by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - News from Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo

National Defense Authorization Act Has Mixed Results
House-Senate Conference Committee Report Out Final Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 12, 2011 - Washington, D.C. -

Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo today announced that the House and
Senate Conference Committee has concluded and reported out a final
bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012
(FY12 NDAA). The bill reconciled the differences between the House
and Senate versions of the FY12 NDAA.

H.R. 1540 authorized spending and sets policy for the Department of
Defense for fiscal year 2012. The bill provides $83.6 million to DoD
for military construction projects on Guam. The Conference Report
does not include authorization of appropriation for $33 million in
funding for civilian infrastructure projects through the Office of
Economic Adjustment (OEA). The Conference bill also retains Senate
bill section 2208 which prohibits the transfer of U.S. and Japanese
military construction funding for Fiscal Year 2012 until certain
conditions are met. Section 2208 does not apply to funds already
received from the Government of Japan or U.S. funding from previous
fiscal years. Section 2208 also restricts the transfer of any OEA
funding in Fiscal Year 2012 to support Guam infrastructure
requirements. This additional requirement is identical to amendments
that Senator McCain offered during Senate floor debate on the FY12
NDAA.

Ranking Member McCain raised serious concerns about U.S. force posture
in the Pacific as well as objections to funding civilian
infrastructure in Conference Committee. Senate leaders also had
concerns over the lack of tangible progress over the Futenma
Replacement Facility. These objections were unable to be overcome
during the Conference Committee despite efforts by Congresswoman
Bordallo and House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith.

"I strongly oppose this Conference Committee report and urge my
colleagues to vote against the legislation," said Congresswoman
Bordallo. "The bill delays the inevitable investments that are
necessary on Guam to support realignment of forces, and it sends the
wrong message to Japan at a critical time in the process for the Prime
Minister to achieve progress in Okinawa. The bill completely ignores
the Administration's efforts and priorities in improving the posture
of military forces in the Asia-Pacific region, and it further delays
military construction projects that were initially slated to be
awarded this fiscal year. The Conference Committee report lacks
support for Guam and our military posture in the Asia-Pacific region,
and the bill contains mixed results that are troubling to our national
security. I will not sign the report, and if this bill is passed by
the House and Senate, I will urge President Obama to veto this bill.
The outcomes in this bill are a wake-up call to our community that we
must speak with a single, unified voice if we are to move forward with
the build-up. We must also continue to push the Japanese to make
progress on the development of a Futenma Replacement Facility in
Okinawa, and I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress
and the Department of Defense to finalize a master plan and preferred
lay down so that we can proceed with military construction projects
authorized for fiscal year 2012."

A list of provisions that were supported by Congresswoman Bordallo and
included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2012 are listed below:

* Requires the Navy to establish a Lead Systems Integrator for
work force health care for Guam military construction projects. The
LSI would provide a coordinated and comprehensive solution to the
health care needs of H2-B workers when there are more than 2,000
working on any given military construction project on Guam;

* Chief of the National Guard Bureau will have a seat on the
Joint Chiefs of Staff;
* Establishes the position of Vice Chief of the National Guard
Bureau. The Vice Chief will be a general officer with a grade of
lieutenant general;
* Clarifies payment of Basic Housing Allowance to members of the
National Guard who are transitioning from Full Time Title 10 orders to
Full Time National Guard service under Title 32 and vice versa. The
language is similar to H.R. 2733 introduced by Congresswoman Bordallo
and Congressman Loebsack of Iowa;
* Reauthorizes travel reimbursement authority for the National
Guard for one year and separate language provides the services with
authority to establish pilot programs to test alternative methods for
performing and reimbursing travel, for limiting the need for travel,
and for reducing the environmental impact of travel;
* Supports the President's budget request for 9 C-27J "Joint
Cargo Aircraft."
* Provides servicemembers with a 1.6% increase in pay;
* Amends the Sikes Act to include state owned National Guard
Facilities and add provisions for funding integrated national resource
management plans. The Sikes Act authorizes the Secretary of Defense
to develop cooperative plans for conservation and rehabilitation
programs on military reservations and to establish outdoor recreation
facilities as well as extending coverage of Sikes Act to the CNMI and
American Samoa;
* Provides an additional $983,000 to the Navy O&M accounts to
fully fund the requirements of the Navy Sea Cadet Corps program. The
Navy Sea Cadet Corps is a critical program that assists the Navy in
meeting recruiting goals;

Fiscal Year 2012 Military Construction Authorizations for Appropriations

Service Project Cost
Air Force Air Freight Terminal Complex $ 35,000,000
Air Force Guam Strike--Clear Water Rinse Facility $ 7,500,000
Air Force Guam Strike--Conventional Munitions Maintenance
Facility $ 11,700,000
Air Force PRTC--Combat Communications Combat Support Facility
$ 9,800,000
Air Force PRTC--RED HORSE Cantonment Ops Facility $ 14,000,000
Air Force PRTC--Combat Communication Transmission System $ 5,600,000
TOTAL $ 83,600,000

# # #

Contact: Adam Carbullido in Washington, D.C. at 202-225-1188 or Derek
Mandell at 671-477-4272/4.

adam.carbullido@mail.house.gov<mailto:adam.carbullido@mail.house.gov>
or derek.mandell@mail.house.gov<mailto:derek.mandell@mail.house.gov>