J. Thurmond

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, the amendment has been cleared.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, the amendment has been cleared.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. THURMOND. I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendments be set aside solely for the purpose of adopting a series of amendments which have been agreed to by both sides. I further ask unanimous consent that upon the disposition of this series of cleared amendments, the amendments set aside once again become the pending amendments.

Mr. THURMOND. I move to lay it on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 2779 (Purpose: To modify the authority relating to the demonstration project to provide the FEHBP health care option to medicare-eligible military health care beneficiaries)

Mr. THURMOND. I believe this amendment has been cleared by the other side.

Mr. THURMOND. I urge the Senate adopt the amendment.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I urge that the Senate adopt this amendment.

Mr. THURMOND. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 2774 (Purpose: To establish certain budgeting and other policies regarding United States operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, the amendment has been cleared.

Mr. THURMOND. I urge the Senate adopt the amendment.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, my amendment would address three items, funds in the future years defense program for operations in Bosnia, concern about the use of U.S. forces in a law enforcement capacity, and the status of establishing the NATO multinational security force. Funding for military forces participating in the NATO operation in Bosnia is the responsibility of the contributing nation. It is estimated that the U.S. costs of participating in the NATO operation will be close to $10 billion by the end of fiscal year 1999. The Administration has failed to provide adequate funds in the defense budget to fund U.S. participation in the NATO operation since November 1995, consequently reprogramming and rescissions of defense funds, as well as supplemental appropriations have been used to pay for those costs. In March, pursuant to legislation in the fiscal year 1998 defense authorization and appropriations bills, the President notified the Congress of his intention to extend the deployment of U.S. forces in Bosnia beyond June 30, 1998, and certified that it was in the national security interests for U.S. forces to remain in Bosnia so that conditions could be established to allow the implementation of the Dayton Accords without the support of a major NATO-led military force. The President's announcement to extend the deployment of U.S. forces in Bosnia after June 30, 1998 once again resulted in a funding shortfall for operations in Bosnia for fiscal year 1998, as well as for fiscal year 1999. To take care of the shortfalls in fiscal year 1998, the Congress provided an emergency appropriation. Once again, because they were unaware that the President would extend the participation of U.S. forces in the NATO operation in Bosnia, the Department of Defense and the military services did not include funds in the President's fiscal year 1999 budget request for defense. Thereby creating once again, a funding shortfall for operations in Bosnia in fiscal year 1999. To cover those costs anticipated in fiscal year 1999, but not provided for in the defense budget, the Committee has recommended an emergency authorization of $1.9 billion for operations in Bosnia in fiscal year 1999. Mr. President, U.S. forces will be in Bosnia for at least another year or two, if not longer, unless the Congress mandates their withdrawal. It is time for the President to include the funds necessary to pay for the operations in Bosnia in the fiscal year 2000 and future year budgets for defense above the top line in the balanced budget agreement. If the defense budget is not increased to pay for the costs associated with this operation in Bosnia, the Congress will once again be faced with reprogramming defense funds, or providing emergency appropriations. If the Congress has to reprogram defense funds, or rescind defense programs, the military services will most likely have to transfer procurement and research and development dollars meant for modernization and replacement of equipment before it becomes obsolete and unsupportable. Transferring funds from the military service budgets for operations in Bosnia will result in reducing training opportunities, delaying real property maintenance, deferring depot maintenance, or reducing base operations and quality of life. We need to protect the readiness of our forces. Failure of the Administration to increase funding in future defense budgets to pay for operations in Bosnia would cause disruptions and in funding inefficiencies in our acquisition programs. My amendment would express the sense of Congress that the President should include funds for operations in Bosnia in the future years defense funds, and that those funds should not come from amounts that would otherwise be proposed for defense or the military services in accordance with the future years defense plan, but should be provided above the top line in the balanced budget agreement. My amendment would also express the concerns of Congress, as it did similarly in the fiscal year 1998 defense authorization and appropriation bills, that U.S. forces should not participate in law enforcement activities as civil police. The International Police Task Force was formed by the United Nations in response to a requirement in the Dayton Accords. In addition to training and advising local law enforcement authorities and personnel, the responsibility of this international police task force is to monitor, observe and facilitate law enforcement activities. The international police force also has no authority to arrest or detain people, to include indicted war criminals. Because the international police force is not armed, on many occasions NATO military forces have accompanied members of the IPTF to provide protection in the event there is a breakdown in law and order. NATO forces have not intervened during incidents of violence involving unarmed civilians. However, NATO troops have taken action against paramilitary or ``special police'' units, such as the kind that guard indicted war criminals like Mr. Karadicz. Earlier this year, the Congress was informed by the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that NATO would be establishing an 800-man paramilitary police force to respond to civil disturbances, such as the ones I just mentioned. Lastly, with regard with NATO's establishment of a Multinational Specialized Unit to respond to civil disturbances, my amendment would require the President to report on the status of NATO establishing the MSU, the mission of the MSU, its composition, and the extent to which U.S. military forces will participate in the MSU, if any role. Mr. President, I believe the amendment has been cleared by the other side.

Mr. THURMOND. I believe the amendment has been cleared by the other side.

Mr. THURMOND. On behalf of Senator Gorton, I offer an amendment that would express the sense of the Senate that the Secretary of the Navy should ensure that appropriate Navy personnel assigned to ships are trained in oil spill prevention measures.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I urge that the Senate adopt this amendment.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I urge that the amendment be adopted.

Mr. THURMOND. I believe this amendment has been cleared by the other side.

Mr. THURMOND. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 2756 (Purpose: To apply certain revisions of commercial pricing regulations government wide)

Mr. THURMOND. I believe the amendment has been cleared by the other side.

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I urge that the Senate adopt this amendment.

Mr. THURMOND. I urge the Senate adopt the amendment.

Mr. THURMOND. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 2759 (Purpose: To clarify the eligibility of dependents of United States Customs Service employees to enroll in Department of Defense dependents schools in Puerto Rico)

Mr. THURMOND. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 2766 (Purpose: To state the sense of the Senate regarding oil spill prevention training for personnel on board Navy vessels)

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Roberts, I offer an amendment which requires the Secretary of Defense to report on the ``One-Plus-One'' barracks standard and certify that it is necessary in order to assure retention of first-term enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces.

Mr. THURMOND

Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senate floor privileges be granted to staff members of the Armed Services Committee during the pendency of S. 2057, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999, for today and each day the measure is pending before the Senate and for the rollcall votes thereon: Les Brownlee, Staff Director; George Lauffer, Deputy Staff Director; Scott Stucky, General Counsel; David Lyles, Minority Staff Director; and Peter Levine, Minority Counsel. Charlies Abell, John R. Barnes, Stuart H. Cain, Lucia Monica Chavez, Christine E. Cowart, Daniel J. Cox, Jr., Madelyn D. DeBobes, John DeCrosta, and Marie F. Dickinson. Keaverny Donovan, Shawn H. Edwards, Jonathan L. Etherton, Pamela L. Farrell, Richard W. Fieldhouse, Maria A. Finley, Jan Gordon, Greighton Greene, Gary M. Hall, and Patrick ``Pt'' Henry. Larry J. Hoag, Andrew W. Johnson, Melinda M. Koutsoumpas, Lawrence J. Lanzillotta, Henry C. Leventis, Paul M. Longsworth, Stephen L. Madey, Jr., Michael J. McCord, J. Reaves McLeod, and John H. Miller. Ann M. Mittermeyer, Bert K. Mizusawa, Cindy Pearson, Sharen E. Reaves, Moultrie D. Roberts, Cord A. Sterling, Eric H. Thoemmes, Roslyne D. Turner, and D. Banks Willis.