[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.