Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 120 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to urge the Bush Administration and Congress not to reduce the funding for and capabilities of the Army National Guard and Air National Guard.

The Department of Defense, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Hawaii National Guard Association, and Hawaii National Guard Enlisted Association testified in support of this concurrent resolution.

Congress authorized the number of the Army National Guard and Air National Guard to be 350,000 and 106,000, respectively. However, the Bush Administration has proposed to provide only enough funding to support 330,000 Army National Guard troops.

Your Committee believes these budget cuts will undermine the ability of the National Guard to protect and serve the states in important homeland security and natural disaster functions.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 120 and recommends its adoption.