Jon Kyl, July 23, 2007

The Senate recently spent two weeks debating the 2008 Defense Authorization bill. The debate should have been a discussion about next year’s policies and spending priorities for the Defense Department.

But instead of considering ways to strengthen our defense and national security, Senate Democratic leaders instead devoted the entire time to our policy in Iraq and grandstanding on amendments -- which they knew had no chance of ever passing -- to withdraw our troops or put restrictions on troop deployments.

The culmination of their political stunts was an all night session that a Democratic leadership aide freely admitted was simply a "political stunt."

But after again losing on the merits, the Democratic leader pulled the defense bill off the floor, completely pulling the rug out from under the troops who rely on this legislation for their pay raise, equipment, and everything else to sustain them. Here are some of the defense bill provisions now held hostage by the Democratic leader:

The bill would have increased military pay by 3.5 percent, across the board, for all uniformed service personnel effective Jan. 1, 2008.

The bill would have provided an increase of $4.1 billion for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, which Senator Joe Biden has noted, "[are] the best available vehicle for force protection" for our troops.

The bill included language from the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act, which addressed support programs for wounded combat veterans and their families, including numerous initiatives to address traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The legislation would have authorized the new hiring and bonus authorities to assist the Defense Department in recruiting and retaining needed, quality health and mental care professionals.

The legislation would have authorized $50 million in supplemental educational aid to local school districts affected by the assignment or location of military families.

The bill would have authorized of payment of combat-related special compensation to service members who are medically retired due to a combat-related disability.

The bill included provisions to examine and strengthen security forces at defense sites storing weapons-grade nuclear materials.

The bill would have satisfied the Army Chief of Staff’s Unfunded Requirements’ List by authorizing an additional $2.7 billion for items such as reactive armor, aviation survivability equipment, combat training centers, and machine guns.

As you can see, the bill pertains to far more than a discussion of whether we should be withdrawing our troops from Iraq; it includes provisions critical to the success -- and lives -- of our men and women in uniform. Republicans remain committed to reconsidering this bill, so that these much needed items can be delivered to our soldiers. The defense bill should never be used only as a vehicle to debate Iraq war policy.

Senator Jon Kyl, a Republican, represents Arizona in the U.S. Senate. He serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.