Brady-Pombo Amendment to Prevent Use of U.S. Troops for Overseas Environmental Missions Passes House

The House of Representatives last night approved an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill offered by Congressmen Kevin Brady of Texas and Richard Pombo of California. The amendment expressed the sense of Congress that American troops should be prevented from participating in environmental preservation activities in foreign nations. The amendment states: "It is the sense of Congress that United States Armed Forces should not be deployed outside the United States to provide assistance to another nation in connection with environmental activities in that nation."

During debate on the House floor, Rep. Brady questioned the feasibility of using American military resources for environmental preservation missions: "At a time when defense forces are being reduced; when we lack the resources to protect our service men and women from terrorist attacks abroad; as our military bases close while those remaining face shortages; at a time when our Armed Forces are called upon to keep peace throughout the world and help fight the war on international drug trafficking, we cannot afford to divert precious military resources for frivolous environmental crusades in foreign countries."

Brady and Pombo introduced this legislation in response to comments made by Tim Wirth, Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs at an early June conference, entitled the "Western Hemisphere Defense Environmental Conference, The Road to Military Environmental Cooperation." The event, held in Miami from June 2-4 and sponsored by the Defense Department, was set up to lay the foundation for greater participation by the U.S. Army’s Southern Command in environmental preservation activities. The Southern Command is currently headquartered in Panama.

A June 5, 1997, Associated Press report about the conference noted, "In at least 32 Latin American and Caribbean nations, members of the U.S. Southern Command will be asked to guard rain forests and endangered species."

Undersecretary Wirth addressed the conference June 3rd. He claimed that the use of troops for environmental missions was "a legitimate military issue." Mr. Wirth also suggested that having soldiers and sailors improving the environment would help with their military readiness.

While noting the importance of a clean environment, Brady said that the "unique mission of America’s Armed Forces must always be military readiness dedicated to protect the freedom and security of our nation. The amendment by Rep. Pombo and myself preserves that priority."