[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 185 (Tuesday, November 19, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6633-S6634]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Defense Appropriations

  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, our most fundamental responsibility as 
Members of Congress is to provide for our Nation's defense, and a big 
part of that is ensuring that our men and women in uniform have the 
resources

[[Page S6634]]

they need to defend our country. That means, of course, that we have to 
ensure that our military receives adequate funding to meet today's 
priorities and to prepare for the threats of tomorrow. It also means we 
need to ensure that our military receives timely funding.
  Our military doesn't just need sufficient funding to cover defense 
priorities; it also needs to receive that money on time, on a 
predictable schedule. That means passing the Defense appropriations 
bill before the end of each fiscal year instead of forcing the military 
to rely on temporary funding measures that leave the military in doubt 
about funding levels and unable to start important new projects.
  Right now, we are almost 2 full months into the 2020 fiscal year. We 
should have passed the Defense appropriations bill by the end of 
September, but we didn't because, unfortunately, our Democratic 
colleagues were unable to resist the chance to pick yet another fight 
with the President. This wasn't supposed to happen. At the end of the 
summer, the congressional leaders of both parties and the President 
reached an agreement on funding levels for 2020 and 2021. The leaders 
also agreed on a number of guidelines for appropriations bills, 
including a ban on poison pills intended to derail appropriations 
legislation. The idea behind this agreement was to pave the way for the 
timely passage of appropriations bills and to prevent the kind of 
situation we are in right now--almost 2 months behind on passing 
defense and other funding. Unfortunately, the Democrats chose to renege 
on this agreement.
  The Senate Democrats are currently holding up defense funding by 
insisting on the type of poison pills they promised to forgo just a few 
months ago. The leader has attempted to bring up the Defense 
appropriations bill twice, and both times the Senate Democrats have 
filibustered the legislation. It is deeply disappointing. I understand 
that my Democratic colleagues are looking for any opportunity to pick a 
fight with the President, but funding for our men and women in uniform 
should not be subjected to the Democrats' partisan whims.
  Thanks to the Democrats, right now, our military is operating under a 
continuing resolution that leaves the military short of the funding it 
needs for the 2020 fiscal year. That has real consequences. In addition 
to leaving the military underfunded, a continuing resolution prevents 
the military from starting key projects that will help to ensure our 
men and women in uniform will be prepared to meet the threats of the 
future. The Pentagon can't start new procurement projects. New research 
and development initiatives that keep us a step ahead of our 
adversaries are put on hold. All told, under a continuing resolution, 
the military's purchasing power is reduced by, roughly, $5 billion each 
quarter.
  To put that in perspective, that is the equivalent of losing out on 
about 56 Joint Strike Fighter planes, depending on the variant, every 3 
months. That $5 billion the Pentagon is going without is urgently 
needed funding for critical military priorities. The longer the 
Pentagon goes without this funding, the greater the consequences for 
our military preparedness.
  Playing politics with our national defense is unacceptable. We owe 
our men and women in uniform timely, reliable, and adequate defense 
funding, and we owe every man, woman, and child in the United States 
the same thing. The safety of every person in this country depends on 
the strength of our military. I hope that at least some of my 
Democratic colleagues will see their way to joining the Republicans in 
getting this year's Defense appropriations bill to the President's 
desk. It is time to get our men and women in uniform the funding that 
they need and that they deserve.
  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. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Scott of Florida). Without objection, it 
is so ordered.