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On May 30th, Americans around the country and deployed overseas will pause to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. Memorial Day was first enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the Civil War and was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have fallen in all wars. Since 1776, these patriots have selflessly served to uphold freedom and democracy for their fellow citizens, and that tradition continues today.
Our community is home to over 60,000 veterans and thousands of active duty servicemembers. We owe a great debt of gratitude to these individuals. Our nation has made a promise to those who have served in uniform to provide them with the best possible care when they return home from duty. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a past member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, I am committed to helping our nation fulfill that promise and have taken several steps to that effect on both the local and the national level.
On March 24th, I joined the House in passing H.R. 1627, the Honoring American Veterans Act of 2011. This sets the framework for monuments to be placed in Arlington National Cemetery. It also enforces the burial reservation policy at the Cemetery. Enforcement of the burial reservation process ensures any qualified veteran, regardless of rank, has the opportunity to apply for burial at Arlington National Cemetery. This legislation also expresses the House’s support for the placement of a monument honoring Jewish War Chaplains on Chaplain’s Hill in Arlington National Cemetery.
Furthermore, this bill honors the service, dedication, and sacrifice of all who are presently serving, and those who have served, in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. More than 5,500 service members have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom since 2001.
While we recognize the importance of our nation’s veterans and the fallen, we must also be grateful for the daily sacrifices made by our nation’s active duty soldiers. During my trips to Iraq and Afghanistan, I am continually amazed by the heightened spirit of our troops and the strength of their resolve. Though their morale is high, their thoughts are always with their families at home.
A high price has been paid by veterans of our nation’s armed forces throughout our history. Although there is no way that we can ever fully repay this debt, I encourage everyone to recognize on Memorial Day our nation’s armed forces, and their families for all they have done in service to our great nation.
Air Force Would Have to Provide a Cost-Benefit Analysis to be Evaluated by Congress
Congressman Mike Turner announced today that he will be offering an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which would halt funding for the consolidation of the Enterprise Logistics System Program pending a report to Congress. The report would be a cost-benefit analysis of the consolidation performed by the Air Force, which then must be approved by the House Armed Services Committee.
“Prior to the consolidation of this program, Congress must have a full understanding about the costs associated with this move. In a time of strained budgets, we must be sure that this move is of benefit to both the taxpayers and our warfighters,” said Turner.
Turner’s amendment follows the release of a widely distributed email by Brigadier General Kenneth Moran which indicated that the Air Force will consolidate the Enterprise Logistics portfolio, which is managed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, with the Enterprise Information Systems portfolio, which is managed at Gunter Annex, Alabama. General Moran heads the Enterprise Logistics System Directorate at Wright-Patterson.
“In the past attempts have been made to consolidate this program. Each time we’ve heard of ‘justifications,’ but we’ve yet to see exactly what those are. This study ensures those justifications are explained, studied, and then examined by Congress,” added Turner.
By Congressman Michael Turner
The United States is a world leader and not just in the areas of research, democracy, or military supremacy; we’re also one of the top 12 countries in the world when it comes to government debt. Since paying off our debt in the 1800’s for the only time in our history, we’ve amassed a bill of $14.2 trillion and counting. The problem is a majority of that debt wasn’t amassed over the last 200 years. Nearly a third of that debt was accumulated in the past three years and can be directly attributed to deficit spending and the unsustainable growth of our entitlement programs. As a member of the House of Representatives I have voted against nearly $2 trillion of this added deficit spending over the past four years.
In February, the government reported the largest single month deficit in our history – $223 billion. To put that number in perspective, the deficit for the entire 2007 Fiscal Year was $161 billion. This marks the 29th straight month our government has spent more money than it’s taken in. With the deficit growing from out of control spending our nation must confront this issue head on. Families do not have the luxury of printing money or continually increasing their credit card limits. They must make budgets and stick to them.
Right now nearly 9 percent of Ohioans and in some areas of the Third Congressional District over 13 percent of our neighbors are unemployed. This looming debt makes it more difficult to grow our economy and to create the jobs we need to get people back to work. According to a study conducted by economists Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff, countries whose debt as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) exceeds 90 percent, grow their economies slower than less debt ridden nations. Our percentage of debt to GDP is approaching 94 percent. This debt is holding us back against our competitors around the world.
In Washington D.C., Members of Congress have been debating how to fund the government for the 2012 Fiscal Year set to begin October 1st. There has been a great deal of talk surrounding cuts and efficiencies as we lead up to an agreement. I joined the House this past month in voting for over $39 billion in cuts to take effect immediately. This cut is but a small portion of the budget and only minimally trims our deficit for 2011, which is predicted to exceed $1.2 trillion.
The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, the President’s Office of Management and Budget, and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office have all anticipated that the payments owed to entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, as well as the interest payments we owe on debt will exceed the total revenue we take in each year by 2040. That means we can’t employ a single soldier, man a single border checkpoint, or fulfill any other basic government service or responsibility as mandated by the Constitution without borrowing the money to pay for it.
If Congress and the President do not work together to stunt the unsustainable growth of our debt, the consequences will be grave. In order just to keep the government operating at our current spending level, it requires $4 billion a day in newly borrowed money. Our creditors, many of them foreign nations, have grown tired of purchasing our IOU’s. In fact, in March, the world’s largest bond mutual fund sold all of its U.S. Treasury bills and notes. The fund’s management had lost confidence in our leaders to stem the rising tide of debt.
While I joined the House in voting for a solution to this impending issue, the President has been using it as a wedge in his reelection bid for 2012. His tone is not helpful in addressing and resolving the matter at hand. America can’t afford to wait until 2012 for action. We’re ready now. Failure to act on what Erskine Bowles, the Democrat co-chairman of the President’s own National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, has called the most predictable crisis in our history is unacceptable. Our economic recovery and position as a world leader depends on our immediate action.
Congressman Mike Turner successfully included major parts of his recently introduced “New START Treaty Implementation Act” into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this Wednesday. Last Thursday, Turner introduced “The New START Treaty Implementation Act” as a standalone bill in the House of Representatives. Wednesday morning, Senator Jon Kyl introduced “nearly identical” legislation in the Senate. As part of the NDAA, Turner’s provisions will codify the White House’s own promised “To-Do List” from last year’s START Treaty debate. The NDAA is up for a vote before the full House in two weeks.
“I’m proud to have the support of Armed Services Chairman McKeon and Senator Jon Kyl for these provisions of The New START Treaty Implementation Act. These leaders in Congress realize the importance of our nuclear deterrent to both our own national security and that of our allies. At a time of increasing uncertainty surrounding the intentions of nations developing nuclear weapons, we must continue to maintain and modernize our stockpile,” said Turner, who is the Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces.
“During last year’s the New START debate, a bipartisan consensus formed around the need for modernizing our nuclear weapons, delivery systems, and infrastructure. The President has promised a robust ten-year modernization program, but the project to create a sustainable deterrent will transcend several administrations. We need to act now, to codify the promised ‘To-Do-List’ for modernizing our nuclear forces,” added Turner.
“Looking beyond the New START Treaty, we also need to be careful about additional arms control and deeper cuts before certain modernization milestones are met. This legislation would require that Congress be consulted before deeper cuts are made to either our deployed or non-deployed nuclear stockpile, or before international agreements limit U.S. missile defense capabilities. We have cut our stockpile dramatically since the Cold War, but we now need to slow down, to pause, and make sure that with respect to both weapons and the triad, that we have a sustainable deterrent,” noted Turner.
Highlights of Turner’s New START Treaty Implementation Act now included in the House NDAA:
- Modernizing our nuclear weapons and related infrastructure, as the President has pledged to do in a November 2010 report on nuclear modernization plans, and other statements.
- Limits funds for reductions of deployed weapons required by New START Treaty pending a joint certification by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Energy that the modernization plan is indeed proceeding.
- In the event modernization is not proceeding, it requires a six month freeze on funds. Treaty implementation is thus linked to progress in nuclear weapons modernization, but the provision is carefully crafted to avoid treaty default.
- Prohibits further unilateral reductions of deployed and non-deployed nuclear weapons below New START Treaty levels:
- Prohibits the executive branch from making unilateral reductions to the non-deployed hedge stockpile until the full functionality (in the 2024 time frame) of the new plutonium and uranium facilities (CMRR-NF, UPF)—dates and criteria previously laid out in the administration’s own May 2010 report on the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan and in more recent testimony.
- Amends the U.S. Code to prevent the executive branch from unilaterally reducing U.S. deployed or non-deployed nuclear weapons, except as otherwise and specifically provided by law—by a future treaty or Act of Congress.
- Expresses concern about the administration’s stated plans to modify U.S. deterrence requirements and nuclear strategy merely for the purpose of justifying further arms control reductions.
- Requires the President to notify Congress before implementing any changes to nuclear strategy, to certify that the U.S. will not adopt a counter-value targeting strategy and that the triad will be preserved (consistent with section 1058 of the House-passed FY11 NDAA), and to wait 90 days after the congressional notification.
- Preserving U.S. freedom of action with respect to missile defense by amending the U.S. Code to prohibit any international agreements limiting U.S. missile defense capabilities except with specific authorization—by a new treaty or Act of Congress.
- Sustaining our extended deterrent for NATO by counseling against unilateral reduction, consolidation, withdrawal of our non-strategic nuclear weapons in Europe, without either host nation request or NATO High Level Group request and certain other conditions.
- Codification of the “1251 Report” from the FY2010 NDAA on modernization of the nuclear stockpile, delivery systems, infrastructure.
Provision Raises Alarm over Potential Interference to GPS
Congressman Mike Turner successfully included language in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which requires the Secretary of Defense to notify Congress if he determines there is widespread interference with the military’s use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) caused by a commercial communications service. Turner, the House Armed Services Subcommittee Chairman on Strategic Forces, has legislative jurisdiction over space and satellite systems, included the provision in his Mark of the NDAA last week. Passage by the full committee by a vote of 60-1 late Wednesday night will bring the bill to a vote before the full House in two weeks.
“When it comes to GPS spectrum, government agencies must consult with the Defense Department on any effects. Our servicemembers who are on the ground in two wars count on an uninterrupted GPS capability to do their jobs. This language creates a public notification so we know the magnitude of the problem,” said Turner.
In January 2011, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted a conditional waiver to a single commercial communications company, called LightSquared, to build tens of thousands of ground stations that may cause widespread interference to neighboring GPS signals. The Commander of Air Force Space Command, General William Shelton, told Turner in March 2011 that, based on analysis he had seen to-date, “that virtually every GPS receiver out there would be affected.”
Turner further stated, “We need our government, and the FCC, to do the right thing. It is unacceptable for our warfighters to be put at greater risk or made less effective as a result of LightSquared’s operations. We need assurances from the FCC and this Administration that it will fully resolve the harmful interference issue prior to granting LightSquared final authorization to provide service.”
WASHINGTON – A House committee has approved a $553 billion defense bill that increases the chances that southwest Ohio will be a testing region for unmanned aircraft being developed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
The defense measure, which will reach the House floor later this month, includes an amendment sponsored by Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, that would give the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson a say in where these testing sites would be located.
Read the full story at the Dayton Daily News
Legislation Contains Bevy of Provisions Key to Southwest Ohio
Washington D.C. – Congressman Mike Turner successfully included language in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) yesterday which will have a far reaching impact on Southwest Ohio if approved by the full Congress and signed into law by the President. Turner’s amendments to the annual Defense Department bill include provisions which affect: leadership at the Air Force Institute of Technology, the Air Force Research Lab, and meeting the airspace needs for Unmanned Aerial Systems.
AFIT Leadership
“AFIT military leadership in order to maintain preeminence and relevance in the years ahead,” said Turner. “My legislation would provide that top level military leadership while simultaneously ensuring educational continuity by establishing a SES level Provost position,” stated Turner.
Turner’s language closely mirrors the leadership structure at the U.S. Navy operated Post Graduate School. The proposal allows for the Secretary of the Air Force to fill the top slot at AFIT with either an active duty Colonel or a retired Brigadier General or higher. This would ensure the AFIT retains the attention of top level leadership while providing the Secretary of the Air Force discretion as to filling the position with active duty or retired personnel. The Naval Post Graduate School is currently led by a Navy Vice Admiral, the Air Force equivalent of a Lieutenant General.
The language also creates a SES level Provost position to prevent against any disruptions in academic and institutional affairs that can be generated from regular changes in leadership. These options would ensure continuity in the Institute’s approach towards educating our nation’s military leaders while adhering to Secretary Gate’s proposal to eliminate the number of flag officers in our military.
AFRL Hiring Authority
“Our nation’s Defense Laboratories are experiencing both a critical hiring need and a severe shortage of engineers and scientists with advanced degrees. This language helps laboratories stay competitive with the commercial market and brings talented personnel into Department of Defense,” said Turner.
Specifically, Turner’s amendment eliminates the sunset provision of the Defense Laboratory hiring authority which he had placed in the FY09 NDAA. The expedited hire authority provided under Section 1108 applies to scientific and engineering positions which require an advanced degree.
The provision allows AFRL to waive some advertising and preference requirements, but maintains the requirement that the applicant meet all relevant qualifications. Since the enactment of the legislation, AFRL and the other defense laboratories have been able to reduce the hiring time by weeks and has become a critical tool of AFRL personnel management to hire the best scientific talent. A recent Defense Department report showed that “direct hire” generally cut the number of days it took to hire an applicant from 147 to 91.
Meeting Airspace Needs for Defense-Related UAS Research
“This amendment places the decisions on Unmanned Aerial Systems testing needs at the feet of the AFRL. These are experts who have pioneered the expanding field on unmanned flight. If signed into law by the President, AFRL will play a key role in integrating UAS into the National Airspace System,” noted Turner.
After Turner had included this same provision in the FY 09 NDAA, the House Armed Services Committee voted to include it once again. The committee noted that the availability of special use airspace is important to research related to Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and the needs of our national defense. The proliferation of technology enabling the use of UAS represents a clear future threat to national security; however, lack of special use airspace to research detection techniques is a potential impediment to the nation’s ability to counter this emerging threat.
The committee encouraged discussions between the Air Force Research Laboratory to explore ways for the FAA and the Department of Defense to work together on problems related to integrating UAS into the National Airspace System. The committee’s approved bill with Turner’s language urges the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration to place a high priority on meeting national defense needs for special use airspace related to UAS research, including addressing defense needs for special use airspace for research in “detect and destroy” technologies.
Around the globe our men and women in uniform serve our country bravely and honorably. By volunteering to serve in our military they sacrifice time with their families and often many of the comforts we take for granted here at home. We have a duty to ensure that these heroes are taken care of when they have completed their service. In that spirit, I have cosponsored a number of bills which provide employment incentives and protect benefits for our veterans and their families.
With unemployment in Southwest Ohio approaching 13 percent in some areas, it can often be difficult for our service members to find jobs upon their return home. Just last year, the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the unemployment rate for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan aged 18-24 wars was a staggering 21.1 percent. That is why I sponsored the Hire a Hero Act of 2011, to offer tax credits to small businesses that hire a returning veteran or member of the National Guard or Reserve. The bill would extend the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to include current National Guard and Reserve members and make the credit permanent for veterans.
Those who return with disabilities from their service often rely on their military benefits to make ends meet. However, upon applying for assistance, they may often have difficulty accessing those benefits. For example, there is a loophole in the benefits system which does not allow veterans with a service-connected disability of less than 50% to concurrently receive both retired pay and disability compensation. To remedy this issue, I have cosponsored the Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act which amends federal military retired pay provisions. This commonsense reform has the bipartisan support of 118 of my House colleagues.
Similarly, I have signed onto support the Retired Pay Restoration Act. This legislation expresses the sense of Congress that military retired pay should not be reduced because a military retiree is also eligible for veterans’ disability compensation awarded for a service-connected disability. Congressional approval of this bill would allow the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans’ disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability.
We should also take care to support those surviving family members of our men and women in uniform that made the ultimate sacrifice. Current law states that survivors of those lost in action are to receive funds under the Survivor Benefit Plan. However, if they receive veterans’ Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, this sum reduces the amount of money given to widows and orphans. The Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act would halt reductions to the amount of money that is received by veterans’ widows. I’m glad that this bill has the support of 128 of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle.
While our service members fight in multiple theatres and undertake dangerous missions each day, they should rest assured that they have our support here at home. These bills are some of the steps Congress is taking to further our commitment to those who serve. I look forward to continuing to work across the aisle to provide our troops what they have earned through service to this nation and support our men and women in uniform.
Funding Would Maintain Jobs and Allow Plant to Produce 60 Tanks over the Next Year
Congressman Mike Turner commended the inclusion of $272 million for tank production in the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces Mark of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). These funds would mean roughly 60 M1A2 Abrams tanks would be produced over the next year, ensuring the plant does not idle as previously planned. Thousands of workers contribute to the production of the M1A2 at the Lima, OH facility.
“I want to commend Chairman Bartlett for including these funds in his Mark of the NDAA. If this language makes it through Congress and is signed by the President, workers at this Ohio facility would continue to modernize tanks for our warfighters. These workers and their jobs require tremendous skill and dedication; we simply cannot shut down this plant and expect them to wait around for it to start up again. This plant is vital to jobs in Ohio, and is a unique facility which crafts equipment for our soldiers and marines,” stated Turner.
Congressmen Turner and House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces Chairman Roscoe Bartlett (MD-6) visited the Lima Tank Facility on April 20th. Prior to this announcement, production of the Abrams M1A2 was set to end in 2013 and was not planned to start again until 2016. Lima is the only facility in the country that builds these tanks for the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps.
“Thanks to Congressman Michael Turner’s diligence, I had an opportunity to visit the facilities in Lima, Ohio where Abrams tanks are assembled. The most important things I learned came from talking with some of the men and women that make them. This Tactical Air and Land Forces mark for the FY 12 National Defense Authorization Act has $272 million that will keep the Abrams lines warm. It reflects the reality that our industrial base cannot be turned on and off like a light switch. It will likely be more economical to maintain the capability our country needs to build armored vehicles while also providing our National Guard with the same modernized equipment as our active duty personnel,” said Congressman Roscoe Bartlett.
During their visit, the lawmakers received an overview and tour of the production facilities, as well as a demonstration of the M1A2 tank and met with the Ohioans who produce the M1A2. They were accompanied by LTG Robert P. Lennox, the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8.
Mike Turner released the following statement upon the announcement that Romania will host missile interceptors as part of a planned U.S. missile defense shield over Europe:
“I welcome this announcement by President Traian Basescu which furthers our shared commitment to a strong missile defense initiative. This decision is important for the defense of our NATO allies, and ultimately strengthens the defense of our homeland. This facility will help to counter threats from short and medium range missiles which will be key to deterring the growing threats from Iran.”
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