[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 119 (Friday, July 14, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E987-E988]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 12, 2017

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2810) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military 
     activities of the Department of Defense and for military 
     construction, to prescribe military personnel strengths for 
     such fiscal year, and for other purposes:

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I rise to speak on House consideration of 
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018.
  I thank Chairman Thornberry and Ranking Member Smith and the Armed 
Services Committee for their work on the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2018.
  As a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and 
Judiciary, I take our role in Congress as stewards of our nation's 
security seriously.
  I offer my thanks and appreciation to the men and women of the armed 
services who place themselves in harm's way each day for the safety and 
security of our nation's people.
  The National Defense Authorization Act's purpose is to address the 
threats our nation faces not just today, but into the future. This 
makes our work vital to our national interest and it should reflect our 
strong commitment to ensure that the men and women of our Armed 
Services receive the benefits and support that they deserve for their 
faithful service.
  This bill encompasses a number of initiatives designed to confront 
the military challenges posed by violent extremism, terrorists engaging 
in ground wars, making more efficient the work of protecting America, 
addresses defense of our nation's computing networks and 
infrastructure, the medical health needs of men and women in the armed 
services, and extends economic and education opportunity to small 
minority and women owned businesses.
  We live in a dangerous world, where threats are not always easily 
identified, and our enemies are not bound by borders.
  Russia's aggression towards the United States has long been 
understood, but in 2016 the stakes were raised in terms of how far they 
would go to harm our nation and Democratic institutions when they 
interfered in our national election.
  Since September 11, 2001, we have kept a steadfast commitment to 
ending the threat of global terror.
  Boko Haram, ISIL, and AI Shabaab remind us of how fragile our 
nation's security could be without a well trained and equipped 
military.
  The introduction of cyber offensive actions against the United States 
and our interest has altered the definition of war and with it our 
understanding about what is needed to combat a unique type of enemy 
that fights under no flag, for any nation, and can cause harm to 
computing networks.
  I appreciate the House Armed Services Committee's continued support 
of our national defense and support a number of provisions in H.R. 
1735, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, 
such as authorities that support ongoing operations.
  The amendments offered to this bill offered opportunities to address 
these and other Administration concerns that will improve the bill.
  Let me discuss briefly the amendments I offered that were adopted by 
the House and included in the final version of the bill.
  1. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 56 calls for increased collaboration 
with NIH to combat Triple Negative Breast Cancer and provides $10 
million in appropriations.
  2. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 76 dIrects the Department of Defense to 
prepare contingency plans to assist relief organizations in delivering 
humanitarian aid in South Sudan and to deescalate conflict.
  3. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 83 directs the Secretary of Defense to 
prepare against deployment of North Korean nuclear ICBMs to prevent 
damage or destruction of satellites critical to U.S. national defense 
and global communications.
  These Jackson Lee Amendments are straightforward, and make 
improvements to the bill.
  There were 14 additional Jackson Lee Amendments that were not 
included in the Rule for consideration of the Fiscal Year 2018 National 
Defense Authorization Act.
  The Jackson Lee Amendments to H.R. 2810 are in four categories:
  1. National Security Amendments that protect and promote national 
security, national defense and U.S. foreign policy interests;
  2. Counterespionage and Deterrence Amendments that uphold the 
interests of American citizens at home and abroad.
  3. Healthcare, technology and know-how, and Opportunities for Women 
Amendments that promote advances in PTSD and Triple-Negative Breast 
Cancer Research and Professional Development and Business opportunities 
for women.
  4. Cybersecurity Amendments that support the work of the DOD to 
ensure defense of our nation against cyberattacks.
  I have submitted six amendments that protect and promote national 
security, national defense or U.S. foreign policy interests:
  1. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 175 authorizes the Secretary of Defense 
to provide technical assistance by U.S. military women to military 
women abroad combating terrorism, human and narcotics trafficking and 
their impact on women and girls.
  2. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 166 condemns the actions of Boko Haram 
and directs the Secretary of Defense to provide technical assistance to 
Nigeria in establishing a central missing persons' database and a 
Victims Relief Fund.
  3. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 187 expresses Sense of Congress that the 
International Military Education and Training (IMET) program is an 
important U.S. foreign policy and national defense instrument of value 
and asks Secretary of Defense to make maximum use of it.
  4. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 184 directs Secretary of State to inform 
Congress of the feasibility of providing training, equipment and 
logistics to improve air traffic control systems in African countries 
where U.S. military operations require it.
  5. The Jackson Lee Amendments No. 76 and No. 83 that were accepted by 
the Rules Committee and are under consideration by the House addressed 
the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, and North Korea's 
Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Program.

  These six Jackson Lee amendments would have enhanced the 
effectiveness of the NDAA

[[Page E988]]

by protecting and promoting U.S. foreign policy and national security 
interests.
  I have submitted three amendments to defend against espionage and 
provide deterrence against threats to the United States:
  1. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 177 authorized the Secretary of Defense 
to work with local partners in providing security at civilian nuclear 
research centers to assure nuclear weapons do not fall into the 
possession of terrorists or rogue nations.
  2. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 181 required the Secretary of Defense to 
report to Congress the programs employed to ensure Department of 
Defense National Security Education Program students studying abroad 
are trained to recognize, resist, and report against foreign 
governmental recruitment efforts.
  3. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 179 directed the Secretary of Defense to 
conduct and report to Congress the results of a study on whether 
requirement to notify Voting Action Officer within 10 days of 
registration in service member duty reassignment state imposes 
significant burden on military voters.
  Two of these amendments sought to address known threats to our 
national interest and one would have assured that changes in voter 
registration rules for persons serving in the military would not impose 
an undue burden to their right to vote at a polling location instead of 
by absentee ballot.
  Jackson Lee Amendment No. 177 (Secure Nuclear Material in developing 
nations)
  There is a wide array of peaceful uses for nuclear material such as 
nuclear power plant power generation; radiation treatment for cancer 
and other medical conditions; as well as research at academic and 
research institutions.
  China and India are both pursuing nuclear power as an option to 
dependence on fossil fuels, while oil-rich Gulf nations are considering 
nuclear power with the hope of exporting more oil.
  There are 65 reactors being built around the world, and 69 percent of 
them are in Brazil, Russia, India and China.
  India has no fossil fuel resources and is expanding its use of 
nuclear power to address shortfalls in electric generation capacity 
that is out stripped by economic growth.
  India goal is to have nuclear power be the source for 50 percent of 
its electricity needs by 2050.
  I have submitted six amendments to protect women and health:
  4. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 224 provides $2.5 million increase in 
funding to combat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
  5. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 180 enforces the title and section 
``Minority and Business Ownership'' to include HUZ and disadvantaged 
businesses.
  6. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 226 directs the Secretary of the Navy to 
report to Congress on the ability to apply desalination technologies 
for drought relief for both military and civilian purposes.
  7. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 431 directs that the Office of Women's 
Business Ownership shall include a focus on outreach and engagement of 
minority women owned businesses.
  All six of these amendments enhance the NDAA.
  I have submitted two amendments to ensure greater cybersecurity 
capacity and resource allocation for the purpose of protecting 
America's Cyber Defense interest:
  1. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 182 directs the Secretary of Defense to 
develop plans for early detection, mitigation, and defense against 
state-sponsored cyberattacks regarding elections and voter engagement 
efforts.
  2. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 183 directs the Secretary of Defense to 
develop effective countermeasures to defend networks against attacks by 
cyber weapons.
  Both of these Jackson Lee amendments offered improvements to the 
NDAA's protection of America's cyber security.
  In addition to these Amendments, I am in support of the AUMF 
Amendment offered by Representatives Walter Jones and John Conyers that 
was not made in order by the Rules Committee.
  Congress has an obligation to the American people to debate the issue 
of war.
  Our military is now in theaters of war without Congressional approval 
which is in contravention to the Constitution because it states that 
only Congress has the power to declare war.
  We must continue to direct our efforts as a body to ensure that our 
troops remain the best equipped and prepared military force in the 
world. They are not just soldiers they are sons and daughters, husbands 
and wives, brothers and sisters--they are some of the people we 
represent as Members of Congress. Support for them is a sacred 
obligation of Congress, both to those who are at risk on battlefields 
and serving as the guard against threats around the world, but they are 
also those who have returned home from war.

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