Political Quotes

“I rise today to engage in a brief colloquy with the distinguished Chairman and Ranking Member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee regarding Special Operations Command's information warfare platform, the ED-130J, which is funded in the Defense Appropriations bill. The 193rd Special Operations Wing (SOW), Pennsylvania Air National Guard, conducts information warfare missions such as psychological operations (PSYOP) civil affairs radio and television broadcasts, Command Control Communications Counter Measures (C3CM) and limited intelligence gathering. Because many of the missions carried out are often classified, the public at large usually does not know the extent to which this unit has shaped events prior to conflict. In many cases, their mission has made conflict unnecessary or has reduced the loss of life. Last year, the Senate provided $87 million for a C-130J aircraft to be purchased and converted into an EC-130J platform that is used by the 193rd SOW. This sum was enough to purchase a C-130J, but not the unique components that are to be fitted into the platform. I thank the Committee for its support of this important platform by its inclusion of $10 million in the Senate Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2004. I urge SOCOM to fully fund the unique components that will allow for the conversion of one C-130J into an EC-130J aircraft.”