Washington, May 11, 2006 -  Representative John Carter (TX-31) today voted in favor of legislation to provide for our country’s defense and promote the welfare of our heroic men and women in uniform. H.R. 5122, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 provides a comprehensive outline for the Department of Defense annual priorities. The bill also blocks the Department of Defense’s proposed TRICARE fee increases and zeroes out co-pays for generic and formulary mail order prescriptions for military beneficiaries.

“I am proud to have supported this critical piece of legislation that will help protect our homeland and ensure that the brave men and women of our armed forces have the resources they need to effectively fight the war on terror,” Congressman Carter said. “I am also pleased that we were able to fend off efforts to increase TRICARE fees for our active duty and retired military personnel, especially during a time of war.”

• A 2.7 percent across-the-board pay raise for members of the military;
• $50 billion in supplemental funding to support the global war on terror;
• An increase of $390 million for continued production of enhanced body armor and body armor components; and
• Additional funding for force-protection needs, including up-armored Humvees, improvised explosive device (IED) jammers, and Humvee IED protection kits and gunner protection kits.