Wednesday, October 16, 2002
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Wednesday, October 16, 2002 |
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House supports use of force on Iraq By MAC COLLINS Authorization to use military force against Iraq Last week, the House of Representatives passed by a vote of 296-133, H. J Res. 114 which authorizes President George W. Bush to use force against Iraq to bring that country into compliance with U.N. Security Council resolutions and to protect the national security of the United States. While neither President Bush nor the U.S. Congress want to go to war with Iraq, in the absence of a peaceful resolution the passage of this measure reinforces the President's authority to deal with this dictator and terrorist in Baghdad. Additionally, it demonstrates to Saddam Hussein and the world community the resolve of the American people to take the necessary action to protect our freedom, safety, and security. I still have hopes there can be a diplomatic solution to the gathering threat of Saddam Hussein's quest for weapons of mass destruction. However, if the use of force becomes necessary, this President and this Administration will have the support of the U.S. Congress. Ultimately, since more than 30 nations have pledged their support, in varying degrees, to assist the United States in achieving this goal, I believe the U.N Security Council will also agree to a resolution with tougher consequences for Saddam's failure to comply. Department of Defense Appropriations Act Thursday, the House passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Conference Report for Fiscal Year 2003 (H.R. 5010). The Defense Appropriations Bill will provide funding for our dedicated men and women in uniform, their training, and the procurement of the most advanced equipment for the DoD to use in our nation's war on terrorism, to ensure continued mission success, while improving the quality of life of our soldiers and their families. The conference report provides critical funding to support our men and women at Fort Benning - home of the infantry. Included in the bill is a request I made to the chairman of the committee following several visits to Ft. Benning to include additional operations and maintenance (O&M) support for the Airborne barracks. These barracks were originally constructed in the 1950s, and have yet to see any significant renovations. The conditions in these barracks are deplorable and the inclusion of $2 million dollars in O&M funding will provide critical funding for improvements to these existing facilities. This is a wise investment of our taxpayer dollars to be sure our soldiers have adequate housing while they train to protect our nation. The Defense Appropriations bill will be signed into law by the President in the coming days. Army Aviation Heritage Foundation Last week, I sponsored and Congress passed House Concurrent Resolution 465, honoring the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation. Based in Hampton, the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation is devoted to promoting the history of military aviation. The foundation is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization of veterans and civilian supporters acting to connect the American soldier to the American public through the story of Army Aviation. They are not a part of the U.S. Army and receive no governmental funding assistance. AAHF funding comes entirely from donations made by private individuals and organizations. These volunteers are committed to preserving the aircraft used by our military in securing the freedom we so enjoy as a nation. Army Aviation Heritage Foundation volunteers devote a significant amount of their personal time, resources, and money to bring the story of our country's military and the legacy of our veterans to the American people through their "living history" programs, displaying and flying World War II, Korean, and Vietnam-era planes and helicopters. These "living history" programs, presented at major public venues and air shows, are designed to honor our country's military and its veterans while inspiring the public and providing a glimpse of military life, service, and devotion to the next generation. Since 1997, the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation has devoted more than 150,000 volunteer hours and $5.3 million in donated funds, aircraft, and equipment at 35 air shows and public presentations to more than 5.5 million people. Military tax relief On Wednesday, the House of Representatives, with my strong support, unanimously passed the Armed Forces Tax Fairness Act (H.R. 5557), a bill which would provide tax breaks to reservists and active duty military personnel. This is important legislation in support of the military as we prepare for a possible war with Iraq. H.R. 5557 would give members of the military more flexibility to claim a tax exclusion for capital gains from home sales. Currently, taxpayers are allowed to exempt capital gains from taxes for a home sale of up to $250,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a couple. To qualify, homeowners must have owned the home for at least five years and occupied it for 24 months of that time. H.R. 5557 would let members of the military take more than five years to get to that 24-month mark, by allowing them to suspend the five-year clock every time they are deployed on extended duty at least 150 miles from home. This provision would be retroactive to May 6, 1997. Congress affirms support for Full Concurrent Receipt The last vote of the week was a motion to instruct the House and Senate members of the Defense Authorization Conference Committee to support language in the final Defense Authorization Bill to include full funding for Concurrent Receipt. This passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 391-0. Although the Conference Committee is not bound to accept the support for this particular provision, the vote sends a solid signal to those conferees that this issue must be addressed. As many of you know, I have consistently supported legislation to allow military retired pay and veterans disability compensation to be received concurrently. In fact, the House Budget Resolution authorizes establishing the budgetary framework over the next five years to provide concurrent receipt to veterans with a disability rating of 60 percent or greater. This responsible budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2003 would support a 250 percent increase in the current "special compensations" payments for severely disabled. Unfortunately, the Senate Budget Committee failed to properly address the matter of concurrent receipt.
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