mr. chairman , my opposition to the war in iraq and criticism of the administration 's rationale for engaging our troops in this conflict have been well documented . 
as u.s. casualties mount , it is my hope that the administration will craft a plan to facilitate the timely withdrawal of our forces . 
for this reason , i am a cosponsor of h. con . 
res. 35 which calls on the president to do so . 
but in the meantime , despite these reservations , the cold , hard truth of the matter is that our soldiers are in iraq not because they choose , but because they have been ordered there . 
and they are under fire every day . 
we must make every possible effort to ensure that our troops return home safely to their families . 
the legislation before us today provides $ 51 million for `` up-armored '' humvees which protect soldiers from anti-tank mines and armor-piercing munitions . 
it appropriates $ 611 million for add-on vehicle armor kits which provide critical protection to drivers and crews against attacks from iraqi insurgents . 
also included is $ 50 million for the radio jammers that are installed in our vehicles to prevent attempts by insurgents to explode remote controlled bombs and mines as our troops drive by . 
this measure also provides critical increases in financial support to the families of our fallen soldiers . 
h.r. 1268 increases the military death gratuity from $ 12 , 000 to $ 100 , 000 . 
this benefit provides an immediate cash payment to assist survivors of deceased members of the armed services . 
it also increases government subsidized life insurance benefits from $ 250 , 000 to $ 400 , 000 . 
the legislation also provides crucial assistance for emergency situations overseas . 
it would give $ 656 million in direct assistance for tsunami disaster relief for countries devastated by the december 26 , 2004 earthquake and tsunami . 
in addition , $ 92 million in emergency funds are provided to respond to the humanitarian crisis in the darfur region of sudan where egregious ethnic cleansing has been occurring . 
tens of thousands of men , women , and children have been killed during the violence and thousands more die every month in camps housing the nearly 2 million people who have fled their homes . 
$ 150 million in emergency food aid , mostly for sudan and war-ravaged liberia , was included in committee . 
with a recent glimmer of hope and improved chances for a resolution in the middle east , the bill provides $ 200 million for the west bank and gaza to help the forces for peace seize this opportunity . 
this includes $ 50 million for road and water infrastructure improvements , $ 50 million to improve the flow of people and goods into israel , $ 24 million for trade promotion and capacity building , $ 20 million for schools and community centers , $ 16 million for democracy and rule of law programs , $ 15 million for agriculture production and marketing , and $ 13 million for health care . 
mr. chairman , while i continue to have grave concerns about the president 's war in iraq , on balance this bill provides funds that will help protect our men and women under fire , gives additional help to the families of those who will never return home , helps consolidate the tentative gains in israel and the palestinian areas , and aids the peoples of other nations who face dire crises abroad . 
for these reasons , i will cast my vote in favor of the measure . 
