[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 99 (Thursday, June 14, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3929-S3930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on another subject, for the past week, 
the Senate has been considering the John S. McCain 2019 National 
Defense Authorization Act. It is a thorough bill. It is a bipartisan 
bill.
  The Armed Services Committee has conducted hearing after hearing, 
gathering testimony from our Nation's top military leaders. They have 
heard straight from the experts about the gaps between current 
capabilities and current challenges. Taking this testimony into 
account, throughout the committee markup, they considered and included 
300 amendments--300--in the version they reported to the Senate.
  For days now, we have discussed and debated it here on the floor. 
Senators Inhofe and Reed modified the substitute amendment to include 
more than 40 additional amendments from Members on both sides. Even so, 
I am confident no Senator sees this as a perfect bill. I am sure every 
one of us has further issues we would like to tackle. Some pertain to 
the substance of Defense authorization; others concern completely 
different topics.
  Personally, I would like to have seen even more votes on amendments 
this week, but one of the realities of this body is that any Senator on 
either side can object to setting up amendment votes. Any Senator on 
either side can object to setting up amendment votes.
  The good news is what we already have in hand: an excellent Defense 
authorization bill that will fulfill one of this body's important 
responsibilities and empower the men and women who volunteer to protect 
us. We have fulfilled that responsibility for 57 consecutive years. 
When this bill passes, it will be 58 consecutive years. You might call 
that a routine, but in this body, as we know, what can seem like the 
most routine activities are often among the most important. This 
Defense authorization bill is right at the top of the Senate's to-do 
list so we can do right by our men and women serving in uniform around 
the world.
  Today is the 243rd birthday of our U.S. Army. I am glad we will have 
the opportunity to vote to keep advancing this bill in just a few 
minutes.
  As I have discussed all week, this legislation is critical to 
implementing Secretary Mattis's new national defense strategy. It is 
critical for supporting our allies and regional partners

[[Page S3930]]

around the world. It is critical for keeping America safe in a world 
that confronts us with everything from terrorist threats from nonstate 
actors to great power competition.
  One way or another, the Senate will pass this bill. We will fulfill 
our solemn responsibility to our military, and then we will proceed to 
other important business for our constituents.

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