Subcommittee on Initary Construction Appropriations.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION
APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1980

HEARINGS

BEFORE A

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NINETY-SIXTH CONGRESS

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

JAMIE L. WHITTEN, Mississippi, Chairman

KEITH F. MAINLAND, Clerk and Staff Director

JOHN R. QUETSCH, PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (COMPTROLLER)

JOSEPH M. SHERICK, DEPUTY COMPTROLLER (PROGRAM/ BUDGET), OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (COMPTROLLER)

ALLEN D. SOUTH, DIRECTOR FOR CONSTRUCTION, OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (COMPTROLLER)

INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT

Mr. McKAY. Today the subcommittee will begin its review of the fiscal year 1980 military construction request with an overview hearing on the fiscal year 1980 Defense budget. We have with us this morning the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Mr. John R. Quetsch, to give us an overview of the President's 1980 Defense program.

Mr. Quetsch, we are happy to have you with us again this year. Your presentation last year was so helpful that the committee has requested you return this afternoon to bring us up to date.

The committee this year will review a military construction and family housing request that totals $3.9 billion, which is approximately 4 percent below the amount appropriated last year. Although we are always faced with the need for more new construction, I am pleased to see that the President has presented us with a restrained budget request. Last year the committee reduced the military construction budget by about 9 percent and yet approved a wide-reaching essential program. Our action last year and the President's request this year will result in substantial reductions in government expenditures.

We are proceeding with today's general overview so that members of the committee will have a broader understanding of the Defense Department's overall program. In this way the committee can better understand how each of the project requests relate to the Defense Department's broader objectives.

Mr. McEwen will be here momentarily, but, so we can get through with what we need to, I think we will proceed and let him come in at will, if that is all right with you. So, Mr. Quetsch, if you would like to proceed with your statement, please do so.

DEFENSE BUDGET OVERVIEW

Mr. QUETSCH. Mr. Chairman, I do not have any prepared statement. I will work from the charts that I have here as I did last year. I have more about the defense budget than you really want to know, so I will go through it rather quickly, but there may be some questions that will be raised by these charts, in which case we can pause on them.

Mr. MCKAY. That is fine. [Chart 1 follows:]