21824 Hon. Ellen O. Tauscher

21824 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS October 6, 2000 and dedication to his community are evident in The first picture is of the Former Republic forming everything from how we commu- the dynamic growth and development the city of Yugoslavia. It is a picture of an entire nicate, to how we learn, to how we under- of Laredo has recently experienced. I want to people standing up and speaking out, of stand our universe. As Secretary [of Defense workers putting down their tools and walk- William] Cohen has said, information can in- send sincere thanks and best wishes to him, ing out of their factories, of truckers and deed be the great equalizer, placing enor- his wife Josie and the entire family for excep- taxi drivers blockading roads, and of tens of mous power in the hands of the common cit- tional service. thousands of average citizens taking to the izen or consumer. At the same time, infor- f streets to demand that their votes be count- mation can also be the great destabilizer, ed and that the dictator who brought such placing enormous and deadly power in the SPEECH OF DEPUTY SECRETARY misery and death to an entire region be hands of those who wish us harm. And so we OF DEFENSE, RUDY DE LEON ousted. And as this drama unfolds, the world now also face the prospect of hackers launch- hopes that a long, bloody chapter in the his- ing daily assaults on our defense systems HON. ELLEN O. TAUSCHER tory of Europe might perhaps be coming to and our critical infrastructure. an end. At the same time, there has been a revolu- OF CALIFORNIA The second picture is from a world away on tion in demographics. Those born between IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES the Korean Peninsula. It is a picture of the 1965 and 1979—the so-called ‘‘Generation X’’— Thursday, October 5, 2000 leaders of North and South meeting for the comprise one of the smallest groups of 18–22 first time and of a historic ceremony to cut year olds, and, therefore, the smallest pool of Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I wish to through the DMZ—the world’s most fortified potential recruits, since we started the All submit into the record a speech by Deputy border—with a reopened railway and a his- Volunteer Force in the 1970s. While the next Secretary of Defense Rudy de Leon. This toric highway along which trade will travel. wave—so-called ‘‘Generation Y’’—is consid- speech takes a look at the state of America’s It is a picture of families reuniting in tearful erably larger, it won’t start having a major military, its accomplishments over the last dec- embraces after a half-century of separation impact on recruiting until at least 2003. ade, its challenges in recruiting and retaining and of North and South Korean athletes And then there is the revolution in our do- marching into the Olympic stadium in Syd- mestic financial affairs. We have balanced the best people, and the realities we face in ney under a common flag for the first time. building the next generation of our fighting the budget and have eliminated deficits as a And as this drama unfolds, the world hopes drain on our national security. Contrary to force. that a long, sad chapter of division in Asia conventional wisdom, the decline in military Perhaps most importantly, Secretary de might perhaps be coming to an end. spending did not start with the end of the Leon does a superb job of illustrating the suc- As different as these two pictures are, as Cold War. Rather, it started several years be- cess that can come from Congress and the distinct as the histories that have propelled fore with efforts to reduce the deficit—spe- Administration working together. In the areas these two nations to this epic moment, they cifically the Gramm-Rudman Deficit Reduc- of defense and foreign policy, we must never share a common thread. Both would have tion Act—in the late 1980s. been impossible without the presence, the divert from our traditional approach: that poli- Ten years ago when I was staff director of persistence, and the determination of the the House Armed Service Committee, and tics must stop at the water’s edge. United States Armed Forces and our allies. Mr. Speaker, I hope that we will never devi- eight years ago when I entered the Pentagon, Both remind us of the powerful forces of free- the overwhelming reality was the enormous ate from that wisdom. Over the last eight dom that can be unleashed by the stabilizing budget deficit that hung over our heads. Few years, the President and the Congress have presence of the American military around dared even think about real growth in spend- come together in the area of defense policy, the world. ing or investment. So there’s no more fitting time than now and the results have been stupendous. I know Today, we have achieved a sea-change in to consider how we reached this moment and our financial affairs. Because of hard eco- from my own experiences on the Armed Serv- to consider the great questions that will con- nomic decisions and deficit reduction, and ices Committee how valuable a bipartisan ap- tinue to face our nation in the future. What because of the roaring economy, these deci- proach is, and I thank Secretary de Leon for should our role be in the 21st Century? Is sions helped to unleash, those record deficits articulating the concepts so well. America’s military ready? And how can we have now turned into record surpluses. ensure that our forces can meet the imme- REMARKS BY DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE That surplus has now allowed us to do diate crises of today while at the same time, RUDY DE LEON, DEFENSE ORIENTATION CON- something many through unlikely, if not im- modernizing to meet the emerging threats of FERENCE ASSOCIATION possible, even only a few years ago. With the tomorrow? OCTOBER 4, 2000 These are valid and profound questions for President and Secretary of Defense working Donald Bickle [DOCA President], John our nation. They demand thoughtful and with the Congress, we are now making new Olsen [DOCA Vice President], thank you honest answers. When it comes to America’s investments in our military men and women both for the opportunity to join you today, Armed Forces, we need a candid and com- totaling some $180 billion in just the last two for your leadership of this outstanding orga- prehensive portrait of the state of our mili- years—the largest sustained increase in de- nization and for your service to this nation. tary. And that is what I want to discuss with fense spending in fifteen years. John was in the Air Force and Donald was in you this afternoon. Consider the second measure by which to the Navy during both the Second World War Military readiness is a function of many measure readiness—the quality and quantity and Korea. We are grateful to you both. factors, including the overall level of defense of those we recruit and retain. The dynamic Members of the Board, members of DOCA spending; the quality and quantity of those economy is pulling away many potential re- and spouses, ladies and gentlemen. we recruit and retain; the capabilities of cruits and many of our highly skilled people. First, allow me to begin with two simple their equipment; and, finally, their ability to So we faced the twin challenges of too many words to every one of you. Thank you. Most fulfill the missions we ask of them. To un- people leaving the force and too few people of you will recall a time not so long ago derstand each of these is to understand the entering the force. when virtually every American had a family state of America’s military at the dawn of That’s why a significant part of that $180 member or a friend in uniform and when the 21st Century. billion increase in defense spending is going what Tom Brokaw calls the Greatest Genera- First, there is the spending this nation de- toward dramatic improvements in quality of tion shared the lessons of their lives with the votes to our men and women in uniform. I life. With respect to pay, all our men and generations that followed. think if we look over our shoulders at the women have now received the largest pay Today, in an era when the military is past decade, we see that there have been sev- raise since the early 1980s. Others with spe- smaller and less visible in our society, you— eral great revolutions that have had a tre- cial skills and many in their mid-careers the members of that Greatest Generation— mendous impact on our country and the have received additional raises and bonuses have been a bridge like no other. As in- world at large. on top of that, some as much as 5 percent formed observers with experience and in- There is the revolution in global affairs, more. sights into the military, and as respected most notably the collapse of the Soviet With respect to benefits, we have made and powerful voices within your commu- Union. With all the benefits of the Cold dramatic changes. We have fixed and im- nities, you have been in a unique position to War’s end came the burdens of being the proved military retirement, restoring bene- help the nation understand the sacrifices and world’s sole superpower. As General [Hugh] fits so our people can once again retire with needs of our sons and daughters in uniform.

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