Ike Skelton

Mr. SKELTON

Mr. SKELTON. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring before the House the conference report on H.R. 2647, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2010. I especially want to thank my ranking member, my good friend, Buck McKeon, the gentleman from California, our partners in the Senate, Senator Carl Levin and Senator John McCain, and all the conferees from the Armed Services and 13 other committees who have made this conference report a reality. Mr. McKeon, brand new as ranking member of our committee, hit the ground running and has done yeoman's work, and I particularly wish to single him out and express my appreciation for the work he has done to help bring this to the floor. Mr. Speaker, this bill has a base of $550 billion for the United States military. This has $130 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq, which total $680 billion. Mr. Speaker, we are at war. This is a deadly serious moment in this body. This bill is critical for national security, and I am pleased to say this bill gets it right. The conference report provides several major victories for our troops and their families, and the bill strikes a right balance between our focus on the immediate fights in Afghanistan and Iraq and the long-term needs of our military. The vast majority of this bill has bipartisan support. The bill provides almost $20 billion combined for Army and Marine Corps reset and equipment shortfalls in the Guard and Reserves. It has $550 million for Army barracks and Guard and Reserve infrastructure. To boost readiness and reduce the strain on our forces, the bill increases the size of the military all across four services and authorizes an additional 30,000 Army troops in fiscal years 2011 and 2012. This bill reflects our effort to recognize 2009 as the Year of the Military Family by providing a 3.4 percent pay raise for all servicemembers. The bill also extends the authority of the Defense Department to offer bonuses and incentive pay. It expands TRICARE health coverage. It prohibits fee increases on TRICARE inpatient care for a year, provides for $2.2 billion for family housing programs and improves the benefits available to wounded warriors. To ensure our strategy in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan is effective, this bill requires the President to assess U.S. efforts and report on the progress. The bill authorizes funds to train and equip the Afghan National Security Forces and authorize the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Fund. The bill improves accountability and oversight of U.S. assistance. The bill also requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a report on the responsible redeployment of U.S. forces out of Iraq. On acquisition reform, the conference report supports the plan to increase the size of the acquisition workforce and reduce reliance on contractors for acquisition functions. It eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse through better contract oversight. The bill also repeals the National Security Personnel System, returning employees to the general schedule over 2 years while providing additional flexibility for hiring and personnel management. The conference agreement prohibits the release of Guantanamo Bay detainees into the United States, its territories and possessions, and restricts detainee transfers until after the President has submitted a plan to Congress. The conference report revises the Military Commissions Act to make military commissions fair and effective and ensure that convictions stick. Let me briefly address two difficult aspects of the conference report. First, I am disappointed, and so very disappointed, that we were not able to retain the House's provision implementing the President's proposal on concurrent receipt for disabled military retirees. The Armed Services Committee fought hard with the assistance of our leadership and many other committees to pay for that proposal. The Senate's budget rules, however, would not support a solution. And I urge the President to work with us in a way to pay for this, which will meet the budgetary rules of both the House and the Senate. Finally, regarding the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, I have said several times that I would have preferred it to have been enacted as a stand-alone bill, not on this Defense bill. But it's important to note that the conferees included important sentencing guidelines for crimes against military servicemembers and added protections for the first amendment rights of preachers and ministers to that bill. I might add, Mr. Speaker, that the Senate passed its version of the bill with the hate crimes provision by a vote of 87-7, which is a strong bipartisan vote in the United States Senate. Whatever one's position on hate crimes, I believe that the enormous good done in this legislation merits its support by every Member of the House. Mr. Speaker, we are at war. We should support the troops. We should support their families. We should make sure that they have the finest equipment and training possible. That's what this bill does. This bill will support our troops in the field and their families at home and meet our Nation's immediate military requirements and preserve the ability to deter and respond to future threats. I urge the House to vote for this conference report and move it to the President's desk as soon as possible. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) for his straightforward commitment to the young men and women in American uniform. At this time I yield 3 minutes to my colleague, my friend, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Readiness, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz).

Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to my friend, the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel, the gentlelady from California (Mrs. Davis).

Mr. SKELTON. I wish to remind my fellow Missourian that the United States Senate voted for the Defense bill with the inclusion of the section that he objects to by 87 votes to 7, a strong bipartisan vote. I now yield 3 minutes to my friend, the chairman of the subcommittee on Strategic Forces, Mr. Langevin. (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend, a member of the Committee on Armed Services, the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo).

Mr. SKELTON. I yield 3 minutes to my friend, my colleague, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor).

Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews), a member of the Armed Services Committee. (Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my friend, my colleague, a member of the Armed Services Committee, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Marshall).

Mr. SKELTON. I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

Mr. SKELTON. May I inquire as to the amount of time remaining.

Mr. SKELTON. I yield 1 minute to my friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).

Mr. SKELTON. I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to my friend and chairman of the committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns).

Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SKELTON. I continue to reserve my time.

Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend, my colleague, the distinguished majority leader, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. SKELTON. Does the gentleman from South Carolina have any additional speakers?

Mr. SKELTON. I prefer to close, Mr. Speaker, after the gentleman from Ohio speaks.

Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, in your mind's eye picture a young Army corporal preparing to drive down a road in his security vehicle to help in an ongoing firefight in the mountains of Afghanistan. Picture in your mind this young corporal dressed in the Army fatigue uniform, an M16A2 standard-issue rifle in his hand with bullets made in America for that M16A2, wearing body armor furnished him and in the latest security vehicle provided by the United States Army. That M16A2 rifle was furnished by the Congress of the United States. The ammunition for that rifle was furnished by the Congress of the United States. The body armor on that soldier was furnished by the Congress of the United States, and the vehicle in which he rides, that security vehicle was furnished by the Congress of the United States. As a young soldier, this young corporal goes down the road, look at that soldier and answer the question, Did you vote to support me as a Member of Congress of the United States?

Mr. SKELTON. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SKELTON

Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. SKELTON

Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, first let me thank my good friend and a valued member of the House Armed Services Committee, Walter B. Jones of North Carolina, for introducing the first bill in the House to fix the first time homebuyer tax issue for our servicemembers. Mr. Jones is a good friend of the military, and I was proud to join him in this effort. Let me also thank Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel, a Korean war veteran and supporter of our troops, for recognizing that we needed to improve the Federal Tax Code for military personnel and their families and for wrapping together several related tax bills into the legislation we are considering today, the Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act. The first time homebuyer tax credit, which was enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, has been popular with the American people and has had a positive impact on the economy. Since the tax credit took effect, home sales have increased and there have been glimpses of price stability in the housing market. While much work remains before a full recovery can be achieved in the real estate sector, this tax credit has produced results. To qualify for the tax credit, a first time homebuyer must meet certain criteria, including a stipulation that he or she live in the house as a primary residence for 3 years or be forced to repay the credit to the Federal Government. For those military personnel, Foreign Service officers, and intelligence officers who wish to purchase their first home but who might be required by government orders to move duty stations within a 3-year window, this stipulation has proven problematic. To fix it, I recently co-authored the Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act, which would waive the repayment clause if the servicemember, State Department official, or intelligence officer receives official orders and is forced to sell his or her house within that 3-year window. The measure would also allow qualifying Defense and State Department personnel and intelligence personnel who have served outside the United States for at least 90 days in 2009 to have an additional year to participate in the first time homebuyer tax credit, which is currently scheduled to expire on November 30, 2009. In addition to these particular changes, the legislation would ensure that certain payments under the Department of Defense Homeowner's Assistance Program are exempt from taxation. The Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act is important for our troops and their families and would foster economic activity in areas near military bases. I urge its quick passage in the House of Representatives.

Mr. SKELTON

Mr. SKELTON. Madam Speaker, it is with sadness that I inform the House of the death of Donald Blakesklee, Colonel, United States Army (Ret.) of Miami, Florida. Col. Blakesklee was born in Fairport Harbor, Ohio. During his teenager years, he became fond of airplanes after watching them race every year at the National Air Races in Cleveland. Consequently, he and a friend, in the mid-1930s, bought a Piper Cub. Prior to U.S. entrance into World War II, Col. Blakesklee's enthusiasm for fighting became clear when he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. After pilot training, he was deployed to Britain, where he flew combat missions for the Royal Air Force (RAF) alongside a group of American volunteers known as American Eagle Squadrons. Ultimately, he became commander of the 133rd RAF Eagle Squadrons. When the Eagle Squadrons joined the U.S. Army Air Forces in September 1942, he became commander of the 335th Fighter Squadron. Then on January 1, 1944, Col. Blakesklee was named commander of the 4th Fighter Group of the 8th Fighter Command. After fours years in the European theater, Col. Blakesklee flew nearly 500 missions and had about 1,000 combat missions. According to Barrett Tillman, a former executive secretary of the American Fighter Aces Association, Col. Blakesklee had more missions and hours ``than any other American fighter pilot of World War II.'' Some of his achievements include leading the first escort mission to Berlin on March 6, 1944, in which his group protected Boeing B-17s and Consolidated B-24s while dropping bombs over the German city and setting a record for most enemies shot down in one day at 31 planes on April 8, 1944. On April 11, 1944, Col. Blakesklee was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. For his service in the Korean War, he received the Legion of Merit. In all, his military service earned him two Distinguished Service Crosses, seven Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Silver Stars, six Air Medals and the British Distinguished Flying Cross. After the World War II, Col. Blakesklee remained in the Air Force. He led the 27th Fighter Wing in Korea and served in Vietnam. In 1965, he retired to Florida to live with his wife, Leola Fryer. Col. Blakesklee is survived by his daughter Dawn Blakesklee. Madam Speaker, Col. Donald Blakesklee was an honorable officer in the military. I am certain that the members of the House will join me in extending their heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.

Mr. SKELTON

Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Armed Services, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 2647) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2010 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, to provide special pays and allowances to certain members of the Armed Forces, expand concurrent receipt of military retirement and VA disability benefits to disabled military retirees, and for other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.

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

Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson).