Congressman Sestak Helps House Pass Troop Funding

At a critical time for our military's efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the need to advance our efforts in Pakistan to ensure our national security, Congressman Joe Sestak (PA-07) voted in favor of HR 2346, the 2009 supplemental appropriations bill. The House passed the bill 226-202. In addition to funding ongoing military operations, the bill provides needed assistance to military families and to servicemen and women upon their return to the United States, allocating funds for construction projects and family advocacy, among other programs.

"President Obama has been dealt a weak hand in foreign policy and Congress must offer full support to his strategy to draw down in Iraq and shift the required resources to Afghanistan," said Congressman Sestak. "As this legislation recognizes, we need not only to have maintain the necessary military presence, but also to have appropriate diplomatic efforts and to give the men and women serving this nation and their families the care they deserve.

"This bill importantly includes $2.4 billion for Pakistan to support counterinsurgency operations there and address the Pakistanis' economic crisis, which will help strengthen the government that opposed the Taliban. We must provide this nation with development assistance in the tribal regions because this is ultimately, as we blunt the insurgency, a battle for 'hearts and minds.'"

Among the bill's policy provisions, a set of measures about the prison at Guantanamo Bay state that the supplemental does not include funds requested by President Obama to begin efforts to close the facility. The Congressman, who served as the first director of the Navy's anti-terrorism unit established after the September 11 attacks, has consistently supported the plan to shutter the prison and maintained that prisoners can be held safely in the United States.

"As an admiral, I led this nation's fighting men and women into harm's way in defense of the United States-in defense not only of American citizens, but of the beliefs that we hold dear and that define us as a nation," said Congressman Sestak. "Over the past eight years, as I have served in both the navy and in Congress, I have watched the legal black hole at Guantánamo erode our moral standing, weakening our hand in diplomacy in all corners of the world and providing al-Qaeda and other extremists with propaganda for a new generation of terror. On the other hand, when I served on President Clinton's National Security Council, I saw the positive and lasting impact the United States can have diplomatically when we are respected as a leader in the international community. No prison will ever serve the interests of this nation if it breeds beyond its walls more enemies than it could ever hold within them."

In addition to not including the $80 million requested by the President to start efforts to close the detention facility the bill:

* prohibits current detainees from being released in the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii or DC;

* prohibits current detainees from being transferred to the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii or DC, except to be prosecuted and only after Congress receives a plan detailing: risks involved and a plan for mitigating such risk; cost of the transfer; legal rationale and court demands; and a copy of the notification provided to the Governor of the receiving state 14 days before a transfer with a certification by the Attorney General that the individual poses little or no security risk;

* states that current detainees cannot be transferred or released to another country unless the President submits to Congress 15 days prior to such transfer: the name of the individual and the country the individual will be transferred to; an assessment of risks posed and actions taken to mitigate such risks; and the terms of the transfer agreement with the other country, including any financial assistance; and

* requires the President to submit a report to Congress describing the disposition of each current detainee before the facility can be closed.

Details of HR 2346

Ongoing Military Operations

This legislation allocates $51.3 billion, $700 million above the request, for operations and maintenance, and military personnel requirements for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to support preparation to begin withdrawal from Iraq, consistent with President Obama's plans. These funds include $2.8 billion, not requested, to cover identified shortfalls in military personnel accounts, and 1.8 billion, $240 million above the request, for defense health and programs to support military families, including: an additional $94 million for family advocacy programs, $51 million for orthopedic research, $75 million for Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research, and $20 million for rehabilitation equipment for wounded warriors.

To enable U.S. military commanders to respond to urgent, humanitarian relief and reconstruction needs in their areas of responsibility, the bill also provides for $453 million, matching the Administration's request, for the Commanders' Emergency Response Program.

Other measures to support servicemen and women address stop loss policy and special separation benefits. The bill allocates $534.4 million to provide more than 185,000 service members who have had their enlistments involuntarily extended since September 11, 2001 with $500 per month for every month they were held under stop-loss orders. In addition the Department of Defense is able to adjust the rate at which service members repay certain separation benefits. In addition, the bill allows the extension of 21st Century GI Bill of Rights education benefits to children of members of the armed forces who die while on active duty.

Military Construction Projects

These projects, valued at $2.7 billion, $431 million above the request, are primarily to support combat operations in Afghanistan, build warrior support facilities in the United States, and construct child development centers at military installations in the United States and overseas. For overseas operations, $921 million, $60.5 million above the request, is allocated to support increased troop strength in Afghanistan.
The Congressman strongly supported construction of facilities to care for military members and their families, including $488 million, fully funding the President's request, to construct nine wounded warrior support complexes to help soldiers wounded in combat recover and remain on active duty or transition to civilian life and support families through this process. In addition, $276 million, matching the President's request, is appropriated to construct 25 child development centers, which will provide an additional 5,000 child care spaces and address a top concern of military families; $263 million, matching the President's request, is provided to complete the construction of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at Bethesda, including a Warrior Transition Center, and the Fort Belvoir, VA, Community Hospital; and $488 million, not requested, is included for hospital construction to address hospitals that are decades old and do not meet current standards for medical care.

Finally, $169.5 million, $12 million below the request, is included to begin construction of a National Security Agency data center to support the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative.

Equipment and Force Structure

To further support our troops in theater, the legislation appropriates $25.8 billion, $4 billion above the request, for equipment used by our service members in Iraq and Afghanistan, including: $500 million, not requested, for National Guard and Reserve equipment; $2.7 billion, not requested, for 8 C-17s and 7 C-130s; $4.5 billion, $1.9 billion above the request, for lightweight Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles to protect our forces and provide a vehicle suited to the terrain and poor roads in Afghanistan; $600 million to fund the request for 4 F-22 aircraft; $331.9 million to fund high priority intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance initiatives; and $1.1 billion to confront the threat from improvised explosive devices.

Support for Coalition Partners

Recognizing the need for strong partnerships within Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, the measure allocates: $3.6 billion, matching the request, to expand and improve capabilities of the Afghan security forces; $1 billion, $50 million below the request, to support Coalition partners who have provided assistance to U.S. military operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom; and $400 million, as requested, to build the counterinsurgency capabilities of the Pakistani security forces.

Department of State and USAID, International Affairs and Stabilization Activities: $10.4 billion

Assistance and Operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq
For Afghanistan, the bill allocates $1.4 billion, $9 million above the request, including: $1 billion to fund economic development and agriculture programs, strengthen national and provincial governance, and expand the rule of law; and $433 million for diplomatic operations and facilities, including additional civilian staff and diplomatic security.

For Pakistan, the bill allocates $2.4 billion, $800 million above the request, including: $707 million to help address the economic crisis including agriculture and food security, assist the displaced population, strengthen national and provincial governance, expand the rule of law, and improve access to and quality of education of which $225 million is to help address the refugee crisis inside Pakistan; $46 million for diplomatic operations including additional civilian staff and diplomatic security; $896 million for a new secure embassy and consulates in Pakistan; and $700 million for the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund, available September 30th 2009, to further build the counterinsurgency capabilities of the Pakistani security forces.

For Iraq, the bill allocates $958 million, $326 million above the request, including: $472 million to continue stabilization programs, and strengthen governance and rule of law; and $486 million for diplomatic operations.

Furthmore, to expand oversight capacity of the State Department, USAID, and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan (SIGAR) and Special Inspector General for Iraq (SIGIR) to review programs in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, the bill allocates 27.5 million, $20 million above the request.

Performance Assessment for the Governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan

The supplemental requires the President to submit a report to Congress, not later than the date of submission of the fiscal year 2011 budget request, assessing whether the Governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan are, or are not, demonstrating the necessary commitment, capability, conduct and unity of purpose to warrant the continuation of the President's policy announced on March 27, 2009. This report must include concrete standards of performance:

1. The level of political consensus and unity of purpose to confront the political and security challenges facing the region;
2. The level of government corruption and actions taken to eliminate it;
3. The actions of security forces with respect to counterinsurgency operations;
4. The actions of intelligence agencies in cooperating fully with the U.S. and not undermining the security of our troops and our objectives in the region;
5. The ability of the government to control the territory within their borders; and
6. The ways in which United States Government assistance contributed, or failed to contribute, to achieving the actions outlined above.

United States Policy Report on Afghanistan and Pakistan

The supplemental requires the President to submit to Congress a statement of the policy objectives in Afghanistan and Pakistan and the metrics used to assess progress towards those objectives. The President is further required to submit a report on March 30, 2010 and every 180 days thereafter on progress towards achieving the objectives of US policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Pandemic Flu Response: $7.7 billion

For HHS and CDC response, the bill allocates $1.5 billion in FY 2009 appropriations and $5.8 billion in contingent emergency appropriations for priority efforts including: expanding detection efforts, supplementing federal stockpiles, and developing, purchasing and administering vaccines. The President requested $1.5 billion in FY 2009 appropriations and $2 billion in contingent emergency appropriations, plus additional transfer authorities.

For state and local response, the bill allocates $350 million, not requested, to assist state and local governments in preparing for and responding to a pandemic.

In addition, $50 million, not requested, is included to support global efforts to track, contain, and slow the spread of a pandemic.

Born and raised in Delaware County, former 3-star Admiral Joe Sestak served in the Navy for 31 years and now serves as the Representative from the 7th District of Pennsylvania. He led a series of operational commands at sea, including Commander of an aircraft carrier battle group of 30 U.S. and allied ships with over 15,000 sailors and 100 aircraft that conducted operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. After 9/11, Joe was the first Director of "Deep Blue," the Navy's anti-terrorism unit that established strategic and operations policies for the "Global War on Terrorism." He served as President Clinton's Director for Defense Policy at the National Security Council in the White House, and holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University. According to the office of the House Historian, Joe is the highest-ranking former military officer ever elected to the U.S. Congress.

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