July 6, 1998

Mr. President, I rise to commend the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee for their fine work on the Strom Thurmond Defense Authorization Bill which passed the Senate by a vote of 88-4 on June 25th of this year. The nearly unanimous support by this body for this $270 billion authorization bill is a real tribute to their diligence and foresight.

This bill will deservedly bear the name of my good friend Chairman Thurmond in recognition of his life-long commitment to the defense of this nation. Some may think that the Chairman s devotion to national defense began with his assignment to the Armed Services Committee some forty years ago, but they would be mistaken. In fact, Senator Thurmond joined the Army reserves in 1924. Shortly after the United States declared war against Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany in 1941, at the age of 39, Senator Thurmond resigned his judgeship and joined the Army. As a member of the elite 82nd Airborne Unit, he worked behind enemy lines in advance of the D-Day invasion force which landed 54 years ago this month. He won a Legion of Merit and rose to the rank of Major General in the Army Reserve. So Senator Thurmond has not only played a major role in developing national defense policy, but he has literally stood at the vanguard in the defense of this nation.

The bill bears the imprint of his strong commitment to the national defense. In addition to procuring world-class weapons systems and preserving troop readiness, the bill includes a 3.6% pay increase for our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. The men and women who serve on the front lines deserve that increase for their determination and commitment in defending this nation.

For the retirees who served in the Armed Forces for most of their lives, this bill includes three health care demonstration projects. The goal is to provide the best possible health care to the protectors of this nation by eliminating the weaknesses of the present system.

The bill provides $2.7 billion for the second New Attack Submarine which will be built by Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding. These two shipyards, the finest in the nation, will continue to build the world s most capable submarines.

I am concerned, however, by reports that the Navy's strength may drop below 300 ships and the attack submarine force below 50 submarines. Recent events in the Persian Gulf and on the Indian subcontinent should serve as reminders that we face an uncertain future. We must not allow ourselves to be lulled into a false sense of security that would have us cut the number of submarines to less than half of Cold War levels. After all, a couple of submarines can cut off the world's supply of oil from the Persian Gulf. We have worked too hard during two world wars and the Cold War to let our guard down now, and I believe we must remain vigilant.

The Senate Armed Services Committee deserves praise for adding eight UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters to the President's request for a total of 34 Blackhawk-type helicopters. Four of these versatile aircraft will be delivered to the Navy, twelve will be delivered to the Army, and eighteen will go to the National Guard. Most of the Blackhawks will replace Vietnam-era Huey helicopters that cannot meet everyday commitments. I hope that we will see a larger request from the President next year in recognition of the needs of all three services.

Finally, this bill fully funds other vitally important defense programs, including the Comanche helicopter, the C-17 cargo aircraft, the F-22 fighter and the JSTARS aircraft. These systems will be elements in this nation's arsenal for decades to come. The Committee's careful consideration of these programs led them to decisions that I whole-heartedly support.

As a whole, the bill is good for this nation's defense and it is vitally important in the less-predictable world of today. I am proud to stand with my colleagues on the Committee and the vast majority of the Senate in supporting this bill.