Michael Castle: “I rise today to express concern with section 346 of the National Defense Authorization Act. While the bill before us…”

“I rise today to express concern with section 346 of the National Defense Authorization Act. While the bill before us takes the important step of preventing the move of any C-130 aircraft away from air reserve components until Congress receives written agreement on the details of such a temporary transfer, I believe we should consider implementing a time limitation of 18 months on the duration of those loans. As a former Governor, I understand the important role the Air National Guard provides in meeting our homeland security needs and that any aircraft reductions may significantly impact each State's ability to respond to emergencies. If this body does choose to move forward with a C-130 loan agreement, we should at least set up a regime to ensure this is truly a temporary transfer.”