[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 127 (Monday, July 20, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4256-S4257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
National Defense Authorization Act
Madam President, they also know that these risks aren't just a
domestic problem. They have seen bombshell reports about consumer data
flowing freely between popular apps and servers in China--of course,
China. They have heard about how Chinese companies, all beholden to the
Chinese Communist Party--again, as I say so often to American
businesses, if you are in business with a company in China, you are in
business with the Chinese Communist Party. They know that these
companies--all beholden to the Chinese Communist Party--steal
intellectual property, build vulnerabilities into their hardware, and
tempt tech junkies with flashy mobile apps.
The entanglement doesn't end there. I have spoken on multiple
occasions about the clear danger posed by our stifling and overly
permissive relationship with China.
We have a duty to address the threats we have uncovered so far and
anticipate future problems before they reach our shores. This year's
national defense authorization legislation does this by targeting
problems in both the public and private sectors.
We know and have known for some time that the agenda of the Chinese
Communist Party poses an existential threat to the West. This year's
NDAA includes funding and other resources for the Pacific Deterrence
Initiative, which is a comprehensive strategy focused on confronting
Beijing's influence on other countries and maintaining a U.S. and
allied presence in the region. We also authorized a pilot program that
will allow cyber specialists from the National Guard to participate in
information sharing and analysis between Federal, State, and local
officials.
We can use our military and our allies to control a threat that lives
half a world away, but how do we stop that threat from reaching our
shores?
Back in March, I worked with Senator Menendez to introduce the
bipartisan SAM-C Act to secure our pharmaceutical supply chain and
protect American consumers from shady Chinese manufacturers. In this
year's NDAA, I expanded on that idea and fought for language that will
require a percentage of what we call critical technologies to be
assembled in the United States or by a close ally.
We are also going to invest even more in machine and advanced
manufacturing research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Scientists at
Oak Ridge will work directly with researchers at the University of
Tennessee to develop new technology that will make American companies
more competitive.
I will tell you that the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge
Institute are a wonderful partnership. As we work toward 21st-century
capabilities for warfare, this is exactly the type of partnership we
need to see more of.
Being from Tennessee, which is home to multiple military
installations, I know that national defense starts and ends at home, so
I secured increased funding that is desperately needed to repair and
update Army deployment infrastructure. I know that my friends at Fort
Campbell will be able to put that to good use on their runway ramps.
The Defense bill will also fully fund new mission-essential aircraft,
including 47 Chinook helicopters for our posts in Tennessee and
technologies that will allow those famous Reapers to one day be
stationed in the Volunteer State.
We are also finally going to secure some properly fitting body armor
for servicewomen, which unbelievably is still unheard of in 2020.
We will likely spend the rest of this week hashing out the finer
details of the NDAA before we bring up the final bill for a vote. I
encourage my colleagues to consider just how interconnected we are with
both our allies and our adversaries. I want them to think about the
great power competition and the threats that exist from China, Russia,
North Korea, and Iran--I call those four the new axis of evil. I would
encourage them to remember that the threats we face require action at
every single level, whether they surface at home or half a world away.
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. BOOZMAN. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum
call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam President, I rise today in support of the fiscal
year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.
Congress has a constitutional duty under article I, section 8, to
provide for the common defense, and the NDAA is one of the key tools
that we have to ensure that the United States is capable of defending
ourselves and our interests.
[[Page S4257]]
This is, hopefully, the 60th consecutive year that Congress will pass
the NDAA. In a time of intense partisanship and national division, it
is a true testament to the significance of this responsibility and the
fact that we have been able to come together in support of the U.S.
military for decades, even when the spirit of bipartisanship and
compromise is elusive in many other areas.
We all want to ensure that America's servicemembers have the tools
and resources they need to perform their duty and to protect our
Nation. As we are all aware, threats against the United States, our
allies, and interests persist. At a time of increasing risk and
dangerous challenges to global security, the United States must lead in
creating stability through a strong and modernized military.
Peace through strength is a proven concept that reinforces American
deterrence and produces greater global security. That is why it is so
important to, yet again, come together and advance this important bill,
the NDAA.
We need to strengthen our military posture, enact policies that
encourage deterrence, project leadership, and deploy innovative
strategies to maximize advantages that serve our national security,
reassure our allies, and help defend our freedoms and ideals at home
and abroad.
The fiscal year 2021 NDAA does this by strengthening American
deterrence through investing in greater capabilities in support of
priorities listed in the national defense strategy and ensuring
America's servicemembers are ready so, when challenged, they will
prevail in any conflict.
This NDAA maintains readiness gains made over the previous years,
while making significant investments in modernization and enhancing
resources to better support and care for servicemembers and their
families. It provides a 3-percent pay raise for our troops and
reemphasizes a focus on training to ensure that our servicemembers can
conduct missions safely.
It also serves the interests of our military at a time when they need
vital support and assistance. I am especially pleased that the
legislation continues a push I have made related to military spousal
employment and also provides another step in the right direction to
ensure servicemembers' families have options for high-quality and
accessible childcare.
The continued commitment to reforms in the military's privatized
housing and health systems reflected in this legislation are also wins
for our servicemembers and their loved ones.
Additionally, this year's NDAA goes further to increase manning
levels in order to better support the demand for our forces around the
world.
I am pleased this bill includes a few of my priorities aimed at
supporting our deployed servicemembers in the State of Arkansas.
After my recent oversight visit to Iraq, I worked to ensure that the
Army has a plan to evaluate and deploy all resources to protect our
servicemembers in the theater from any kind of attack. Some of this
capability is also built in my home State. I thank my colleagues for
including my measure, which I believe will bring many benefits to our
warfighters in the defense industry in Arkansas.
Additionally, after meeting with leaders from the 188th Air Wing at
Fort Smith, it was clear to me that our servicemembers need more
support when it comes to options for childcare and assistance. That is
why I have worked on a provision to direct the Department of Defense to
research, report, and provide recommendations to Congress on how to
provide 24-hour childcare to military families who are assigned to
around-the-clock rotational units at home.
I welcome the inclusion of this initiative in this year's NDAA and am
grateful to the Armed Services Committee, which also recognizes its
real and urgent need for our military families.
I have also filed an amendment to this year's NDAA focused on meeting
the needs of our servicemembers who are undergoing routine quarantines
due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of our servicemembers are required
to quarantine when they are relocated to another military installation,
leaving them with days to weeks of inactivity and isolation.
My amendment requires the Department of Defense to develop measures
to ensure personal and professional development of our servicemembers
while in quarantine, including physical activity and educational
resources.
Defending our Nation, allies, and interests means providing the
Department of Defense with the tools and authorities it needs to carry
out that mission. This is the Federal Government's most basic function
and responsibility.
It is important to get this work done in a bipartisan way and with
broad agreement. My colleagues on the Armed Services Committee, under
the leadership of Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Reed, have
provided a great example in sending this bill out of committee with an
overwhelming vote of support. Their work has helped to ensure that the
fiscal year 2021 NDAA establishes and builds on policies that
strengthen the ability of the United States to safeguard the Nation and
provide the support and assistance that our allies have come to depend
on. Doing so helps make us and the rest of the world safer.
The fiscal year 2021 NDAA supports the national defense strategy, our
servicemembers, and the broader military community. It deserves wide
support in this body, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in
approving the NDAA and building on the U.S. legacy of unmatched
military leadership, capability, and superiority.
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. INHOFE. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum
call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Boozman). Without objection, it is so
ordered.