Charles Skelton: “each year, the legislative process consistently yields a particularly important authorization bill, and each and every…”

“each year, the legislative process consistently yields a particularly important authorization bill, and each and every year that authorization bill is signed into law by the President. I am speaking of the annual Defense authorization bill. A month ago on May 18, the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2001, aptly named for our distinguished chairman in his last year at the helm of the committee, passed the House by a strong bipartisan margin of 353 to 63. The $310 billion that this bill would authorize in the coming fiscal year represents the blueprint for defense policy and spending priorities as it does every year. Not only does it set the troop strength levels and extend expiring authorities, it goes to the heart of what our troops need to do the job. This bill will directly improve their quality of life, their readiness to fight, and the pace of the modernization of their equipment. I am especially pleased that this bill contains several important new initiatives, including a comprehensive package of military health care reforms that would significantly improve access to quality health care for all military beneficiaries, particularly for over-65 military retirees. But, Mr. Speaker, I am sorry to note that progress on the Defense Authorization bill, after passage in the House, has come to a sudden standstill in the other body.”