WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives passed the conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008.  Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) voted for the legislation, saying it would authorize the funding necessary to strengthen our military and to assist our military service members and their families.

“I am pleased the House passed legislation that will give our troops the resources and equipment they need to do their jobs and follow through on the promises made to service personnel and their families,” Stupak said.

Stupak noted that the final legislative package includes legislation he authored which would require the Department of Defense (DoD) to deliver the remains of fallen military personnel to the military or civilian airport nearest to the final destination chosen by the family.  The language is based on legislation, the Fallen Service Member Respectful Return Act, which was authored by Stupak.

“The Department of Defense’s practice of flying service members’ remains to major airports is especially hurtful to rural families, who often live a great distance from a major airport,” Stupak said.  “Rural America is disproportionately represented in our Armed Forces and it does not make sense for military families to be forced to drive a great distance to meet the remains of their loved one.”

Currently, the DoD is free to use any combination of air, rail, or road transportation to bring a body home.  Stupak crafted the legislation after hearing from families in his district whose loved ones were killed in Iraq and who had difficulty persuading the Department of Defense to transport the service member’s remains to smaller airports.

The legislation includes elements of the House passed Wounded Warrior Assistance Act, to improve military health care and Veterans’ Affairs facilities throughout the country. 

“The bill includes common sense reforms to make sure that when wounded soldiers return home, they are not abandoned by the system or lost in the bureaucracy,” Stupak noted.  “This legislation will help ensure scandals like the one at Walter Reed will not happen again.  All of us owe our wounded heroes a medical system that meets their medical needs and honors their sacrifice.”

The Defense Authorization bill would also expand the education benefits for members of the National Guard and Reserve by allowing members who have served on active duty for 90 days or more after September 11, 2001 to utilize the Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP) for up to 10 years after their separation from the service.

Earlier this year, Stupak introduced legislation that would correct the problem by allowing Reservist and members of the National Guard to take advantage of their education benefits under the REAP and Montgomery G.I. program for up to 10 years after they complete their last federal deployment.  While the conference report increases access to the REAP program, Stupak will continue to push his legislation to provide the same access to the G.I. program as well.  This issue was brought to Stupak’s attention by family members of the 46^th Military Police Unit which recently served in Iraq.

“Under current law, members of the National Guard and the Reserves can only use their REAP and G.I. Bill education benefits while they are serving in the Reserves or the Guard, not after they are discharged from the service,” Stupak said.  “However, today, with so many members of the Guard and Reserves deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan for extended tours of duty, it can be difficult for these young men and women to utilize their education benefits while they are overseas.”

The conference report also includes language, supported by Stupak, to require the Secretary of the Navy to notify past residents and civilian employees at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, of their possible exposure to contaminated drinking water.

In his role as Chairman of the Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee, Stupak held a hearing in June on contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune.  During the hearing, the Committee found that the DoD has failed to notify the men and women who served our nation as soldiers or civilian employees about the potential dangers in their drinking water.  Many of the soldiers and their family members suffer from rare forms of cancers, blood disorders and other life threatening illnesses caused by exposure to contaminated drinking water while at Camp Lejeune.

“It is unacceptable that the Department of Defense is not doing everything within their power to protect American’s from environmental hazards,” Stupak said.  “The American people, military and civilian alike, deserve to work and live in communities where drinking the water and breathing the air do not threaten their lives.”

The conference report must now be passed by the Senate and the President is expected to sign the legislation.

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