Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 5428 - Military Construction Appropriations Bill, FY 1993

(House Floor)
(Sponsors: Whitten (D), Mississippi; Hefner (D), North Carolina)

This Statement of Administration Policy expresses the Administration's views on H.R. 5428, the FY 1993 Military Construction Appropriations Bill, as reported by the Committee.

The Administration objects to the Committee's reductions in funding for high priority overseas projects. The bill would:

• provide $100 million less than the $221 million requested for the NATO Infrastructure program, requiring the United States to abandon certain NATO agreements;
  
  
• delete $4.9 million requested for Phase VIII Fuel Facilities at Keflavik, Iceland, eliminating the final phase of the project, which is cost-shared with NATO, to integrate facilities completed in prior years;
  
  
• delete $33 million requested for a Replacement Power Plant at Roi Namur Island, Kwajalein, requiring reliance on the current, inadequate plant, thus creating an environmental hazard; and
  
  
• delete $19 million requested for the Forward Operating Base program, which is jointly funded with Canada, breaking our commitment to the Canadians.

The Administration is concerned that the Committee's $150 million reduction to the $2,184 million requested for base realignment and closure would likely delay cleanup of the bases. Deletion of $30 million requested for Air Force storage tank and hydrant fuel distribution system projects could result in noncompliance with environmental laws.

The Administration objects to the Committee's addition of $51.4 million for an unrequested replacement hospital at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Denver, Colorado — a community with an estimated excess health care capacity of 40 percent. The hospital could cost up to $400 million to complete.

The Administration objects to the $259 million added for 111 projects for Reserve component construction. Many of these have either not been designed or are insufficiently designed for award in FY 1993.

H.R. 5428 also contains objectionable language provisions:

• Section 124 certifies that improvements to the access road at Camp McCain, Mississippi, are important to the national defense. Section 210 of Title 23, United States Code, provides that such certification is to be made by the Secretary of Defense or such other official as the President may designate.
  
  
• Section 113 would require notification of Congressional committees prior to conducting military exercises involving construction costs anticipated to exceed $100,000. Section 117 would require a report to Congressional committees on details of efforts to encourage NATO nations and Japan to assume a greater share of the common defense burden. These sections raise concerns regarding the President's constitutional powers as Commander-in-Chief and in the conduct of foreign affairs and protection of national security information.

On the basis of OMB's initial scoring of the bill, the Committee recommendations are within the House 602(b) allocations for military construction activities. In aggregate, the House 602(b) allocations are consistent with the statutory spending limits mandated by the Budget Enforcement Act.

Attached is a table that reflects preliminary OMB scoring of the Committee bill.

The attached data table can be downloaded in PDF format by clicking this link