Buy American

This past week, I and 26 other

House members sent a letter to U.S. Senator John Warner (VA), Chairman

of the Armed Services Committee, requesting a meeting to discuss a long-term

vision and plan to guarantee our ability to develop and produce weapons

systems here in the United States.

With growing concerns of a

shrinking industrial base here at home, and as the House and Senate meet

to reconcile differences in the Fiscal Year 2004 Defense Authorization

Bill, House members want to include dedicated "Buy American"

provisions in the final conference report of the FY 2004 Defense Authorization

Bill.

Such a provision would require

the purchase of U.S. manufactured goods for use by our military. The expansion

of existing "Buy American" provisions will help to rebuild the

U.S. defense industrial base and maintain our military superiority and

global leadership.

Additionally, on Wednesday,

I voted in support of legislative language to the Fiscal Year 2004 Defense

Authorization Bill (H.R. 1588) that would make permanent the increases

in the allowance provided for military families separated from their loved

ones while the armed services member is serving in a hostile zone.

In previously passed legislation,

the family separation allowance was increased from $100 to $250 per month

and the imminent danger allowance was increased from $150 to $225 per

month. These increases were set to expire and revert