Wednesday, September 13, 2006

New Ford Ad Focuses On National Security Record

The campaign of U.S. Senate nominee Harold Ford Jr. today launched a new 30-second television ad focusing on Ford’s strong record on national security. Entitled “The Difference,” Ford’s ad begins airing today in all Tennessee media markets on broadcast and cable.

Watch the ad here!

The script:

“I started in church the old fashioned way . . . I was forced to,” says Ford. “And I’m better for it.

“I’m Harold Ford Jr. Here, I learned the difference between right and wrong . . . and now Mr. Corker’s doing wrong.

“First spending millions telling untruths about his Republican opponents, both good men, and now me. I voted for the Patriot Act, 5 trillion in defense and against amnesty for illegals,” Ford says.

Setting The Record Straight

  • Ford Is Consistent Supporter Of War On Terror, Troops Fighting It. Congressman Ford has supported over $5 trillion in funding for the Defense, Homeland Security, and Intelligence agencies since 9/11 and introduced legislation to improve our efforts in the war on terror. He has supported every funding and appropriations bill requested by this Administration to fund the War on Terror. [H.R. 1559, 4/3/2003; H.R. 3289, 10/31/2003; H.R. 5122 05/11/06; H.R. 2863, 6/20/2005, Passed 398-19; H.R. 4613, 6/22/2004; H.R. 2360, 10/6/2005; H.R. 3673, 09/08/2005; H.R. 1815, 05/25/2005; H.R. 1817, 05/18/2005; H.R. 2360, 5/17/2005; H.R. 1268, 5/5/2005; H.R. 1268, 03/16/2005; H.R. 4567, 10/9/2004; H.R. 4200, 10/09/2004; H.R. 4567; H.R. 1588, 11/07/2003; H.R. 2658, 9/24/2003; H.R. 2555, 9/24/2003; H.R. 2555, 9/10/2003; H.R. 2555, 6/24/2003; H.R. 5010, 10/10/2002; H.R. 4547, 07/24/02; H.R. 4775, 7/23/2002, Passed 397-32; H.R. 1383, introduced 3/17/2005]

  • Congressman Ford has authored legislation to protect the Tennessee National Guard: His bill calls on the Department of Defense to consult the nation’s Governors and Congress before making any changes to the Guard. A current Pentagon proposal would reduce the Tennessee National Guard by 10 percent and cut as many as 1,000 Tennessee guard slots.

  • Voted YES on joint resolution to authorize President Bush to use the U.S. military as he deems necessary and appropriate to defend U.S. national security against Iraq and enforce U.N. Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq (H.J.R. 114, 10/10/2002, Passed 296-113).

  • Voted YES to create the Department of Homeland Security (H.R. 5005, 07/26/2002, Passed 295-132).

  • Voted YES on the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act that established Director of National Intelligence (S. 2845, 12/07/2004, Passed 336-75).

  • Voted YES on Fiscal 2003 War Supplemental, which provided $77.9 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations including $62.5 billion for military operations in Iraq, $4.2 billion for homeland security and the war on terrorism (H.R. 1559, 4/3/2003 Passed 414-12).

  • Voted YES for the $87.5 billion in emergency Fiscal 2004 spending Supplemental Defense Bill for military operations and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan (H.R. 3289, 10/31/2003, Passed 298-121).

  • Voted YES on Fiscal 2006 Defense Appropriations bill that would appropriate $408.9 billion, including $45.3 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The total includes $116.1 billion for operations and maintenance, $76.8 billion for procurement and $71.7 billion for research and development. It also includes $7.6 billion for ballistic missile defense and $84.1 billion for military personnel, including a 3 percent pay raise for military personnel (H.R. 2863, 6/20/2005, Passed 398-19).

  • Voted YES on passage of FY 2005 Defense Appropriations. This bill appropriated $417 billion for defense programs for fiscal 2005, including $25 billion in emergency funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan (H.R. 4613, 6/22/2004, Passed 403-1).

  • Voted YES on Fiscal 2006 Homeland Security Appropriations conference bill that appropriated $31.9 billion in fiscal 2006 for the Homeland Security Department and related agencies. The bill included $6 billion for customs and border protection; $5.9 billion for the Transportation Security Administration, including fees; $7.8 billion for the Coast Guard; $1.2 billion for the Secret Service and $2.6 billion for response and recovery efforts conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (H.R. 2360, 10/6/2005, Passed 347-70).

  • Voted YES to appropriate $51.8 billion in fiscal 2005 supplemental spending for disaster relief to areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. The bill provided $50 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, $1.4 billion for the Defense Department and $400 million for the Army Corps of Engineers (H.R. 3673, 09/08/2005, Passed 410-11).

  • Voted YES on Fiscal 2006 Intelligence Authorization. The bill authorized classified amounts in fiscal 2006 for U.S. intelligence activities and agencies including the CIA, the National Security Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency (H.R. 2475, 6/21/2005, Passed 409-16).

  • Voted YES on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, which appropriated $441.6 billion for the Department of Defense (H.R. 1815, 05/25/2005, Passed 390-39).

  • Voted YES on passage of the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, which authorized $34.2 in appropriations for fiscal year 2006 the Department (H.R. 1817, 05/18/2005, Passed 424-1).

  • Voted YES on Fiscal 2006 Homeland Security Appropriations to provide $31.9 billion in fiscal 2006 for the Homeland Security Department, including $22 billion for security, enforcement and investigation activities, such as the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Coast Guard and the Secret Service. It provided $5.7 billion for the Transportation Security Administration and $3.6 billion for the Office of State and Local Coordination and Preparedness, including $2.8 billion for state and local homeland security grant programs. It also withheld $310 million from the department until it implements new air cargo screening measures and deploys more explosive-detection technologies at airports around the country (H.R. 2360, 5/17/2005, Passed 424-1).

  • Voted YES on Fiscal 2006 Homeland Security Appropriations’ Chemical Plant Security amendment that increased funding by $50 million for state and local grant programs to improve security of chemical plants. The amendment was offset by a $50 million cut for the Office of the Under Secretary for Management (H.R. 2360, 5/17/2005, Passed 225-198).

  • Voted YES to recommit Fiscal 2005 Supplemental Appropriations to the conference committee with instructions to include Senate language that would provide for the highest levels of funding for immigration and customs enforcement (H.R. 1268, 5/5/2005, Failed 201-225).

  • Voted YES on the $82.4 billion Supplemental Defense Bill in 2005 that made emergency supplemental appropriations for Department of Defense, the global war on terror and tsunami relief (H.R. 1268, 03/16/2005, Passed 388-43).

  • Voted YES on Fiscal 2005 Homeland Security Appropriations Conference Report that appropriated $33.1 billion in fiscal 2005 for the Department of Homeland Security and related agencies. The bill included $6.3 billion for customs and border protection; $5.2 billion for the Transportation Security Administration; $7.4 billion for the Coast Guard; $1.2 billion for the Secret Service and $5.5 billion for emergency preparedness and response, including $3.1 billion for the state and local programs (H.R. 4567, 10/9/2004, Passed 368-0).

  • Voted YES on the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005, the conference report authorized $445.6 billion for the Defense Department and Energy Department’s national security programs, including $25 billion in additional funds for operations in Iraq and more than $2 billion for increased protection of U.S. troops there (H.R. 4200, 10/09/2004, Passed 359-14).

  • Voted YES on Information Access amendment that directed the Homeland Security secretary to ensure that all security screening personnel have access to law enforcement and intelligence information maintained by the Department of Homeland Security. The Secretary of Homeland Security would be required to provide Congress with an overview of all department agencies, databases, and other capabilities relating to terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal immigration, screening, investigations, and inspection of goods or individuals entering the United States (Amendment to H.R. 10, 10/8/2004, Passed 410-0).

  • Voted YES on motion to instruct House conferees for Fiscal 2005 Homeland Security Appropriations to insist on a conference report that would include the highest possible funding levels for homeland security first-responders, domestic preparedness, emergency management performance grants, fire grants, flood maps and disaster mitigation programs (H.R. 4567, 10/7/2004 Passed 395-16).
  • Voted YES on FY 05 Intelligence Authorization Act , which authorized appropriations classified amounts in fiscal 2005 for U.S. intelligence activities and agencies including the CIA, the National Security Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency (H.R. 4548, 06/23/2004, Passed 360-61).

  • Voted NO on an amendment to reduce funding for intelligence programs – such as the CIA, the General Defense Intelligence Program, the Joint Military Intelligence Program, and the Army Tactical Intelligence and Related Activities Program – by 25% (Amendment to H.R. 4548, 06/23/04, Failed 149-270).

  • Voted YES for 2005 Homeland Security Appropriations to provide $33.1 billion in fiscal 2005 for the Department of Homeland Security, including $2.5 billion previously enacted for Project Bioshield. It would provide $20.6 billion for security, enforcement and investigation activities, such as the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Coast Guard and the Secret Service. It also would provide $5.1 billion for the Transportation and Security Administration. It also would provide $4.1 billion for the Office of State and Local Coordination and Preparedness, including $3.4 billion for state and local homeland security grant programs. The bill, as amended, would prohibit the use of funds to privatize or contract out services provided by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (H.R. 4567, 6/18/2004, Passed 400-5).

  • Voted YES on the $401 billion Defense Authorization bill for Fiscal Year 2004 (H.R. 1588, 11/07/2003, Passed on 362-40).

  • Voted YES on passage of Fiscal 2004 Defense Appropriations. The bill appropriated $368.7 billion in fiscal 2004 for defense and national security (H.R. 2658, 9/24/2003, Passed 407-15).

  • Voted YES on Homeland Security Appropriations Conference Report the bill appropriated $30.4 billion in fiscal 2004 spending for the Homeland Security Department and related agencies, about $1 billion more than the administration’s request. The measure included $5.8 billion for customs and border protection, $3.7 billion for immigration enforcement, $4.6 billion for the Transportation Security Administration and $6.8 billion for the Coast Guard (H.R. 2555 , 9/24/2003, Passed 417-8).

  • Voted YES on motion to instruct House conferees for Fiscal 2004 Homeland Security Appropriations insist on inclusion of the highest possible level of funding for Homeland Security, preparedness and disaster response programs within the bill and to insist on House language that would bar the use of funds for any aviation cargo security plan that allows the transporting of unscreened or uninspected cargo on passenger planes (H.R. 2555, 9/10/2003, Passed 347-74).

  • Voted YES on Fiscal 2004 Intelligence Authorization. The bill authorized classified amounts in fiscal 2004 for U.S. intelligence activities and agencies including the CIA, the National Security Agency, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency (H.R. 2417, Passed 410-9, 6/26/2003).

  • Voted YES on Intelligence Overhaul Conference Report, a bill that reorganized 15 U.S. intelligence agencies and created a new director of national intelligence to oversee all U.S. intelligence activities and determine the intelligence budget. The National Counterterrorism Center will serve as the primary organization for analyzing and integrating all U.S. intelligence pertaining to terrorism and counterterrorism. The measure would also authorize approximately 10,000 additional border patrol agents over five years, and new programs and pilot projects to upgrade airport and airplane security (S. 2845, 12/7/2004, Passed 336-75).

  • Voted YES on Fiscal 2004 Homeland Security Appropriations, which provided a total of $30.4 billion, including $29.4 billion in discretionary spending, in fiscal 2004 for the Department of Homeland Security (H.R. 2555, 6/24/2003, Passed 425-2).

  • Voted YES on amendment to Fiscal 2004 Homeland Security Appropriations that would bar the use of funds to approve, renew or implement any aviation cargo security plan that allows the transporting of unscreened or uninspected cargo on passenger planes (H.R. 2555, 6/24/2003, Passed 278-146).

  • Voted YES on FY 2003 Defense Appropriations, which provided $355.1 billion for the Defense Department for fiscal 2003, an increase of $21 billion over fiscal 2002 regular and supplemental funds (H.R. 5010, 10/10/2002 Passed 409-14).

  • Voted YES on Fiscal 2003 War Funds Authorization. This motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill that would authorize $10 billion for operations conducted as part of the war on terrorism in fiscal 2003, and add that to the fiscal 2003 Defense Department authorization bill. The bill would authorize $3.5 billion for operations associated with the war, including domestic air patrols and military operations in Afghanistan, and $1 billion to replace equipment lost during operations. The president would have wide latitude to designate such funds. The bill would authorizes $3.1 billion for a variety of procurement, research and development, and operations and maintenance programs previously authorized in the House-passed Defense Department authorization bill, but now contained in this bill. The measure also would authorize almost $2 billion for classified activities, including $1.6 billion for procurement, $302 million for operations and maintenance, and $60 million for research and development. The bill also would authorize $200 million for ammunition replacement, $182 million for combat pay, and fund transfers once the Defense secretary has alerted Congress. (H.R. 4547, 07/24/02, Passed 413-3)

  • Voted YES on legislation that would provide approximately $28.9 billion in supplemental appropriations for fiscal 2002. The agreement would include $14.5 billion for the Defense Department, $6.7 billion for homeland security programs and $5.5 billion for post-Sept. 11 recovery efforts in New York (H.R. 4775, 7/23/2002, Passed 397-32).

  • Voted YES on passage of the bill that would establish a program in which commercial pilots would be deputized as federal law enforcement officers and would be allowed to carry guns aboard airlines (H.R. 4635, 7/10/2002, Passed 310-113).

  • Voted NO on Tierney amendment to Fiscal 2003 Defense Appropriations that would cut $121.8 million for construction of silos at Fort Greeley, Alaska (Amendment to H.R. 5010, 6/27/2002, Rejected 112-314).

  • Voted YES on passage of the Homeland Security Information Act to require federal agencies to develop within six months procedures for sharing both classified and non-classified information on homeland security threats with law enforcement and other state and local officials (H.R. 4598, 6/26/2002, Passed 422-2).

  • Voted YES on the $383 billion Defense Authorization bill for Fiscal Year 2003, which included the President’s request of $7.8 billion for missile defense systems and $7.3 billion for counter-terrorism programs (H.R. 4546, 5/10/2002, Passed 359-58).

  • Voted NO on an amendment that would have prohibited any funding for space-based national missile defense programs (Amendment to H.R. 4546, 05/09/2002, Rejected 159-253).

  • Voted YES on Fiscal 2002 Defense Authorization Conference Report, which authorized $343.2 billion for defense programs (S. 1438, 12/13/2001, Passed 382-40).

  • Voted YES on Anti-Terrorism Authority Legislation, which was designed to expand law enforcement's power to investigate suspected terrorists (H.R. 2975, Passed 337-79, 10/12/2001).

  • Harold Ford Jr has consistently voted to fully fund veteran’s health care and medical services. He has supported over 60 billion dollars in veteran’s health care funding. Even voting for substantial increases every year he’s been in Congress: [HR 2528, 11/18/2005; HR 2361, 07/26/05; HR 3130, 06/30/05; HR 3010, 06/24/05; HR 2528, 05/26/05; Amdt to HR 2528, 05/26/05; H.J.Res. 107, 9/29/04; H.Res. 685, 6/24/04; HR 3289, 10/31/03; HR 2861, 07/25/03; Motion to HJ Res 2, 01/29/03; HR 4514, 05/21/02; Motion to HR 2620, 07/30/01, HR 4635, 10/19/00; Motion to HR 3194, 11/18/99; Amdt to H Con Res 68, 03/25/99; Motion to HR 4194, 09/15/98; HR 2158, 10/08/97; Amdt to HR 2158, 07/16/97; Amdt to HR 1119, 06/23/97]

  • Harold Ford Jr has fought and voted against recent attempts to cut or underfund veteran’s health care by over 20 billion dollars: [H. Con. Res. 95, 3/21/03, S.Con.Res. 95, 5/19/04; Amdt to HR 1248, 3/15/05; H Con Res 95, 3/17/05; Amdt to HR 2528, 05/26/05; Amdt. to HR 3057, 06/28/05

  • Hosted the first homeland security summit in the State of Tennessee. (Memphis Commercial Appeal, 05/07/05).

  • Ford seeks to make Tennessee a homeland security role model for the entire nation. “Frustrated by what he perceives as a lack of focus in Washington on the issue of Homeland Security, Ford has been pushing hard for Tennessee to develop a comprehensive model he would be able to promote on a national stage. In May, Ford hosted a first-of-its-kind meeting on Homeland Security in the FedEx Center auditorium on the University of Memphis campus. Over 200 men and women representing law enforcement, the medical community, city and county governments and fire departments across Tennessee attended” (Dyersburg State Gazette, 07/08/05).

  • Appointed by U.S. Joint Forces Command to serve on the Transformation Advisory Group: This group of political, military and academic leaders are working with the Pentagon to transform the armed forces into a more flexible and agile fighting force.

  • Led the fight to bring $10.07 million in homeland security funding to Memphis. The funding is part of $725 million that Congress approved for the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) for fiscal year 2004.

  • Helped secure $6.07 million for Memphis in funding from the Department of Homeland Security to protect against terrorist threats.

  • Introduced the Homeland Security Strategy Act. This bill creates a comprehensive four-year review for national security similar to the Defense Department’s review. This plan would put federal, state, local and private-sector leaders in the homeland security fight together to develop a comprehensive strategy and enable national security leaders to methodically assess priorities, assets and resources every four years to ensure the nation is best able to prevent and respond to terrorist attack (H.R. 1383, introduced 3/17/2005).

  • Co-sponsored the Call to Service Act, this piece of legislation would link the Corporation for National and Community Service with the newly created Office of Homeland Defense to expand AmeriCorps to include new homeland security and safety positions.

  • Co-sponsored the Intelligence Transformation Act, a bill that creates a Director of National Intelligence who will have full budgetary authority over all intelligence agencies. The bill also creates the position of Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, who will also serve as the Deputy Director of National Intelligence.

  • Introduced H.R. 922, a bill to improve treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder for veterans of service in Afghanistan and Iraq and the war on terrorism (introduced 2/17/2005).

  • Ford supported legislation to extend TRICARE health benefits to the National Guard and Reserves. The legislation was approved in the FY 2006 National Defense Authorization Act.

  • Is a Co-sponsor of HR 1343: require reimbursement for non-TRICARE health insurance premiums paid by certain members of reserve components during the period the members were not eligible for TRICARE coverage.