John Hansen: “we have a very critical problem in America today. It is called, training our military on the East Coast. The only place…”

“we have a very critical problem in America today. It is called, training our military on the East Coast. The only place we can really put this thing together happens to be a little island outside of Puerto Rico called Vieques. There is the final test for the Navy and Marines. That is where they go and do the live fire. That is where they go out prepared to take on any commitment that the United States has. Now we find ourselves in a position, Mr. Speaker, where trespassers have come in, occupied the ground, gone through the gates, squatted on the ground, and we cannot do it any longer. It just totally amazes me. Our officers have gone to the Attorney General and said, kick these people off. Our Attorney General will not do it. So we find ourselves in the position, Mr. Speaker, of, what do we do at this point? How important is this training? Let me tell the Members what the Secretary of the Navy says: "This training wins wars. Many Americans in uniform owe their lives to this crucial training. Many would perish without it." The chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps have both testified that the combined live fire training at Vieques is the most effective training we can do.”