[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 176 (Tuesday, November 5, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6366-S6367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Defense Appropriations

  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, let me begin by echoing what the leader 
said earlier about the importance of passing the Defense appropriations 
bill.
  I just came from a meeting with members of our Defense Department 
where we talked about how important it is that the appropriations 
process moves forward. The Defense authorization bill, the broader bill 
that sets the priorities for military spending, is also stalled out 
here. That is something that both sides have agreed to for 58 years. It 
sets out how we are going to make sure that we take care of our men and 
women in uniform and that they have the equipment, the weaponry, and 
the training they need to do their jobs and to keep America safe. The 
authorization bill is stalled right now. That is the priority bill.
  The appropriations bill, the part that funds all of that--that, too, 
has been blocked last week, most recently by the Senate Democrats, who 
filibustered the Defense appropriations bill.
  So both the authorization bill and the funding bill are now both 
stalled out here in the Senate because of obstruction and delays by the 
Senate Democrats. That is unfortunate for the men and women in uniform 
in this country because in that Defense appropriations bill is the 
largest pay increase in a decade for our men and women in uniform, not 
to mention all of the important priorities that are funded when it 
comes to the weapons systems and the most sophisticated technology that 
is necessary, again, to keep Americans safe both here at home and 
around the world.
  I can't emphasize enough how important it is for our Democratic 
colleagues to come to their senses and conclude that taking care of 
America's military is job No. 1. If we don't get national security 
right, the rest is conversation. It really is. All these other things 
that we talk about are secondary and pale in comparison to making sure 
that we are taking the steps necessary to protect Americans, as I said, 
both here at home and around the world.
  The Defense appropriations bill funds all of those priorities, all 
those things that are important, from pay and benefits for our men and 
women in uniform to, again, all the things that are necessary for them 
when it comes to training, equipment, and weaponry to do their jobs and 
to do them well, to continue to keep Americans safe both here at home 
and around the world, and to be able to project American power where 
necessary in a world that is increasingly dangerous.
  I would just urge the Democrats here in the Senate to allow this 
appropriations process to move forward. Give us a vote. Let's vote on 
it. Let's get the military funded. Every day that goes by where it is 
not funded is lost time, and there are resources that can't be put into 
those important priorities

[[Page S6367]]

that are so essential to America's national security interests.
  We have a filibuster being conducted by the Senate Democrats. It 
needs to be stopped. We need to move forward with the Defense 
appropriations bill, and I hope the Senate Democrats will come to the 
conclusion that this is the right thing to do, not only for the Senate 
but, more importantly, for our country.