women in uniform on the scale that matches the magnitude of their sacrifice, but this bill reflects our respect for their selfless service. I feel strongly that we need a strong national defense, and we need to be prepared. And with this conference report, we will be. The primary responsibility for us as elected officials is to provide for the common defense of our fellow countrymen; and to that end, I urge my colleagues to support the rule and support the underlying bill, because now, more than ever, we must improve our national security. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 732 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker, last night the Committee on Rules met and granted an open rule for H.R. 4837, the Fiscal Year 2005 Military Construction Appropriations Act. The United States military is clearly the best in the world, and the young men and women in our Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines are thoroughly dedicated and patriotic professionals, the best our Nation has to offer. And we are asking a lot of our military today. Our military personnel on active duty know that they may well be deployed overseas and perhaps on dangerous missions; so we want to provide a quality of life for themselves and their families that will allow them to serve, knowing that their families will be taken care of with good housing and good health care. H.R. 4837 recognizes the dedication and commitment of our troops by providing for their most basic needs: improved military facilities, including housing and medical facilities. Mr. Speaker, we must honor the most basic commitments we have made to the men and women of our Armed Forces. We must ensure a reasonable quality of life to recruit and retain the best and the brightest for America's fighting forces, and most importantly, we must do all in our power to ensure a strong, able, dedicated American military so this Nation will be ever vigilant, ever prepared. H.R. 4837 provides nearly $1.1 billion for troop housing and $190 million for hospital and medical facilities for the troops and their families. Military families also have a tremendous need for quality child care, especially single parents and families in which one or both parents may face lengthy deployments. To help meet this need, the bill provides $26 million for child development centers. This bill is more than just a signal to our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines that this Nation recognizes their sacrifices. It is a means by which we meet our commitment to providing them decent quality of life, and this will sustain the commitment and professionalism of America's all-volunteer armed services and the families that support them. We owe them a great debt of gratitude. While our men and women in uniform have swiftly engaged our enemies abroad, they face increasingly complex personal and professional challenges here at home. We must do more to take care of those who are putting their lives on the line to defend our freedom and for their families that support them. So I urge my colleagues to support this rule and to support the conference report. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 10 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nussle), the chairman of the Committee on the Budget.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is obviously political season, and when it is politically convenient, deficits are a huge problem on the other side of the aisle, but they are not willing to make any sacrifices in any other areas to be fiscally responsible to all of our citizens. There is no one in this House who does not support our troops and wants to see more military housing. But I really feel that today, in this debate I am listening to, our troops are being used as a pawn, and that is very disturbing to me. Yes, this is an agenda of our President, but I would also like to remind the other side that tax cuts were also a priority of our President. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg), the chairman of the subcommittee.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Chairman Hunter).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Rules, to close. (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)