Rodney Frelinghuysen: “I oppose the gentleman from Arizona's amendment, which would cut $3.6 billion from the Overseas Contingencies Operations…”

“I oppose the gentleman from Arizona's amendment, which would cut $3.6 billion from the Overseas Contingencies Operations budget. The committee believes that the Army's fiscal year 2012 operation and maintenance requests for Overseas Contingencies Operations may be overstated due to unrealistic planning assumptions. However, due to the great deal of uncertainty of the justification for the Army's O&M budget request, the committee added an appropriations account, the Overseas Contingencies Operations Transfer Fund Account, and shifted $5 billion of funding from the Army into this account. This account gives the Secretary of Defense flexibility to reprogram these funds for unforeseen requirements which emerged during 2012. For example, if redeployment from Afghanistan were to be accelerated--and some would suggest it should be--there will be a very significant increase in personnel and equipment transportation costs in fiscal year 2012. Examples of requirements, which emerged during the year of budget execution in prior years, include funding for the MRAP vehicles, the mine resistant ambush protected vehicles, additional body armor that was needed, and other force protection things, joint, what we call joint urgent operational needs. And, of course, there are always spikes in fuel costs. So for these and many other reasons, Mr. Chairman, I oppose the amendment and urge others to do so as well. I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR.…”