C. Young

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, today I will limit my comments to the Division A of this bill, which is basically the Defense Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2011. This is a bill that should have been passed last year, but for some strange reason, it didn't get passed. And I would tell you that as chairman of the Defense Subcommittee this year, I'm happy that it's going to become law under my watch. But it wouldn't be fair if I didn't point out that the bill basically is the one that we crafted together with Chairman Norman Dicks last year. And as I said, it should have been passed. We have been functioning, our Defense Department and our national defense, on a continuing resolution since last year. That is not good. A CR is not good period. But a CR for national defense could become extremely serious. We were getting very close to the point of affecting readiness, of affecting our troops and of affecting our families. And so passing this bill into law today is something that we will do that is right, and hopefully it will go through the process and go to the President, everybody will keep their deal and sign off on the bill. I compliment Speaker Boehner and his leadership team, and I compliment Chairman Rogers and his team. We looked at this bill very closely, and they asked me if we in the subcommittee could reduce some of the Defense spending in this bill. The answer is yes. We were diligent. We spent hours, days, and weeks making sure that we found sources of money that we really could eliminate without having a negative effect. And I will say to my colleagues I would never support an appropriations bill or any other bill that will affect our readiness or that will affect our troops. I just won't do it. I can't do it. The defense of this Nation and our soldiers who provide the defense is too important. But when Chairman Rogers asked if we could go to this number, we were very careful. There is a reduction in the Defense bill in this bill. And for those of you who are concerned that it might have had an adverse effect on our Nation's defense, it will not. We don't want to make very many more cuts in the Defense bill because today we don't know what the requirement is. There is discussion at the White House and with the Secretary of Defense, who almost seems to disagree now that there should be more cuts, more draconian cuts. You can't do that. You can't just pick out a number for Defense out of the air. You can't roll the dice. You can't spin the wheel. You've got to make your funding and your investment in national defense based on what is the threat to this country.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. Make no mistake about it: This is a national defense appropriations bill. This bill is based on one that was written under Chairman Dicks last year and should have been brought to this floor and passed into law last year. But for some reason, this one, along with every other appropriations bill, didn't see the light of day. This may not be the most perfect defense bill that we've ever produced here, but it is a good bill and it will keep the Defense Department functioning. And here's the problem for those of us who work every day of our lives in national defense. We see what's happening. Under a continuing resolution, the Defense Department is getting terribly close, dangerously close, to affecting readiness, training, troops and their families. This is not something we can allow to continue. Put away the politics. Understand the importance of taking care of our soldiers and our sailors and our airmen and our marines and their families. Don't make them go without a paycheck because most of them live from paycheck to paycheck. That's just not right, but that's the way it is. Let's pass this bill, put the politics aside. Let us get the Department of Defense away from a continuing resolution that is having a very, very negative effect on our readiness and on our training. I want to compliment Chairman Rogers for the good job that he has done to get us to this point today. Let's pass this bill, and let's get on with the business of the country, and especially defending our country and defending those who defend our country.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, every year federal law requires community water systems to spend thousands of dollars mailing a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) few people actually read. Last week, thanks to the Mayors' Council of Pinellas County, Florida and several of my constituents, I introduced H.R. 1340, the End Unnecessary Costs Caused by Report Mailing Act, which would end the mailing requirement, saving our local communities money in this tough economic climate. During the last reauthorization of the Safe Drinking Water Act, a provision was included requiring each water system to annually produce a CCR, which contains information on the source and quality of water within a water system. This report is important so that consumers are routinely informed about the safety of their water. Every year approximately 53,000 water systems are required to produce a CCR. However, while the report itself contains important information that should be available, federal law also requires all water systems mail the report to every household. Water systems in my district have received numerous complaints since the requirement was implemented, including that mailing these reports is a waste of money and that it would be more effective to have a simple statement on their bill that their water is certified safe. While the costs of printing and mailing these reports vary depending on the number of customers in the system, in 2009, printing and mailing the CCR cost one water system in my district $30,565 and another $6,785. My legislation would not stop the production of the CCR, it would simply target the costly mailing requirement. Instead of having to mail the report to every customer, water systems that tested safe for the past year could choose to notify their customers of that fact on their monthly bill, while making the full CCR available on their website or by mail upon request. Water systems where the water tested unsafe would still have to mail the CCR to their customers. Mr. Speaker, at a time when local government budgets are already strained, it is unnecessary to require that our local water systems mail the report to every household when advancements in technology have provided alternative formats to distribute this information. H.R. 1340 seeks to remove this burdensome regulation and I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is with a mixture of happiness and sadness that I let my colleagues know of the retirement today of Wallace M. Hopkins, the Director of the Bay Pines VA Health Care System, after 36 years of dedicated and devoted service to our nation's veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs. It has been my pleasure to work with Mr. Hopkins for the past six years since his assignment to Bay Pines, which I have the privilege to represent. While at Bay Pines and throughout his career, Wally Hopkins' work in the field of Healthcare Systems Administration and Management has enhanced the quality of health care for our veterans for nearly four decades. He began his distinguished VA career in September 1975 as an Administrative Resident at the Iowa City VAMC. During the next 35 years, Mr. Hopkins served in increasingly more responsible administrative positions in Washington, Indiana, and Minnesota. He became the Director of the Brockton/West Roxbury VAMC in 1988 and then moved to Waco, Texas serving as Director there until 1996. Before coming to Bay Pines in 2005, he served as the Director of the Amarillo, Texas VA Health Care System. Mr. Speaker, I am most familiar with Mr. Hopkins' leadership and commitment to the care of our veterans while he has served as Director of the Bay Pines Healthcare System, one of the largest and most complex healthcare systems in the Department of Veterans Affairs. The numerous accomplishments and accolades that the staff at Bay Pines has earned during the tenure of Mr. Hopkins are indicative of his commitment to excellence. These awards include the 2008 Robert W. Carey Performance Excellence Award, the 2009 Robert W. Carey Performance Excellence Trophy, and 2010 Robert W. Carey Circle of Excellence Award, the three highest honors a VA hospital can earn. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, Bay Pines was ranked one of the highest of all Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in national performance measures for quality healthcare, access to services, and veteran and employee satisfaction rates. The Bay Pines Nursing Service has been nationally recognized with two 2007 Office of Nursing Service Innovation Awards and in 2009, they won the top award for the ``Let's Get Certified'' campaign by having the highest increase in individual nursing achievements of specialty certifications. Bay Pines received a top award from the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association for implementing measures adhering to the two organizations' highest standards of stroke care and treatment. The Associations' Get with the Guidelines Stroke (GWTG-Stroke) Silver Performance Achievement Award recognized Bay Pines for its comprehensive system of high standard measures and for being the first VA facility to be recognized with the Performance Achievement Award. National Systems Redesign awards were also presented to Bay Pines for streamlining patient flow process in the inpatient and outpatient setting. Bay Pines has undergone much needed growth in its services and facilities under the leadership of Wally Hopkins. These include the expansion of the emergency department with state of the art imaging and diagnostic equipment, a completely renovated and expanded suite of Intensive Care Units, numerous enhancements and expansion efforts in types of cardiology services offered, expanded high-tech equipment for radiology and nuclear medicine including a new PET CT and new Radiation Oncology and Cancer Infusion Center and a fully renovated, completely self sustaining laundry plant that supports three major Veterans Healthcare Administration facilities. His direct interest in serving the clinical needs of veterans is apparent in the number of major and minor construction projects currently taking place throughout the Bay Pines Healthcare System. At Bay Pines, these include the Mental Health Center, Inpatient Ward Renovation Project, Outpatient Surgery Center, Eye Center, Research Center and outside of the main campus the Lee County Clinic and the expansion of services and the nearly doubling the amount of Community Based Outpatients Clinic space throughout the system's ten county catchment area. Wallace Hopkins' commitment to caring for our Nation's veterans comes from the heart. He is a highly decorated veteran himself having served in Vietnam as an Air Force F-4 reconnaissance pilot. He earned a Master of Science degree in Health Care Administration in 1976 from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Prior to his graduate studies, he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Southwest Texas State University in 1968 and he is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Mr. Speaker, as I said at the outset, it is with some degree of sadness that we say goodbye to Wally Hopkins as the Director of the Bay Pines Healthcare System. He has led the staff there to the pinnacle of quality care for the veterans of our community. But I know that the skill and dedication with which he has led will pass down to the next leadership team and will continue to ensure that our veterans receive the highest quality of care which they have earned and which they deserve. And I am happy for Mr. Hopkins and his wife Susan, who has been a true partner in his life-long service to veterans, as he retires from a career in which he has excelled. He is a true patriot as anyone who has heard him speak on Memorial Day can attest. And I am happy that he will remain a part of our community in which he has been active in many important areas since arriving in Pinellas County six years ago. Please join me in saying thank you to Mr. Wallace M. Hopkins for a job and a career well done and wishing him and his wife all the best in their retirement.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to our nation's Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) as we commemorate National AHEC week. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have strongly supported the expansion of the AHEC program, which was created by Congress in 1971 to recruit, train and retain a health professions workforce. Today, there are 56 AHEC programs with more than 235 centers that operate in almost every state and the District of Columbia. The first Florida AHEC program was started in 1985 at NOVA Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Florida now has 5 program offices with 10 area health centers working in all 67 of the state's counties. These centers house 600 full-time healthcare professionals and provide more than 1.2 million hours of care to the people of Florida. They also work with over 2,000 medical, dental, nursing, and other health professions students. The AHEC program addresses the imbalances in our healthcare system and inequities in access to and quality of healthcare. Nearly 8,000 AHEC community based training sites are located in underserved areas, including 3,500 in designated health professions shortage areas, training a workforce committed to serving underserved populations. This is accomplished by forming academic and community partnerships that link the resources of academic health centers with the needs of the communities. AHEC has continually exceeded the Health Resources Services Administration's performance measure targets in terms of the percentage of program participants who are underrepresented minorities and from disadvantaged backgrounds; the proportion of participants that train in medically underserved communities; and the percentage of health professionals entering practice in underserved areas. Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that our colleagues will join us in celebrating the goals and ideals of the AHEC program as well as its immeasurable contributions to the advancement of healthcare in our most underserved communities. Thank you to all the AHEC professionals for a job well done.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Captain Thomas F. McGovern, as he prepares to retire after 25 years of Commissioned Service to the United States Navy and for his extraordinary dedication to duty and service to the United States of America. I have worked with Captain McGovern personally in his role as the Deputy Director of the Navy Appropriations Liaison Office, and I would like to share with you some highlights of this fine officer's career. Captain Thomas F. McGovern received his commission from the United States Naval Academy in May 1986, and was designated a Naval Aviator in March 1988. He has served in operational assignments with Patrol Squadron Forty at Naval Air Station Moffett Field, California, flying the P-3C Orion; Patrol Squadron Thirty-One as an Instructor Pilot; aboard both the USS Constellation and USS Saratoga as a Catapult and Arresting Gear Officer. Captain McGovern also served with distinction as Flag Lieutenant to the Commander, Pacific Fleet Patrol Wings and Anti-Submarine Warfare Force, at Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii, and with Patrol Squadron One as the Senior Pilot and Operations Officer. Ashore, Captain McGovern broadened his experience working in the Operations, Readiness and Mobilization Directorate of the Army Operations Center, Pentagon. During this joint assignment, he was assigned as an Operations Officer for United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. His responsibilities included the logistical and administrative support for US personnel assigned to the United Nations Peacekeeping missions in Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Egypt, Western Sahara, Guatemala and the United Nations Headquarters in New York. He also served with the Office of the Chief of Naval Personnel as the Enlisted Aviation Community Manager and as the Special Assistant for Manpower for the Naval Aviation Enterprise. Captain McGovern served as the Commanding Officer of Patrol Squadron Forty Seven in April 2003. During his tour, the squadron deployed to the FIFTH Fleet Area of Responsibility in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Their outstanding efforts were recognized by being awarded the ``Golden Wrench'' award for maintenance excellence along with the Commander Pacific Fleet Retention Excellence Award. Captain McGovern reported to his current assignment as the Deputy Director for Appropriations Matters in the Office of Assistant Secretary of the Navy Financial Management & Comptroller in March 2007. During his time at Financial Management Budget & Execution, Captain McGovern demonstrated exceptional leadership and foresight, engaging Members of Congress and the Appropriations Committee Staff, providing essential information and resources for the Department of the Navy to maintain its role as the world's dominant sea power. Captain McGovern worked through significant readiness and manpower challenges, providing essential support in shepherding three Navy budgets and multiple war supplemental requests totaling more than $550 billion in Department of the Navy funding. I can assure you that my staff, the sub-committee staff, and my fellow Members have found him to be a pleasure to work with, and he is respected by all for his true professionalism. Mr. Speaker, On behalf of a grateful Nation, I join my colleagues today in saying thank you to Captain Thomas F. McGovern for his extraordinary dedication to duty and service to this country throughout his distinguished career in the United States Navy and we wish him, his wife Katie, and his daughters, Rosemary and Lauren ``Fair Winds and Following Seas'' in his well-deserved retirement.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston for his extraordinary dedication to duty and service to the United States of America. Sergeant Major Preston, the 13th Sergeant Major of the Army, will retire from active military duty in March after 35 distinguished years of service to the United States Army. Sergeant Major of the Army Preston is a native of Mount Savage, Maryland and was born in February 1957. He entered the Army in June of 1975 as a Cavalry Scout, hoping to save enough money for college to become an architect. After serving his first enlistment, he and his family decided to pursue a career in the Army. He has served in every enlisted leadership position including cavalry scout, Platoon Sergeant, First Sergeant, tank commander, and Command Sergeant Major. He was selected as the Command Sergeant Major of the 1st Armored Division and V Corps in Germany. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Command Sergeant Major for Combined Joint Task Force 7 during Operation Iraqi Freedom and was instrumental in executing the invasion into Iraq. Kenneth Preston has been awarded numerous personal awards and decorations during his career. The Legion of Merit Medal (with oak leaf cluster), the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with three oak leaf clusters), the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (with three oak leaf clusters), the Army Achievement Medal (with two oak leaf clusters), the Army Good Conduct Medal (with silver knot and three bronze knots), the National Defense Service Ribbon (with one bronze service star), the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Kosovo Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (with award numeral 4), the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Ribbons (with award numeral four), the NATO Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait), the Joint Meritorious Unit Award (with oak leaf cluster), the Army Meritorious Unit Commendation, and the Department of the Army Staff Badge. Mr. Speaker, It has been a pleasure to work closely with Sergeant Major Preston over the last seven years of his career as he has served in the highest enlisted position attainable in the Army. He has proven himself to be a tremendous wartime leader who demonstrated unselfish devotion to the Nation and the soldiers he leads. He has been a friend and trusted advisor to my colleagues and I on the Appropriations Committee as he worked tirelessly to restore balance to a force stressed by the demands of the war on terrorism. He was instrumental in significantly improving our Soldiers' uniform, equipment--and most importantly--professional Non-Commissioned Officer Education System. The impact of his efforts will benefit the Army for decades to come. His personal leadership contributed to building the most professional Non-Commissioned Officer Corps in the world. As the highest enlisted Soldier, he ensured our Soldiers remained true to the core Army Values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage. His focus on adherence to discipline and high upkeep of Army standards have led to the successful execution of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sergeant Major of the Army Preston and Chief of the Staff of the Army General George Casey Jr. worked together tirelessly to increase support for families by implementing the Army Family Covenant and the Army Community Covenant to expand and improve services and raise awareness about the unique challenges military families face. His observations and advice to the Army leadership have impacted the decisions to implement the most comprehensive transformation of the Army since World War II, building versatile and modular units capable of conducting a full-spectrum of operations. This Non-Commissioned Officer has continued the traditions of the Best Warrior Competition that was introduced in 2002. He ensured that Soldiers from any military occupational specialty, male or female, could compete and win. The motivation, discipline and focus of these competitors, from across the Army, is a direct result of his presence, support and leadership. Sergeant Major of the Army Preston's most important contribution was through his direct involvement with the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Education System. He oversaw the greatest transformation of the Non-Commissioned Officer Education System since its advent. He encouraged distributed learning, allowing Soldiers the capability of taking classes online, affording them more time at home with their families. The Advanced and Senior Leader Courses are now closer in line with what our leaders require in Afghanistan and Iraq. With the introduction of the Structured Self-Development online module system, Soldiers are ensured the best training and education. Kenneth Preston is an American hero who has been selfless in his service to the Nation through war, peace, and personal trial. His performance and accomplishments throughout his long and distinguished career have left a legacy of training, professional education, and care for families that is without equal. When history looks back at the 13th Sergeant Major of the Army, it will be clear that his abilities as a trainer, leader and senior enlisted advisor were a fitting tribute to the professionalism of the best Non-Commissioned Officer Corps in the world. Mr. Speaker, On behalf of a grateful Nation, I join my colleagues today in saying thank you to Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston for his extraordinary dedication to duty and service to this country throughout his distinguished career in the United States Army and we wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, this year we have already done something unusual. We have reduced the defense budget by $14.8 billion already in this bill. To reduce the defense funding to 2008 levels would cut over $50 billion from the DOD--severely impacting both our troops on the ground and jeopardizing national security. Now, if you want to reduce or cancel training for our troops that are coming home from the war, then you would vote for this amendment. If you want to cancel Navy training exercises, then you would vote for it. If you want to reduce Air Force flight training hours, you would vote for this. If you want to delay or cancel maintenance of aircraft, ships and vehicles, then you would vote for this. If you want to delay important safety and quality-of-life repairs to facilities and barracks, then you would vote for this. But I don't support any of that. And I don't think most of our colleagues support any of that. And a time of war is not the time to be withdrawing from our national defense capability, the readiness and security of our Nation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, can I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, in the interest of time, I will simply say we support this program. The former chairman, Mr. Dicks, supports it. The present chairman, Mr. Young, supports it. The committee added additional funding for the program. Florida National Guard had an extremely large return home from the 53rd Combat Brigade Team. We understand the importance of the program. We support what the gentleman is asking and will continue to work with the gentleman.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the former chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks).

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, we're talking about the Patriot missile system, we're talking about the Aegis missile system, and we're talking the Arrow system that we cooperate with Israel for their protection. We're talking about basic defense of our troops in the field who are in harm's way anyway. You just can't do this. Mr. Kucinich is my friend. He is not always right. He is not always wrong, but he is wrong tonight. And this is just not something that we can tolerate. Our military would never stand for this. We're not going to approve this amendment, Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, the Kucinich amendment totally ignores the reality of the real threat against our troops, our allies and our deployed forces. It basically destroys our missile system. And as we know, the enemies and the potential enemies have continued to develop their offensive missiles. We just cannot do this. This is one of those amendments you just can't do. I would like to yield at this time 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner).

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Chairman, we had a long discussion on the EFV program, and this legislation provides for an agreement that we are just about to reach where it is a win-win situation. It is a win for the taxpayer. The taxpayer is not going to have to pay $145 million in termination costs. The same money can be used to complete the program as it stands. The Marine Corps is satisfied with this. I have been discussing this with Secretary Gates for quite a long time now. Too often the military starts a program, a great idea, spends a lot of money in the conceptual design, research and development, only to cancel the program, get nothing for it and lose the money. Here is a case where we win. Three billion dollars has already been spent. We get to take advantage of completing that program with the money that we would pay to terminate the program anyway. SLAMRAAM is basically a similar program, much smaller than the EFV program, but SLAMRAAM is similar. They are just about to complete the development stage and have SLAMRAAM on the shelf in the event they need to go to procurement immediately for an immediate need. So I am opposed to this amendment. It doesn't do good for the taxpayer or the military. I want to compliment Mr. Kind, because we have had several opportunities to work together with his constituents, wounded constituents and their families, and he has been very, very helpful. I want to thank him for having worked on those issues. I am happy to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks), the distinguished ranking member of the Appropriations Committee and the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Chairman, I will conclude this debate. This is probably a very well-intentioned amendment, but it just gets in the way of working out solutions that are a win for the taxpayer and a win for the military. We should take advantage of every opportunity that we have to save the money for the taxpayer and get them something for it. That is what this amendment would prevent from happening. We had a lengthy discussion on the EFV earlier in the debate yesterday, and I am more convinced than ever, as well-intentioned as the amendment might be, it is just not a good idea and it is not in the best interests of the taxpayer or the military. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. I thank the gentleman for yielding. As much as I admire and respect the introducer of this amendment, I really have to oppose this amendment. The beaches are an important and a valued asset to the United States of America. Economically, they are a huge economic factor. For protection of properties on land, it is a huge protection device, beaches against the hurricane, the storm surge. You might get the idea that I represent a district that has a lot of beaches, and I would tell you that this is extremely important to our economy. When the BP oil spill was flowing through the Gulf of Mexico, we worried every day whether that was going to come to our beaches. In my part of the State it did not, thank God. But we were concerned what that might do to destroy a major part of our economy. Mr. Frelinghuysen makes a strong argument, and I thank him for letting me support him in his opposition.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman is correct. The language which is included in the explanatory tables provides $145 million for termination liability, or for continued system development and demonstration if certified by the Secretary.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. For the purpose of entering into a colloquy, I yield to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Akin).

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. I would say to the gentleman, Mr. Chairman, that it is the intent of the committee to provide that flexibility. In fact, it is my hope that the Department exercises this flexibility to finish SDD activities and get something usable for the $3 billion investment that we have already made. Here is a unique opportunity for a win-win situation. The Marines want to cancel the program, and they would normally pay a $145 million termination fee. Here is an opportunity, and we believe the contractor is agreeable, to forego the payment of the $145 million to them, but use that money to continue the program so that we at least get something for the $3 billion that we have already appropriated. If I might expand on the colloquy, one of the problems that we have in our defense budgeting is that we too often start a program, spend a lot of money on it, and then decide to terminate it and get little or nothing for what we already did. So I believe it is important for the Department to have this flexibility as they negotiate the remaining activities for the fiscal year. It is my hope the Department would be able to reach an agreement which would provide for an orderly conclusion of the fiscal year 2011 SDD activities and ensure the Marine Corps is able to harvest the advances in technology and beneficial equipment from the program, should the program not be continued.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. The gentleman knows that he and I are on the same page on this issue. We want to get something for the money we've already spent, and we think this is a way out.