Washington, Dec 21, 2005 -

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Congressman John Carter (TX-31), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, voted in favor of the Fiscal Year 2006 Department of Defense Appropriations bill. Included in the bill is funding for projects that Congressman Carter was instrumental in securing. The Defense Appropriations Act also provides a 3.1 percent military pay raise, $29 billion in aid for Gulf Coast hurricane victims and Texas communities who assisted them, $3.8 billion for Avian Flu planning, and exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Finally, this legislation restrains federal spending through a one percent across the board cut.

“Each day our service men and women put their lives on the line so we might continue to enjoy living in freedom; and I thank them for their service. The Defense Appropriations bill provides a much-deserved pay increase for our outstanding troops, as well as the appropriate safety equipment they need while in the field,” Congressman Carter said. 

“This bill also includes funding to assist victims of the Gulf Coast as they seek to restore their lives and communities following this season’s detrimental hurricanes. Texans have displayed true character through the outpouring of support shown to those displaced by the hurricanes over the past months.  This bill will serve as additional support as the Gulf Coast is rebuilt,” Congressman Carter continued. “I am pleased that we are taking steps to lessen the dependence on foreign oil by allowing for exploration in ANWR.”  

The bill includes the following projects that Congressman Carter worked to secure:

·        $1 million to Fort Hood, the University of Texas, and Texas A&M for digitization support. This funding is a continuing appropriation for a successful joint program with Texas A&M and the University of Texas in support of the Army’s digitization program, a component to Army Transformation. 

·        $11.9 million for permits, identification, and development of new vehicle technologies for the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) A2. This funding will, in part, benefit hundreds of Stewart & Stevenson employees who perform work near Fort Hood to quickly repair military vehicles. The FMTV A2 will be the most advanced tactical truck in the world incorporating a variety of features including an armored cab, driver vision enhancements, and smart load handling capabilities. A total of $452.4 million was included in the bill for Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) procurement.

·        $8 million for the Army Legacy Logistic Systems Modernization (SAMS-E). This funding will go toward the procurement and continued modernization of SAMS-E, which updates the existing DOS-based Army inventory tracking system into a more efficient and user friendly Windows environment.

·        $2.2 million to the Marine Corps Coop. for enhancements to our military’s information technology backup systems. This funding will continue to provide the resources needed to maintain a remote site to mirror Information Technology (IT) operations and backup all Marine Corps’ IT operating systems.

·        $1.7 million for advanced light weight metals technology for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). This funding may increase productivity at Alcoa’s Rockdale facility, since the Texas facility produces primary aluminum that could be used for the LCS program.

·        $1.2 million to Texas A&M University for Phase II of Bioaerosol Sampling research. The research funds will allow Texas A&M to continue the development of advanced technology that will detect and protect against biological agents.  The technology targeted for force protection would be specifically applicable to military bases, airbases and port facilities. 

The bill passed the House by a vote of 308-106.