Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 4650 - Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, FY 1995

(Senate Floor)
(Sponsors: Byrd (D), West Virginia; Inouye (D), Hawaii)

This Statement of Administration Policy provides the Administration's views on the Department of Defense Appropriations bill, FY 1995, as reported by the Senate Appropriating Committee. The Administration supports the Committee bill and will work with the Senate to address our concerns, the most critical of which are discussed below.

The Administration appreciates the Committee's expeditious response to the request for supplemental appropriations for humanitarian relief operations in and around Rwanda. Further, the Administration is grateful for the support the Committee has provided for the President's requests, particularly the funding for the President's investment initiatives — the Technology Reinvestment project and the Office of Economic Adjustment. The Committee bill provides funds for many other key national security programs as requested, including: (1) readiness; (2) Cooperative Threat Reduction (Nunn-Lugar); (3) the C-17 airlifter; (4) the CVN-76 and other shipbuilding programs; (5) the B-2 Bomber, F/A-18 E/F, F-22, V-22 and E-8B Joint STARS aircraft, and RAH-66 Comanche helicopter; and (6) defense reinvestment.

Reductions to the President's Request

The Committee bill, however, would provide funding levels for some programs and activities that are inconsistent with the President's request. In several instances, the bill would reduce funding below the requested level. For example, the bill would:

• Appropriate none of the $300 million requested for payments to the United Nations for peacekeeping activities;
  
  
• Provide $170 million of t:he $270 million requested for FY 1994 supplemental appropriations for humanitarian relief operations in and around Rwanda. The Administration welcomes the Committee's action in providing these funds; we continue to be concerned about the potential implications of these operations for resources dedicated to overall defense readiness. We would, therefore, prefer that the Senate appropriate the full amount and designate it as emergency requirements as requested and as defined by the Budget Enforcement Act; and
  
  
• Cut funding for other high priority programs, including the trident D-5 missile MK-6 guidance system, the F/A-18 C/D aircraft, environmental restoration, ADP programs, and supply purchases.

Further, the Administration would oppose amendments that seek to reduce further requested appropriations for intelligence and intelligence-related activities.

Unrequested Programs

At the same time it has made reductions to the President's request, the Committee has provided unrequested funding for many programs and activities. The Committee bill would:

• Appropriate over $2 billion for unrequested acquisition programs, including: (l) National Guard and Reserve equipment; (2) the bomber industrial base; (3) AH-64 helicopters;, (4) the LHD-1 amphibious ship; (S) national defense features on sealift ships; (6) foreign materials acquisition and exploitation; (7) airframes for future E-8B Joint STARS aircraft procurement; (8) SR-71 reactivation; and (9) M-l tank upgrades.
  
  
• Provide over $150 million for unrequested medical research and development programs more appropriately funded in domestic agencies.

The Administration urges the Senate to redirect funding from unrequested programs to programs of higher priority, consistent with the President's request.

Restrictive Language

Title IX of the Committee bill would attempt to prohibit operations in and around Rwanda after October 7, 1994. While the Administration has no plans to expand the role of U.S. forces in and around Rwanda beyond the provision of humanitarian assistance, we strongly oppose the Committee's attempt to limit the President's authority to deploy U.S. forces in that area.

Section 8103 would prohibit the United States from reimbursing countries that are parties to the INF and START treaties for costs incurred in support of inspections conducted by the United states. This prohibition would seriously, impede implementation of these two treaties.

Section 8096 would restrict implementation of the Technology Reinvestment project (TRP) by requiring the military services to approve TUP projects and focus areas. The Administration strongly opposes these unnecessary restrictions to a key dual- use, defense reinvestment program.

Funding Entitlement Programs With Discretionary Funds

The Administration strongly opposes funding entitlement programs (military retirement cost-of-living adjustments) with discretionary funds. This would undermine the principle that new mandatory spending should be offset by reductions in existing mandatory spending and would establish a precedent for future funding of entitlement programs.