Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 110 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 110 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 153 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2007 No. 193—Book III House of Representatives DIVISION I—MILITARY CONSTRUCTION sion of this explanatory statement. The Ap- the Force’’ initiative with the equally AND VETERANS AFFAIRS AND RE- propriations Committees remind the Depart- daunting construction programs associated LATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ment that the ‘‘Grow the Force’’ projects for with the Department’s global rebasing plan ACT, 2008 which the President requested lump sum and the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Following is an explanation of the effect of funding are part of the regular military con- program, particularly within the short time- this division of the House amendment to the struction program and are therefore subject frame allotted for the completion of each of Senate amendment to H.R. 2764 (hereafter re- to the same notification and reprogramming these initiatives. The Secretary of Defense ferred to as ‘‘the amended bill’’) relative to requirements that apply to all military con- shall submit a separate report to the Com- the versions of the Military Construction struction appropriations. mittees on Appropriations of both Houses of and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Construction Inflation.—The Appropriations Congress by January 31, 2008, identifying the Appropriations Act, 2008 (H.R. 2642) as passed Committees are concerned by the continuing installations at which there is any overlap of impact of high inflation rates for construc- by the House of Representatives and the Sen- military construction and/or family housing tion material prices and labor costs. These ate. References to amounts or language pro- construction among any or all of the three high rates have made it increasingly dif- posed by the House of Representatives or the initiatives. In addition to a detailed list of ficult for the services and Defense agencies Senate refer to amounts and language in the the projects by installation, the report to execute their military construction and House or Senate passed versions of H.R. 2642 should include the projected timeline for family housing construction programs in a completing each of the identified projects or in the accompanying committee reports timely manner without scope reductions, and the projected timeline for the movement (House Report 110–186 and Senate Report 110– project cancellations, and reprogramming of military personnel associated with the 85). requests. Given the enormous volume of con- initiatives into the affected installations. Matters Addressed by Only One Committee.— struction to be completed over the next five Government Accountability Office (GAO) Re- The language and allocations set forth in years due to BRAC, global rebasing, end- view of Global Defense Posture Report.—The House Report 110–186 and Senate Report 110– strength increases for the Army and Marine Appropriations Committees agree that the 85 should be complied with unless specifi- Corps, and numerous smaller initiatives, re- GAO review of the status of the Defense De- cally addressed to the contrary in the alistic budgeting for construction inflation partment’s Global Defense Posture should be amended bill and this explanatory state- is necessary if the quality of life and quality submitted to the Committees on Appropria- ment. Report language included by the of service for military personnel and their tions of both Houses of Congress no later House, which is not changed by the report of families are to be maintained at a high level. than April 15, 2008. the Senate or this explanatory statement, The Appropriations Committees are dis- Failure to Comply With Report Deadlines.— and Senate report language, which is not mayed by the failure of the Office of Manage- The Appropriations Committees note the De- changed by this explanatory statement is ap- ment and Budget and the Department of De- partment of Defense’s failure to comply with proved by the Appropriations Committees of fense to incorporate realistic inflation esti- deadlines for several reports directed by the both Houses of Congress. This explanatory mates in the budget submissions, even Committees on Appropriations of both statement, while repeating some report lan- though the consequences of this failure are Houses of Congress. These deadlines have guage for emphasis, does not intend to ne- predictable. The Appropriations Committees passed without the reports being delivered, gate the language referred to above unless support and encourage current efforts to or even notice from the Department as to expressly provided herein. In cases where the more accurately account for regional vari- why it has been unable to meet the dead- House or the Senate have directed the sub- ations in construction inflation; however, lines. Some of these reports are merely col- mission of a report, such report is to be sub- the Committees also believe that such ef- lections of data that are readily available. mitted to both Houses of Congress. forts will be of limited value if the overall The Appropriations Committees find this TITLE I inflation figure used by the Administration delay unacceptable. These reports are di- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE to build the military construction program rected to ensure proper congressional over- is unrealistically low. The Department of sight and to inform congressional decisions ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST Defense is directed to report to the Commit- on the Department’s budget requests. The ‘‘Grow the Force’’.—The Appropriations tees on Appropriations of both Houses of Department of Defense is directed to submit Committees note that the President, in the Congress on the baseline construction infla- all reports required by House Report 110–186 fiscal year 2008 budget submission to Con- tion rate incorporated in the fiscal year 2009 and Senate Report 110–85 that are currently gress, did not identify individual projects as- military construction and family housing overdue, or an explanation of why these re- sociated with the Administration’s budget request, as well as a justification for ports have not been delivered along with the $2,820,898,000 ‘‘Grow the Force’’ initiative, in- that rate, no later than seven days following expected date of delivery, no later than stead requesting lump sum funding for the the submission of that request to Congress. seven days after the enactment of this Act. initiative. Detailed information on indi- Integrated Construction Plans for the ‘‘Grow The Department and the services are also di- vidual projects was not provided by the the Force,’’ Global Basing, and Base Realign- rected to meet future reporting deadlines. If Army and Marine Corps until weeks after ment and Closure Initiatives.—The Appropria- future deadlines are not met, the Depart- the budget submission. The amended bill tions Committees remain concerned about ment or service shall submit an explanation provides full funding for this initiative, by the ability of the Department of Defense to for the failure to deliver and the expected project, and identifies the ‘‘Grow the Force’’ effectively coordinate and integrate the sig- date of delivery no later than seven days projects in the table at the end of this divi- nificant construction demands of the ‘‘Grow after the deadline. b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H16381 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 10:24 Dec 18, 2007 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A17DE7.274 H17DEPT3 mmaher on PROD1PC76 with HOUSE H16382 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE December 17, 2007 Incrementally Funded Projects.—The Appro- Public Law/Location Project title Amended Bill vided for planning and design in this ac- priations Committees note that the Adminis- count, the Appropriations Committees direct tration requested several large military con- PL 110–5 (FY 2007): that $1,200,000 be made available for the de- TX: Fort Hood ....................... Combined Arms Collective ¥8,690,000 struction projects that can be incrementally Training Facility. sign of this facility. funded, but were instead submitted as large Fitness Center, Naval Station Newport, Rhode single-year requests, in accordance with a di- Total ........................... ............................................. ¥8,690,000 Island.—Of the funds provided for planning rective from the Office of Management and and design in this account, the Appropria- Budget to the Department of Defense to se- Aviation Maintenance Hangar, Phase I, Fort tions Committees direct that $900,000 be verely restrict the use of incremental fund- Rucker, Alabama.—Of the funds provided for made available for the design of this facility. planning and design in this account, the Ap- ing for military construction. The Commit- MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, AIR FORCE propriations Committees direct that tees on Appropriations of both Houses of (INCLUDING RESCISSIONS OF FUNDS) Congress have previously notified the Ad- $1,513,000 be made available for the design of this facility. The amended bill appropriates $1,159,747,000 ministration that they reserve the preroga- for Military Construction, Air Force, instead tive to provide incremental funding where Chapel Center, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.—Of the funds provided for planning and design in of $927,428,000 as proposed by the House and appropriate, in accordance with authorizing $1,048,518,000 as proposed by the Senate. legislation. The Appropriations Committees this account, the Appropriations Committees direct that $450,000 be made available for the Within this amount, the amended bill pro- continue to believe that military construc- vides $43,721,000 for study, planning, design, tion projects should be fully funded or sepa- design of this facility. Component Rebuild Shop, Anniston Depot, architect and engineer services instead of rated into stand-alone phases when prac- Alabama.—Of the funds provided for planning $51,587,000 as proposed by the House and tical.