[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 74 (Thursday, May 14, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H2970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
               FY 2016 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

  (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the important 
hard work of Chairman Thornberry and Ranking Member Smith of Washington 
and all of the members of the Armed Services Committee, as well as the 
committee staff, on the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act. I 
am particularly proud of the work of the Emerging Threats and 
Capabilities Subcommittee, and I am particularly proud of working with 
Chairman Joe Wilson of South Carolina on critical national security 
priorities such as things like cybersecurity, one of the chief threats 
facing our Nation today, and also the work we have done on R&D, special 
operations, and counterterrorism. I also applaud the bill's investment 
in important undersea capabilities, such as the Virginia class 
submarines, the Virginia Payload Module, as well as the Ohio 
replacement program.
  However, I am deeply concerned that the NDAA reflects a budget 
approach that locks in sequestration and severs that critical link 
between our national security and our economic security. It is 
unfortunate that a measure that has historically represented such 
strong bipartisanship and regular order has been taken hostage by a 
refusal to address the Budget Control Act.
  Mr. Speaker, we can do better. We need to avoid sequestration, 
properly fund our national defense, and I hope that these concerns will 
be addressed as we continue working to support the brave men and women 
who defend this great Nation every day.

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