Barbara Mikulski: “I intend to vote for this emergency supplemental appropriations conference agreement because of the critical funding it…”

“I intend to vote for this emergency supplemental appropriations conference agreement because of the critical funding it will provide to our troops. Our men and women in uniform, and their families, deserve our support, not just in words but with deeds. This bill also provides important support to our fellow Americans in the gulf coast region who continue to rebuild their communities after the devastation of the 2005 hurricane season. But I am disappointed that important provisions included in the Senate bill were stripped out in conference. With nearly 150,000 U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is shameful that this conference report stripped out $430 million for veterans health care. And I am concerned that this bill short changes the U.S. Coast Guard and important port security measures. Through the regular appropriations process, I will continue to fight for our veterans, and to ensure the security of our coast and our ports. In this bill, we have provided over $15 billion to fix or replace equipment that has been damaged during combat operations and to buy additional force protection equipment desperately needed by our brave men and women on the battlefield. To help protect our troops from deadly improvised explosive devices, IEDs, this bill creates the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Fund and provides the fund with nearly $2 billion to develop and field the necessary tactics, equipment, and training to defeat these deadly weapons.…”