[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 89 (Thursday, June 4, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3764-S3765]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I rise to speak about the National
Defense Authorization Act or NDAA. The brave men and women who serve in
our Armed Forces have protected our Nation for generations. Because of
their selflessness, we are able to enjoy many freedoms here at home,
but it is important to remember that these liberties are not free.
The sacrifices made by our servicemembers are extraordinary, and we
must ensure that they have the resources necessary and needed to defend
the United States. That is why the NDAA has been passed each of the
last 53 years. I was proud to continue this tradition by working with
my colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee to pass the fiscal
year 2016 NDAA only a few weeks ago.
While this bill is not perfect, it is the result of a bipartisan
compromise to perform the most important function of the Federal
Government, providing for the national defense. This bill's importance
is widely known, but the details are not often given enough attention.
For this reason, I would like to take a moment to discuss some of the
key provisions that play such a critical role in preserving the
security of our Nation and the effectiveness of our military. Included
in this bill are several commonsense proposals to cut inefficiencies
and use the savings that are generated to better meet the needs of our
warfighters.
For example, the Air Force's next-generation bomber and new tanker
program have both suffered delays and they cannot spend the full amount
requested when the budget was submitted in February. So this bill
reduces funding for these programs accordingly and moves about $660
million in savings to meet unfunded requirements of our military.
Across a large number of budget lines, unjustified increases were
reduced, troubled programs were cut, and again the difference was used
to meet high-priority requirements of our men and women in uniform.
The bill also combats the continued growth in headquarters staff at
the Pentagon and major commands, an issue I discussed with Secretary
Carter at his confirmation hearing. Two years ago, the Department
announced its intention to reduce 20 percent of its headquarters staff
by 2019. However, it has yet to provide the Armed Services Committee
with a plan to accomplish these reductions.
This legislation takes action. It reduces funding for headquarters
and management staff by 7.5 percent. This goes beyond even the
Department's stated goal. It results in $1.7 billion in savings that
are reprioritized to support more important needs. In all, the bill
moves about $10 billion from unnecessary spending to increase the
capabilities of our warfighters. One such area is the development of
the advanced technologies.
This bill sets aside $400 million for the offset initiative announced
by the Department in November of last year. The technological
superiority of our forces has come under increasing threat in recent
years. This is an issue that the Emerging Threats and Capabilities
Subcommittee, which I chair, has followed closely.
The new funding devoted to this initiative is targeted toward the
development of the next-generation technology, such as lasers and
railguns that will enable our military's continued advantage on the
battlefield of the future.
I am also pleased that this bill will fully support the modernization
of our nuclear forces, and it includes additional funding requested by
the Department to address critical needs in our nuclear forces
identified in reviews last year.
The bill reauthorizes key assistance and training programs, and it
also provides the Secretary of Defense new authority to partner with
nations in the Middle East, the South Pacific, and Eastern Europe to
support U.S. interests in these key regions. It also codifies the
Department of Defense's role in defending the Nation in cyber space,
and it requires the Department to regularly conduct training exercises
with other governmental agencies to meet this responsibility.
The importance of the last two issues I mentioned, cyber security and
security assistance programs, was reinforced during a recent trip that
I led to Eastern Europe.
Our allies there are deeply concerned by Russia's military
intervention in Ukraine and their increasingly provocative behavior.
They are all calling for more cooperation with the United States in
both of these key areas.
These are just a few of the reasons why the NDAA is such an important
piece of legislation. While I strongly support many of its provisions,
it is important to repeat that this is the product of bipartisan
compromise, not consensus.
One of the most hotly debated topics during the committee's markup
process was the use of overseas contingency operations funds to meet
basic defense requirements. In a world where ISIL continues to expand
its reach, Russia has seized Crimea and pours fighters into eastern
Ukraine, and China is intimidating its neighbors and building islands
in the South China Sea, we must fund our national defense. To not do so
would be unacceptable. We cannot hold our military hostage to a
political controversy.
Despite disagreements, the committee has again produced a compromise
product--as it has year after year--that supports our national defense
and the needs of our men and women in uniform. I am inspired by their
service, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to
protect our great Nation as the full Senate considers the NDAA.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Madam President, I understand that we are now in a
period of morning business.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Fischer). The Senator is correct.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Therefore, it is not in order for me to call up an
amendment to the Defense bill. I will come back and get this amendment
pending at the appropriate time on the floor.
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