William M. ``Mac'' Thornberry: “This motion is the last opportunity to amend the bill, and it does so, of course, without delaying passage. The bill, as…”

“This motion is the last opportunity to amend the bill, and it does so, of course, without delaying passage. The bill, as it was considered in committee, authorized $733 billion for defense. Thanks to the work of General Bacon, the committee added $2.3 billion for disaster aid, and then the Rules Committee added the widow's tax, Afghan visas, and other items that brought the total up to about $737 billion. This amendment takes one more incremental step to fill essential funding gaps in the way that matters most to the troops. It restores $1.6 billion of readiness for things like repairs to F-15s of which only 59 percent are flyable today, and it restores money for training, the things that matter most in saving the lives of our men and women. It restores $308 million to the personnel account. Now, that is not as much as the Pentagon asked for, but it does take it up to the level that passed the Senate by a vote of 86-8. Finally, it provides a 4 percent pay raise for the troops. Now, remember, Madam Speaker, the current underlying bill does nothing for pay. The formula is as it is, and those Members who have claimed the underlying bill did something have gotten three Pinocchios over it. Well, this underlying measure does do something. It provides a 4 percent pay raise to help with recruitment and retention and to send a message to our troops that we value them.…”