Bill Clinton: “the Senate is considering today the Department of Defense authorization conference report for the 2006 fiscal year. As a…”

“the Senate is considering today the Department of Defense authorization conference report for the 2006 fiscal year. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I have attended numerous hearings and participated in the markup of this legislation. And I want to commend the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Warner, and the ranking member, Senator Levin, for the serious, bipartisan approach they took in preparing the Senate version of the bill. The DOD authorization bill is critically important, particularly with our servicemen and women are serving bravely in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world. We owe it to our men and women in uniform to do everything we can to support them. While what has emerged from conference is not perfect, the bill contains a wealth of positive provisions in keeping with the responsibility of Congress to our men and women in uniform. When we first considered the DOD authorization bill in July, the Senate accepted an amendment Senator Graham and I offered to make Tricare available to all National Guard members and reservists during the House-Senate conference, we reached a compromise which will offer great opportunities for Guard members and reservists to join the Tricare Program.…”