[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 122 (Thursday, July 2, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4211-S4212]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I am grateful to Chairman Inhofe and 
Ranking Member Reed and their staffs for their work to produce the 
fiscal year 2021 defense authorization bill.
  The FY21 NDAA authorizes $740.5 billion in defense spending, up $2 
billion from last year. The bill provides a 3-percent pay raise for our 
troops and includes provisions that support spouse employment, 
childcare, and improved military housing. It ensures that the United 
States can defend effectively against threats from Russia, China, and 
North Korea and invests in key and innovative capabilities and 
technologies. It includes key provisions I requested to boost efforts 
at Rock Island Arsenal, address military sexual trauma, and protect the 
health of our military communities from dangerous chemicals.
  But this year, we take up the NDAA during a global pandemic, record 
unemployment, and calls to address racial injustice. The bill touches 
on some of these issues. It authorizes $44 million for vaccine and 
medical research related to COVID-19 and expands benefits for Active 
Duty and National Guard personnel involved in COVID response.
  I am pleased that it includes a provision authored by Senator Warren 
to require DOD to remove names, symbols, and other displays honoring 
the Confederacy. If we want to move toward a more just society, we 
cannot continue to honor Confederate leaders who committed treasonous 
atrocities in order to preserve slavery.
  I also authored two amendments that were included by consent, the 
first an amendment supporting strong security assistance for the 
Baltics that I filed with Senator Grassley. The Baltic States remain 
key allies and among the few NATO countries that fulfill the target 
spending of 2 percent of GDP on defense, and this provision encourages 
support for more robust and enduring security assistance. My other 
amendment is one I sponsored with Senator Portman, welcoming NATO 
recognition of Ukraine as an Enhanced Opportunities Partner. EOP status 
will help only further deepen cooperation with NATO, which is 
especially critical as 2020 marks the 6th year of ongoing Russian 
occupation of eastern Ukraine.
  But the FY21 NDAA still does not go far enough.
  I field two amendments that go to the heart of our duties as 
Senators, the power to declare war and the power of the purse. Congress 
must stop abdicating its constitutional responsibilities.
  Article I of the Constitution gives Congress the sole authority to 
declare war. I voted for the war in Afghanistan, but I never imagined 
that we would still be there nearly two decades later or that the same 
authorization would be used to justify actions around the world that 
this body had not contemplated at the time. My amendment would sunset 
all authorizations for the use of force after 10 years so that Congress 
can take up the issue and engage in its constitutional duties.

[[Page S4212]]

  I also cosponsored an amendment led by Senator Udall making clear 
that Congress has not given the executive branch any authority to go to 
war against Iran.
  We also cannot continue to let this President raid national defense 
funds for his ridiculous and racist border wall effort--remember, the 
one that the President promised Mexico would pay for. Every dollar 
diverted has been at the expense of our men and women in uniform, 
especially hurting our National Guard. This bill does nothing to 
address that. Even when the Ninth Circuit court ruled last Friday that 
the money grab was illegal, the Department of Defense informed us on 
Monday that it would not stop construction of the President's campaign 
promise. That is why I filed an amendment that would keep the President 
from transferring defense funds outside of DOD for the wall. We need a 
robust debate on the proper, effective way to respond to the 
humanitarian crisis at our border, one approved by Congress.
  In addition, I filed an amendment that would disapprove of Russia 
participating in the G7 or being readmitted into a reconstituted G8. 
Not only does Russia maintain its occupation of Ukraine, but it has 
continued its interference in the U.S. and other democratic nations. 
And just last week, The New York Times reported that Russian 
intelligence secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to 
kill American troops in Afghanistan. Apparently, the White House has 
known about this for months and did nothing. It is unacceptable. My 
amendment makes it clear that the U.S. should not support Russia's 
participation in this international summit.
  The FY21 NDAA also doesn't go far enough to address the toxic class 
of chemicals known as PFAS, which have been linked to serious and 
devastating illness.
  That is why I am pleased to cosponsor Senator Shaheen's amendments to 
designate PFAS as hazardous substances and boost DOD cleanup efforts, 
provide blood testing for servicemembers and their families, and 
increase funds to study the impact of PFAS on health. In addition, I 
support Senator Gillibrand's amendment that would extend 
antidiscrimination protections to our transgender servicemembers who 
bravely make sacrifices for our country. I also am a cosponsor of 
Senator Schatz amendment to limit the transfer of equipment under to 
the DOD 1033 program to militarize police forces across the country and 
provide transparency to the program.
  I hope that we may be able to debate all of these important issues 
during consideration of this bill, all of which will only help improve 
this legislation and provide for our national defense. In the meantime, 
I reiterate my thanks to Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Reed for 
their work on this bill.

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