[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 187 (Wednesday, November 15, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1569]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2810, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR 
                            FISCAL YEAR 2018

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                               speech of

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 14, 2017

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I will vote against the conference 
report to accompany H.R. 2810, the National Defense Authorization Act 
(NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2018 (Roll no. 631). This bill is far from 
fiscally responsible.
  We've yet to reach a bipartisan budget agreement, thus, this NDAA's 
base budget authority is $77.4 billion above the cap set in the Budget 
Control Act. The GOP has demonstrated no concern for what this 
continued policy of budget-busting will do to our country's deficit. It 
will inhibit our ability to respond to future threats and will hollow 
out benefits for military personnel and veterans.
  Of deep concern to me is the bill's full funding of nuclear weapons 
modernization and maintenance programs. The Congressional Budget Office 
released a report just last month highlighting that the true cost of 
these programs over the next 30 years will be $1.2 trillion dollars. 
That's more than 20 percent higher than earlier estimates. This bill 
fails to make the tough decisions it needs to about our defense 
spending.
  The legislation does take several steps in the right direction. It 
expresses a sense of Congress that climate change is a direct threat to 
national security, raises military pay by 2.4 percent and includes 
measures to counter Russian aggression. The bill also authorizes 3,500 
visas to the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program--a program I 
worked to establish to help our Afghan allies seek refuge in the United 
States after they become the target of threats because of their 
assistance to U.S. personnel.
  However, the fiscal reality of enacting this legislation is deeply 
troubling. On balance, the costs of this bill outweigh its benefits and 
I cannot support it.

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