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Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today to commend Adm. Michael W. Cramer for his service as the Joint Staff Director for Intelligence, J2. He served with distinction in this position from June 15, 1992, until August 5, 1994. His achievements to operational intelligence support resulted in significant improvements in this area. Admiral Cramer developed numerous initiatives which have advanced intelligence support and enhanced intelligence communications.
Admiral Cramer has been approved for the Intelligence Community Distinguished Service Medal and the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal. These illustrious medals were awarded not only for his outstanding service as the Joint Staff Director for Intelligence, J2, but for extraordinary service to our Nation during his entire military career. Admiral Cramer will continue to serve the U.S. Navy as Director of Naval Intelligence. He will assume these responsibilities later this month.
Mr. President, I would ask that a narrative of Admiral Cramer's military service along with citations for the above awards be included in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
Rear Admiral Michael W. Cramer, United States Navy, demonstrated exceptionally distinguished service from 15 June 1992 to 5 August 1994 while assigned as The Joint Staff Director for Intelligence, J2. Carrying out the responsibilities of the office, Admiral Cramer set new standards for the quality of current and crisis intelligence support to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of Defense, and the Joint Staff. He also initiated numerous highly successful programs that have already resulted in tangible improvements to operational intelligence support for the warfighter in the field. His achievements as the Director for Intelligence, J2 are broad in scope and long-lasting in their impact.
In his primary function as Intelligence Officer to The Joint Staff, Admiral Cramer's legacy is his genius for concise, graphically powerful presentations of complex situations. His briefings on current and crisis intelligence topics have become the national standard; they were requested by and delivered to the President and the National Security Advisor, the Secretary of Defense, several Committees of the Congress, and numerous other policymakers. His impact was equally as profound on the occasions when he represented the Intelligence Community directly to the American people, conducting televised, live press conferences during crisis situations to explain the background of U.S. involvement by military forces.
Admiral Cramer's masterful crisis management was evident throughout his assignment as J2. He took unprecedented initiative in leading the Intelligence Community toward improved, standardized, modern intelligence support to tactical, national, and international consumers. Admiral Cramer was the principal driver behind Intelligence Community and operational acceptance of the Joint Deployable Intelligence Support System (JDISS). JDISS is the common intelligence workstation software recognized throughout the Community, the Defense Department, and by Congress as the standard intelligence dissemination system. The JDISS initiative was a personal project of Admiral Cramer, aimed at resolving the interoperability shortfalls recognized in the aftermath of Operation DESERT STORM. Under his close supervision, JDISS has become not only the U.S. national intelligence standard, but has been embraced by NATO and the United Nations for specialized intelligence support requirements. In two short years, Admiral Cramer literally changed the way the business of intelligence is done worldwide, at all levels.
Concurrent with the JDISS initiative, Admiral Cramer carried the intelligence dissemination challenge to the next level by directing that a broad-bandwidth, all-media intelligence support system be developed and implemented to provide comprehensive, worldwide command support. The Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System (JWICS) was swiftly fielded and became the `core architecture' for joint worldwide intelligence communications. Centered in the National Military Joint Intelligence Center, JWICS permits video-teleconferencing and numerous other applications with Unified Commands and subelements, down to the Joint Task Forces deployed in the field or aboard ship. It is now in continuous use by U.S. operational commanders worldwide and is employed in very successful bilateral links with key allies.
Making significant headway in the arena of documenting joint military operations, Joint Intelligence Doctrine was written and approved under Admiral Cramer's leadership. Before Admiral Cramer assumed direction of this task, `joint' military intelligence doctrine was a disparate collection of non-validated local practices and personal opinion. In the past two years, Admiral Cramer has created a structure for the joint intelligence process, has supervised the drafting of a whole series of approved, community-wide products and has, for the first time, breathed operational and intelligence life into joint doctrine.
Under the policy direction of the Director of Central Intelligence and the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Admiral Cramer oversaw the implementation of an unprecedented, history-making process for providing military intelligence support to the United Nations and to its peacemaking and peacekeeping forces deployed around the world. He directly supervised the vast interagency coordination involved in this herculean effort, personally guided the dissemination architecture, and achieved on-line intelligence support within months of the concept approval. Drawing assets from within his own organization, he assumed personal responsibility for ensuring that this historic initiative succeeds.
Admiral Cramer worked aggressively to resolve theater and tactical intelligence collection capability shortfalls. He brainstormed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) concept and, by force of will and professional determination, saw vehicles flying operational missions in less than one year. Using commercial off-the-shelf technology, high-quality sensors, common ground stations and interoperable dissemination system and then mustering community consensus, the UAV has achieved all its goals due to its grounding in common sense and Admiral Cramer's intense personal commitment.
In sum, Admiral Cramer is the consummate intelligence officer, and his service to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and to the Nation, in peace and conflict, stands as the benchmark against which all other military intelligence professionals will measure their success. Admiral Cramer has achieved more of lasting significance to military intelligence and the Intelligence Community over a two year period than any officer of his generation. Assuming the broad, national intelligence community leadership responsibilities that come with his position, he aggressively exercised his mandate with creativity, determination, and skill and has made significant and lasting contributions to the Department of Defense and to the United States of America. Admiral Cramer's exemplary professional competence, initiative, leadership, dedication to duty, and sustained distinguished performance reflect great credit upon himself, the Joint Staff and the Department of Defense.
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Rear Admiral Michael W. Cramer, United States Navy, distinguished by exceptional service during the period 15 June 1992 to 5 August 1994 as Joint Staff Director for Intelligence, J2. During this period he set new standards for the quality of current and crisis intelligence support to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the national leadership. Through his performance in peace and conflict, Admiral Cramer has recast the mold and defines a new standard of excellence in the Intelligence Community. As Director for Intelligence, J2, Admiral Cramer initiated numerous highly successful programs that have resulted in tangible improvements to operational intelligence support for the warfighters in the field. His unique vision and intense commitment led to the unparalled success of the Joint Deployable Intelligence Support System and the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System. Drawing upon his creativity, determination, and skill, Admiral Cramer personally directed the development of the history-making process for providing intelligence support to the United Nations. The distinctive accomplishments of Admiral Cramer reflect the highest credit on himself, the United States Navy, the Joint Staff, and the Department of Defense.
Award nominated for: Distinguished Service Medal.
Name: Rear Admiral Michael W. Cramer, USN.
Organization: Joint Staff Director for Intelligence, J2.
Rear Admiral Michael W. Cramer, USN, is nominated for the award of the Intelligence Community Distinguished Service Medal for extraordinary service to the nation throughout his career, culminating in his assignment as Joint Staff Director for Intelligence, J2. Carrying out the responsibilities of the office he set new standards for the quality of current intelligence support to the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Joint Staff. He initiated numerous highly successful programs that already have broad Intelligence Community impact, including tangible improvements to operational intelligence support in the field. His achievements in the Intelligence Community have been broad in scope and long-lasting in their impact.
Admiral Cramer has served at the center of operations throughout his career, providing intelligence support to military operators and at the highest staff levels. His career began with two combat cruises off Vietnam, and quickly transitioned to management of targeting operations and later of Operation HOMECOMING. He also served in the Soviet Union as Assistant Naval Attache during the height of the Cold War, setting new standards of performance in that key billet. Returning to the Office of Naval Intelligence, he put his fresh insights on the Soviet Union to use as Deputy Director of the Directorate for Soviet Strategy, Policy, and Tactics, participating in the comprehensive review of U.S. Navy strategy that culminated in the `Maritime Strategy.' As his seniority increased he has assumed the most responsible positions available, including the top intelligence officer positions for Commander Sixth Fleet (during combat operations), Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Command, and the Joint Staff.
Admiral Cramer's legacy in his primary function as Intelligence Officer to the Joint Staff will lie in his genius for concise, graphically powerful presentations of complex situations. His briefings on current intelligence topics have become the national standard; they were requested by and delivered to the President and the national Security Advisor, the Secretary of Defense, several Committees of the Congress, and numerous other policymakers. As importantly, he represented the Intelligence Community directly to the American people, conducting televised live press conferences during crisis situations to explain the background of involvement by U.S. military forces.
Beyond his primary function as intelligence officer to the Joint Staff, he took unprecedented initiative in leading the Intelligence Community toward improved, standardized, modern intelligence support to tactical, national, and international intelligence consumers. The following are specific examples of initiatives for which Admiral Cramer has been the creator and prime mover within the Intelligence Community:
JDISS is the common intelligence workstation and software recognized throughout the Community, and by the Congress, as the standard intelligence dissemination system. The JDISS initiative was a personal project of Admiral Cramer, aimed at resolving the interoperability shortfalls recognized in the aftermath of operation DESERT STORM. Under his close supervision, JDISS has become not only the national intelligence standard, but has been embraced by NATO and by the United Nations for specialized intelligence support requirements. In two short years Admiral Cramer literally changed the way the business of intelligence is done, worldwide, at all levels.
Carrying the intelligence dissemination challenge to the next level, Admiral Cramer concurrently with the JDISS initiative directed that a broad-bandwidth, all-media intelligence support system be developed and implemented to provide comprehensive, worldwide command support. SWICS, swiftly fielded, because the `core architecture' for joint worldwide intelligence communications. Centered in the National Military Joint Intelligence Center, JWICS permits videoteleconferencing with Unified Commands and subelements, down to the JTF deployed in the field or aboard ship. It is in continuous use now worldwide, and in very successful bilateral links with key allies.
Under the policy direction of the Director of Central Intelligence and the Director, Defense Intelligence Agency, Admiral Cramer oversaw the implementation of an unprecedented, history-making process for providing military intelligence support to the United Nations. He directly supervised the vast interagency coordination involved in the effort, personally directed the dissemination architecture, and achieved on-line intelligence support within months of the concept approval. Drawing assets from within his own organization, he has assumed personal responsibility for ensuring that this historic initiative succeeds.
Responding to theater intelligence collection capability shortfalls, Admiral Cramer personally brainstormed a UAV concept, and by force of will and professional determination saw vehicles flying operational missions in less than one year. Using commercial off-the-shelf technology, high quality sensors, common ground stations and an interoperable dissemination system, the UAV has achieved all its goals due to its grounding in common sense and Admiral Cramer's personal commitment.
Rear Admiral Cramer has achieved more of lasting significance to the Intelligence Community over a two-year period than any officer of his generation. Assuming the broad, national intelligence community leadership responsibilities that come with his position, he has aggressively exercised his mandate with creativity, determination and skill.
Rear Adm. Michael W. Cramer, United States Navy is hereby awarded the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to the Intelligence Community's continuing efforts to improve support to joint and combined military forces. Assuming a primary role in devising and implementing critical intelligence support initiatives, Admiral Cramer is personally responsible for the success of programs and systems that have become Community standards. He changed the nature of intelligence dissemination for all time by implementing the Joint Deployable Intelligence Support System and the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System. These systems revolutionized intelligence dissemination throughout the Community, and have been effective tools in the unprecedented level of intelligence support Admiral Cramer has pioneered with the United Nations and its peacekeeping forces around the world. His creative and aggressive approach to problem solving is exemplified by the successful fielding, within months, of a successful aerial collection vehicle to meet a recognized Intelligence Community requirement. Admiral Cramer's brilliance as a current intelligence officer, and his vision as an architect of the future of intelligence support to operations, bring credit upon himself, the United States Navy, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, and the Intelligence Community.
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Mr. KERRY. Mr. President. Yesterday with the Senate's agreement to the conference report on H.R. 3474, the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994, which includes, as Title V, The National Flood Insurance Reform Act, Congress passed the most sweeping reforms to the flood insurance program since its inception a quarter-century ago. I can say confidently and with a sense of personal satisfaction that Congress has acted appropriately, wisely and with vision to correct the chronic flaws in the NFIP, and as a result has taken a significant step towards protecting the nation's taxpayers and floodplains.
A new, sensible course for the flood insurance program has been charted, and with it a new era of more sound, cost-effective and environmentally benign floodplain management. Due to the late hour when the conference report was agreed to by voice vote, I was unable to comment on the passage of this important legislation at that time, but I now would like to discuss the significance of this legislation.
In 1942, Dr. Gilbert White, one of the founding fathers of floodplain management in this country observed that floods may be an act of God, but flood damages are an act of man. Dr. White also might have observed that flood damages are just as much an act of Congress.
Four years ago I began my efforts to reform the National Flood Insurance Program [NFIP], an important but beleaguered part of our Federal floodplain management and disaster assistance matrix, in order to save taxpayers millions of dollars in disaster assistance and to increase coastal and river floodplain environmental protection. I considered this a necessary task because we simply can no longer afford to abide by our costly past policies and practices which actually encourage, not discourage, risky development in areas we know through experience to be hazardous, dangerous and altogether unfit to occupy.
Reform has not come easy. But then it is never easy to challenge the status quo and propose changes to a program which has evolved over years of mismanagement to the point that may perceive it to be an entitlement--another Federal giveaway shouldered by the taxpayer--that minimizes personal responsibility and public accountability.
I have been concerned about the flood insurance program for years and have spoken out to my colleagues about the need for program reform on numerous occasions: after Hurricane Andrew and Iniki in 1992, after the 1993 East Coast Winter Blizzard; and
last summer after the Great Midwest Flood. And with each disaster, my concerns have grown.
We have known for years that the flood insurance program was a huge financial liability and that Federal costs for flood disaster assistance have continued to skyrocket despite the NFIP. We have documented that participation by individuals in the NFIP has lagged far behind reasonable expectations and left the program chronically under-capitalized, and that the program has suffered from adverse selection and costly repetitive losses. Mr. President, under these circumstances a private sector insurer surely would fail.
It also has become clear to me and to many of my colleagues on the Banking Committee that the floodplain management requirements and incentives of the NFIP simply were not doing enough to encourage sound community floodplain management--consisting of sensible, prudent and environmentally conscious land-use and development practices envisioned by Congress when it created the NFIP in 1968.
Most importantly, we have been reminded painfully that low participation in the NFIP has meant that thousands of individuals in hazardous floodplains go uninsured and exposed to risk--a reality made so tragically clear during the Great Midwest Flood of 1993, and once again this summer during the destructive flooding in the Southeast.
Fortunately, Congress in the form of this legislation has chosen to move in a direction which should reduce over time the magnitude of human misery following flood disasters. Title V of the conference agreement on H.R. 3474 closely resembles the compromise flood insurance reform legislation that passed the Senate on March 17, 1993. It provides a sensible, fair and balanced schedule of reforms that establishes a workable framework for program improvement without jeopardizing those communities or individuals with an interest in the flood insurance program.
Increasing the number of people participating in the flood insurance program has long been regarded as a key element of any effort to improve the financial soundness of the flood insurance fund, control disaster assistance costs, and get the federal taxpayer off the hook. Greater participation should better spread the risk, generate greater premium income and bring the program closer to an actuarially sound condition.
Subtitle B of this legislation cracks down reasonably on compliance violations and will ensure that those required to purchase flood insurance actually buy it and maintain coverage. The compliance subtitle also should ensure that those individuals
and institutions who try to free-ride off the system and not pay for their assumed risk are identified and required to comply with the law.
Improved hazard notification procedures and standard flood hazard determination forms will provide convenient methods to track compliance with flood insurance purchase requirements. Other compliance measures such as the establishment of escrow accounts for flood insurance premiums, and the allowance for lenders to force place the purchase of flood insurance for uninsured mortgages when coverage is required, provide common sense tools that work within existing lending practice and will boost participation.
I would not be surprised to see a sharp increase in the number of insurance policies once these and other provisions in the legislation take hold.
Yet, greater participation will not by itself ensure financial soundness of the NFIP. Greater emphasis on loss reduction activities to reduce the amount of risk insured under the NFIP also vital and included in this legislation.
James Lee Witt, the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has testified that mitigation is essential to improving our national floodplain management strategy. This bill gives Mr. Witt and his agency new incentives and strategies to encourage communities and individuals at risk to adopt more responsible and environmentally sound floodplain management measures to avoid or lessen future damages.
Subtitle C of this legislation creates a Community Rating System (CRS) as a new incentive to encourage communities to adopt floodplain management measures beyond NFIP minimum requirements in exchange for premium rate reductions. Significantly, communities that adopt measures that protect against flood and erosion hazards, and measures that preserve and protect natural and beneficial floodplain functions, are to be rewarded with credits that result in lower premiums for their residents who participate in the NFIP. Communities that have participated in CRS on a trial basis such as Tulsa, Oklahoma have seen premium rates go down nearly 40 percent and I hope that FEMA now will promote CRS aggressively nationwide.
This legislation also creates in Subtitle D--for the first time--a flexible and comprehensive mitigation strategy as an additional incentive for communities to reduce risk. Under this program $20 million will be available to states and communities to develop flood and erosion hazard mitigation plans and for mitigation grants to implement cost-saving mitigation activities for flood-prone structures such as relocation, elevation, floodproofing and acquisition, if cost-effective. Importantly,
NFIP loss leaders such as repetitive loss communities and substantially damaged structures are given priority consideration for mitigation grants.
Another key element of the mitigation strategy is the creation of a new insurance coverage, `mitigation insurance,' in Subtitle F. Using the more convenient and timely insurance mechanism, this new coverage will pay up to $25,000 for the additional costs necessary to rebuild flood-damaged buildings to existing NFIP code requirements. Although FEMA will be allowed to add up to a $75 surcharge to policies to fund this additional coverage, FEMA advises that it estimates that the average surcharge for over 85 percent of NFIP policyholders will be $6. By any measure that I am aware, $6 for $25,000 of coverage is a great deal.
This legislation stimulates loss reduction with three new incentives: CRS, mitigation grants and mitigation insurance. Cumulatively, these incentives will encourage better and more thoughtful community floodplain management, reduce risks and make structures more floodworthy before the next flood, and make sure that structures, once damaged by a flood, are rebuilt as lesser risks to the NFIP and the taxpayer.
This legislation also provides numerous other provisions that will improve the flood insurance program, especially measures to increase the amounts of insurance coverage that people may purchase, improve flood insurance rate maps and enhance hazard identification. In addition, the act will stimulate FEMA to investigate and study some of the lingering questions that went unanswered for lack of data or appropriate analysis--the most important study being an evaluation of the extent and effect of erosion on the flood insurance program.
The identification of erosion hazard areas has been an especially prickly issue. Evidence and experience in several states conclusively demonstrate that erosion is a hazard which no longer can remain an unidentified, subsidized benefit in the NFIP. Just as clearly, the identification of erosion hazards has stimulated legitimate concerns by coastal communities, property owners and development interests which could not be answered completely.
The compromise contained in this legislation is to evaluate the effect of erosion, and not to direct FEMA to map erosion hazard areas as many coastal States already have done. We certainly can benefit from better data regarding the effects of erosion on the flood insurance fund and affected communities. Over the next two years, FEMA will begin the process of mapping erosion in a representative sample of communities where erosion risks are high, will assess the effects on the flood insurance fund, respective communities and the coastal environment, and
will come back to Congress to make the case that erosion hazard mapping should, or should not, be implemented nationwide.
I am confident that if FEMA properly conducts this study, Congress finally will have the information to make a fully informed judgment on how best to address this costly hazard.
Is this legislation perfect? I am confident it is not, but then what legislation is? Certainly, during the give and take of the legislative process I agree to drop provisions that I considered quite important components of reform, and still contend that these provisions would have made beneficial contributions. But in the end, it is important for Congress to realize that with the passage of this legislation we set in motion a process to guarantee responsible reform today and purposeful refinement in the near future.
Mr. President, several Members of Congress contributed significantly to this effort and before ending I would like to take a moment to thank my colleagues who worked long and hard to bring us to this successful conclusion. I want to thank the Chairman of the Banking Committee, Senator Riegle, for his dedication, support and steady hand throughout this process and particularly during the conference.
I also want to acknowledge my Republican colleagues, the ranking member of the Banking Committee, Senator D'Amato, the Senator from Florida, Senator Mack, and the Senator from Missouri, Senator Bond, and their staffs for the tremendous amount of time and energy they have committed to this bipartisan effort. In particular, I want to thank Senator Mack for his personal, good-faith efforts to forge a workable compromise.
I also want to commend our colleagues in the House, notably the distinguished Banking Committee Chairman, Mr. Gonzalez, for concluding a successful conference and his support for flood insurance reform. I want to commend especially my good friend and colleague from Massachusetts, Mr.. Kennedy, for taking up the fight for NFIP reform, and his colleague on the Banking Committee, Mr. Bereuter, who has brought so much expertise to this debate over the years.
Congress now has acted to address the ills affecting the NFIP, an accomplishment that is something in which we can and should take great pride. Obviously, any change in a program such as the NFIP is contentious, perhaps even more so than in the past due to heightened sensitivities on the part of some interests towards private property rights. It will be vital for Congress to work closely with FEMA to ensure that these reforms are properly implemented. My sincere aspiration is that once implemented this legislation will restore common sense and responsibility when people decide where to build, and when government decides what to insure.
In closing, Mr. President, I believe this legislation is fair, reasonable and balanced and will implement essential reforms. It should improve the financial soundness of the nation's flood insurance program by increasing participation and by lowering the potential for excessive flood damages through an incentive-based approach. I applaud my colleagues for recognizing the need to protect the Federal Treasury, protect the property at risk along the Nation's floodplains through encouragement of more environmentally aware floodplain management. I am delighted to send this measure to the President for his signature and hope he will sign it expeditiously.
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Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, After I spoke on the fiscal year 1995 military construction appropriations bill on August 9, 1994, I received a letter from another of America's well-known watchdog groups, the National Taxpayers Union. I feel their views are of great importance, and that my colleagues should be aware of them. Therefore, I request unanimous consent that this letter be entered into the Record.
The National Taxpayers Union is another group which feels that unnecessary add-ons and earmarks squander funds that the National Taxpayers Union says should be directed to more pressing problems.
As the National Taxpayers Union says,
The pork-barrel spending contained in the Conference Report is outrageous. At a time when our nation must streamline not only its military, but also its budget, such a wasteful spending shows a gross neglect for the American taxpayer.
In addition, I ask unanimous consent that the two letters I cited in my speech yesterday--from Citizens Against Government Waste and Citizens for a Sound Economy--also be included in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
CITIZENS FOR A SOUND ECONOMY,
Washington, DC, August 4, 1994.
Hon. John McCain,
U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator McCain: Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE), a 250,000-member grassroots organization that promotes free market economic policies, supports you in your opposition to the pork-barrel spending contained in the FY 1995 Military Construction Appropriations Conference Report (H.R. 4453 and H. Rpt. 103-624).
The conference report eliminated language in the Senate bill that established criteria for making military spending more fiscally responsible. Moreover, it added a slew of unrequested and expensive new projects to the bill, most of which would simply funnel money to specific states and congressional districts. Although it purports to cut $137 million from the original bill, the report prohibits the Department of Defense from eliminating any project--including the new pork-barrel items--to make this cut.
The unnecessary new spending items included in the conference report constitute yet another burden on American taxpayers. As an advocate of fiscal responsibility in all areas of government, CSE urges the members of Congress not to pass the conference report on the military appropriations bill until all unnecessary spending programs have been removed.
Sincerely,
Paul Beckner,
President.
Government Waste,
Washington, DC, August 8, 1994.
Hon. John McCain,
U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
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Dear Senator McCain: Coincidentally, at the moment we were asked by your staff to review your amendment to delete nearly $1 billion in pork-barrel spending from the FY95 Military Construction Appropriations conference report, we were finishing a letter to Senators concerning the pork-laden crime bill conference report.
The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste fully endorses your effort to send the conference report back for some serious liposuction, and our more than 600,000 members across the nation appreciate and applaud your leadership.
In only one respect would we disagree with you. In the talking points prepared for the bill, you say that the add-ons and earmarks are `an embarrassment for the Congress as a whole.' Senator, in the ten years since Peter Grace gave to the American people his report on government waste, and founded this organization, the one thing that is clear is that Congress sadly seems to be beyond embarrassment when it comes to pork-barrel spending.
Your efforts will receive not only our gratitude but also a salutary report in the next issue of Government Waste Watch, due to arrive in our members' homes in October.
Sincerely,
Joe Winkelmann,
Government Affairs Director.
National Taxpayers Union,
Washington, DC, August 4, 1994.
Hon. John McCain,
U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator McCain: The 250,000-member National Taxpayers Union fully supports your efforts to defeat the FY 1995 Military Construction Appropriations Conference Report with the intent of eliminating approximately $1 billion of add-ons and earmarks from the Appropriations Committee.
The pork-barrel spending contained in the Conference Report is outrageous. At a time when our nation must streamline not only its military, but also its budget, such wasteful spending shows a gross neglect for the American taxpayer.
The National Taxpayers Union commends you on your efforts on behalf of taxpayers and applauds your dedication to changing business as usual in Washington.
Sincerely,
Pete Sepp,
Director of Media Relations.
END