Mike Levin: “I think it would be useful, assuming this amendment is adopted, for the appropriators to harmonize this language with…”

“I think it would be useful, assuming this amendment is adopted, for the appropriators to harmonize this language with the language that is in the authorization bill, to make sure we have precisely the same requirement, whatever it ends up being, assuming that it remains in the two bills following conference. I also want to commend the Appropriations Committee, Senator Stevens and Senator Inouye, for following the generic approach on this Guard and Reserve issue. They have taken the correct position in terms of giving the Guard and Reserve components the greatest flexibility to do what is most needed by those components, rather than just some add-ons by Members of the Congress. This is an important issue. It has been raised with great frequency on this floor. The Senate has generally taken the approach that we are going to give them the greatest flexibility rather than doing the earmarking. I hope we prevail both in conference on the authorizing bill and on the appropriations bill. I join my friend from Arizona in thanking the Appropriations Committee for taking the position that they have and for accepting this amendment.”