Tom Cole: “Reclaiming my time, I am also aware that the item the gentleman mentioned was actually stricken on the parliamentary…”

“Reclaiming my time, I am also aware that the item the gentleman mentioned was actually stricken on the parliamentary question. I would like to submit for the Record the chairman of the committee's letter to that effect and also the statement from CBO upholding that decision. Committee on Armed Services, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC, May 20, 2005. Dear Armed Services Committee Colleague: This morning the Congressional Budget Office informed me via letter (copy attached), that the amendment agreed to during the committee's mark-up of H.R. 1815, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, extending TRICARE coverage to all reservists will result in additional direct (or mandatory) spending. As a result, the inclusion of this provision would cause the bill to exceed the mandatory spending allocation provided under the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget. Exceeding the mandatory allocation will cause H.R. 1815 to violate the Congressional Budget Act and subject the bill to a point of order against its consideration on the House floor. I have consulted the Chairman of the House Budget Committee on this matter and he informs me that if the bill is brought forward to the floor in violation of the Budget Act, he will exercise his prerogative to raise the applicable point of order and thus prevent its consideration on the floor. Accordingly, after informing Mr.…”