[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 103 (Wednesday, June 19, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3810-S3811]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   National Defense Authorization Act

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, this week we will begin consideration of 
the National Defense Authorization Act, the annual legislation to 
authorize funding for our military and national defense. This year's 
legislation builds on last year's bill, with its emphasis on restoring 
military readiness and ensuring that we are prepared to meet threats 
from major powers like China and Russia.
  Some may take it for granted that we have the strongest military in 
the world, but our military strength, built on the service and 
sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, requires sustained 
investment. In recent years, budgetary impasses paired with increased 
operational demands have left our Armed Forces with manpower deficits 
and under-equipped for confronting the threats of the 21st century. 
Given the multitude of threats around the world, we cannot afford to 
become complacent or ease our preparedness. The truth is, the last time 
our military underwent a comprehensive modernization, Ronald Reagan was 
President.
  In November 2018, the bipartisan National Defense Strategy Commission 
released a report warning that our readiness had eroded to the point 
where we might struggle to win a war against a major power like Russia 
or China. The Commission noted that we would be especially vulnerable 
if we were ever called on to fight a war on two fronts. Repairing this 
readiness deficit has to be one of Congress's most important 
priorities.
  Last year's National Defense Authorization Act took major steps 
forward on modernization, making significant and targeted investments 
in the research, manpower, and materiel needed to equip our military to 
face 21st-century threats. We have made real

[[Page S3811]]

progress, but there is a lot more work to be done.
  This year's National Defense Authorization Act focuses on building on 
the progress we have made. It invests in the planes, combat vehicles, 
and ships of the future, including the Joint Strike Fighter and the 
future B-21 bomber, which will be based at Ellsworth Air Force Base in 
my home State of South Dakota. It authorizes funding for research and 
development and advanced technology. It authorizes funds to modernize 
our nuclear arsenal to maximize our deterrence capabilities. It also 
focuses on ensuring that we are equipped to meet threats on new fronts, 
including in the space and cyber domains.
  It is important that we invest in these new areas of the battlefield 
to ensure we are prepared to meet and defeat threats. We are once again 
in an era of great power competition, where states like China and 
Russia harbor imperial ambitions. The National Defense Authorization 
Act will help ensure that we have a credible deterrence and are 
equipped to meet threats from great powers as well as rogue states and 
terrorist organizations. This legislation will also invest in our 
relationships with key allies and security partners to help counter 
shared threats.
  Importantly, this NDAA will help our military bases rebound from 
recent natural disasters.
  Finally, of course, this legislation will invest in our most 
important resource--our troops and in their families.
  This year's National Defense Authorization Act authorizes a 3.1-
percent pay increase for our troops, the largest increase in a decade. 
They more than deserve it, and an increase is important for recruitment 
and retention in our All-Volunteer Force when the economy is as strong 
as it is.
  The bill also focuses on addressing the recent significant health and 
safety issues faced by many families with private on-base housing, and 
it contains measures to support military spouses seeking employment and 
increased access to childcare on military installations.
  It also allows parental leave to be taken in multiple increments, 
better adapting to the lives of our warfighters.
  In his first annual address to Congress, George Washington noted: 
``To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of 
preserving peace.''
  There is no better way to preserve peace and protect our Nation than 
to ensure that the U.S. military is the best equipped, most capable 
fighting force in the world.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the National 
Defense Authorization Act and to give our military men and women the 
tools they need to defend the country.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.