Cord Byrd: “I do support the committee's recommendations on H.R. 889, as reported by Senator Hatfield. H.R. 889, as reported…”

“I do support the committee's recommendations on H.R. 889, as reported by Senator Hatfield. H.R. 889, as reported, contains recommendations totaling just over $1.9 billion to restore readiness funds to the Department of Defense. These funds were used for unforeseen international operations such as in Haiti, in the Middle East, Rwanda, Somalia, and Bosnia. It is my understanding that the Department of Defense needs these funds by the end of March. The committee's recommended appropriations are approximately $600 million less than requested by the President and $1.2 billion below the House bill. Furthermore, and most importantly, the committee's recommendations include sufficient Department of Defense rescissions to fully offset both the budget authority and the outlays of these defense appropriations. I compliment the distinguished chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Mr. Stevens, and the distinguished ranking member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Mr. Inouye, for their able efforts in finding these offsets. In addition, title II of the bill contains rescissions from a number of nondefense appropriations totaling over $1.5 billion in additional spending cuts.”