mr. loebsack. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for three minutes. mr. loebsack: mr. speaker, i thank the the gentlewoman from maine for yielding. i would also like to thank in particular chairman skelton and ranking member mckeon for their leadership in crafting this legislation before us. this year's national defense authorization act takes significant steps forward in supporting our national guard and reserve. earlier this month iowa observed the one-year anniversary of the floods that devastated large parts of my district. the iowa national guard played a critical role in the response to those floods and their heroic work is a testament to the vital function the national guard plays in domestic disaster response, even as their role and operations abroad increases. nationwide more than $700,000 national guard and reserve soldiers have been cold to duty since september 11 2001 much. as the national guard continues to transform into an operational reserve, it is essential that they are properly resourced for both their overseas and homeland missions this. bill provid