[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 207 (Tuesday, December 8, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H6919-H6935]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 6395, WILLIAM M. (MAC) THORNBERRY NATIONAL 
             DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021

  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the 
House of December 3, 2020, I call up the conference report on the bill 
(H.R. 6395) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
Thursday, December 3, 2020, the conference report is considered read.
  (For conference report and statement, see proceedings of the House of 
December 3, 2020, at Book II, page H6145.)
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith) 
and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry) each will control 30 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and insert extraneous material on the conference report 
to accompany H.R. 6395.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Washington?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference report before 
us today. This is the defense policy bill, and this is an incredibly 
important piece of legislation. There is a lot of public debate about 
different issues that sort of rise to the level of people arguing 
about, and they are very important, passionate issues. But lost in that 
sometimes is the basic substance of what we do in the defense policy 
bill, and that is, we exercise our legislative authority to do 
oversight of the Pentagon and national security policy.
  And on that measure, this year's bill is an incredibly important 
piece of legislation. To begin with, we address the issue of diversity 
within the military. I really want to thank the Congressional Black 
Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, specifically Anthony 
Brown, Veronica Escobar, and Ruben Gallego for putting forward policy 
that will address the diversity problems that we have.
  Mr. Speaker, our military right now in its leadership and in its 
recruitment does not adequately reflect the diversity of this country. 
This bill puts in place a chief diversity officer at the Pentagon and 
takes a number of other steps to try to correct that, to make sure that 
we have a military that reflects diversity of this country and that 
meets the equity and social justice requirements. I think that is an 
incredibly important policy statement, and a step forward.
  We also implement a number of the provisions from a defense policy 
board led by Eric Schmidt and Bob Work focusing on artificial 
intelligence. I heard some Members speaking earlier about the 
importance of that. We have a series of recommendations for how the 
Department of Defense can do a better job of getting AI right, 
developing the technology and using it, but also broader technologies 
as well. The Pentagon is woefully behind right now in taking advantage 
of the technologies that are crucial to getting us the proper defense 
going forward. I think that is incredibly important.

  Mr. Speaker, we also have a provision that Ranking Member Thornberry 
worked on. It is not the most sexy or exciting thing in the world. It 
is 300 pages of cleaning up the technical problems within the 
acquisition process at the Pentagon, but it is crucially important.
  We have so many innovative technologies, so many small businesses out 
there that are generating great ideas that would be terrific for the 
Pentagon, but they can't get in. They can't penetrate the bureaucracy 
and figure out how to even do business, so most of them walk away. It 
is crucially important that we take steps to fix that.
  We also have a provision I have worked on a lot dealing with 
satellites and launch. Same thing--encourage competition, encourage 
innovation. Regrettably, the Pentagon has a somewhat understandable 
bias towards incumbents. They also have a bias towards large companies. 
But what that does is it makes it harder for that innovation, for those 
new technologies that are crucial to get through. We make changes to 
address that.
  We also have a provision in this bill to deal with Agent Orange, to 
make

[[Page H6920]]

sure that we are taking care of our troops, because that is a crucial 
part of our oversight as well, to make sure that once the fighting is 
done, we don't forget the people who fought, that we help them.
  For too long, veterans have not been able to access the healthcare 
they deserve. This bill addresses that. I know that Mark Takano and 
Josh Harder on our side worked very hard on that issue and I thank them 
for that. It is crucially important.
  Mr. Speaker, I also take a moment to address the concerns that 
Representative Gaetz raised. He is not accurate in saying that we stop 
the President from being able to move troops. All we do in Afghanistan 
is we say, Make sure you give us a reason. And then, frankly, if the 
President doesn't give us a reason, he can exercise a national security 
waiver and not follow our advice. It is simply advice that says, Yes, 
in our opinion, we need to get out of Afghanistan, but we need to do it 
responsibly.

                              {time}  1230

  It is a way crazy overstatement to say that we prevent a Chief 
Executive from pulling out of Afghanistan. This bill does not do that. 
It merely says, if you are going to do it, make sure that you do it 
right so that we protect our troops as we make that decision.
  I think that is not an accurate description of what this bill does.
  But overall, I want to remind people, it is incredibly important that 
we pass this piece of legislation for a couple of basic reasons.
  Number one, we are the legislative body. The one thing we have in 
common--House, Senate, Democrat, Republican--is that we are all 
legislators. We all represent people. If we don't do our job, if we 
don't pass this bill and exercise oversight, we are ceding authority to 
the executive branch, authority that is too great already. I think 
Democrats and Republicans agree on this as well. Granted, when there is 
a Democratic President, Republicans are more enthusiastic about it, and 
when there is a Republican President, Democrats are more enthusiastic 
about it. But we all agree there is too much executive power and not 
enough legislative oversight.
  Let's not walk away from our biggest opportunity every year to 
exercise that legislative oversight. This is a good bill. If we don't 
do this, we are not fulfilling one key aspect of our duties to our 
constituents.
  Also, the legislative process itself, I think, is incredibly 
important. These are times when we have a deeply divided Nation and a 
deeply divided Congress, but that is precisely the moment when 
legislative authority is so important. It is how we come together and 
solve problems.
  I will tell you, Senator Inhofe and I disagree on a lot. We also do 
not have a lot in common.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself an additional 1 
minute.
  Mr. Speaker, we have come together on this bill because we recognize 
the importance of that process. You have to learn how to work with 
people you disagree with in order for civil society to function. That 
is what we have done.
  Now, sadly, this is the only conference report that we will vote on 
this session. I think it might be the only one we have voted on in the 
last 2 years. I could be wrong about that. But if not, it is one of the 
precious few. That shows you how far we are drifting away from 
exercising our responsibilities.
  If Senator Inhofe and I can come together and agree on this, then I 
think we can all understand that this is a good bipartisan compromise 
that we all should support.
  I want to close by thanking the staff. I have not worked with a 
better group of people on anything I have ever done in my life; the 
House staff, the Senate staff, all outstanding people doing a difficult 
job.
  I also want to do something I haven't done before, and that is 
specifically thank the legislative counsel and also apologize. Every 
year, we put this bill together seemingly at the last minute. It is a 
very big bill. We come up with our ideas, we turn them over to the 
legislative counsel at 2 o'clock in the morning on Sunday, and say, 
``Please do this.''
  I am sorry. We are going to try to do better in the future. But thank 
you, thank you, thank you for the outstanding work that you do.
  Lastly, I want to thank Mac. This bill was named after him--over his 
objection, by the way. He has done an outstanding job as chairman and 
as ranking member of this committee. He will be missed. I really thank 
him for his leadership. Without him, this would not be possible.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Turner).
  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I want to continue our chairman's lauding of 
the career of Mac Thornberry, again, over his objections. In my 18 
years that I have served in Congress, I can tell you, not only has his 
leadership been essential on the Armed Services Committee, but his 
time, both as chairman and ranking member, has been incredibly 
important. He has served the Nation well.
  I want to thank Chairman Smith for his leadership. We have truly a 
bipartisan bill in front of us, and it is a result of Mac Thornberry 
and Adam Smith, their work to try to ensure that we do put America 
first.
  Contrary to the prior speaker--before we began to debate this bill, 
we heard accusations that this did not put America first. This puts 
America first. What is essential about this is that our adversaries are 
gaining on our capabilities. They are investing in modernization. They 
are investing in capabilities that will threaten our ability to ensure 
our safety and our liberty. This bill is about America first.
  I would like to highlight a few key issues in this bill.
  First, the conference report fully authorizes the administration's 
budget request for the National Nuclear Security Administration. These 
funds are critical to ensuring our nuclear weapons enterprise remains 
safe, secure, and effective going into the future. We have put off 
needed investment too long. There is no longer any margin of error or 
delay. Now, the NNSA must transform from a culture of sustainment and 
maintenance to a culture of development and manufacturing to meet the 
nuclear safety environment of the future.
  Second, I am pleased that the conference report removes a provision 
that would have prohibited the NNSA from conducting necessary testing 
and experimentation.
  Next, the conference report funds the ground based strategic 
deterrent, the replacement for the Minuteman III, which has provided 
the Nation with a nuclear security umbrella for half a century. 
Transition to the ground-based strategic deterrent will be one of the 
most complex projects the Federal Government has ever undertaken.

  The bill also continues the progress of Space Force, and the bill 
makes serious investments in missile defense by funding the Missile 
Defense Agency's highest unfunded priorities. It authorizes funds for 
nine SM-3 Block IIA missiles and a new THAAD battery.
  The conference report also includes a provision directing the DOD to 
collaborate with research centers so that we can bring forward 
information on our adversaries and what they are doing.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage everyone to vote for this bill. It is 
important for the future and the security of America.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities, and 
I thank him for his leadership.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the conference 
report to accompany H.R. 6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I have served with 
Ranking Member Mac Thornberry for nearly 20 years, and I thank him for 
his service to the Nation and for his bipartisan leadership.
  Mac, it has been an honor, and you will be missed.
  I congratulate my colleagues, particularly Chairman Adam Smith, for 
his leadership in crafting the National Defense Authorization Act for 
the 60th consecutive year.
  The portions of the NDAA under my purview provide direction and 
oversight for Special Operations Forces and

[[Page H6921]]

the defense intelligence enterprise. The bill supports scientists and 
funds STEM programs that will diversify our workforce. It also advances 
several policy priorities in artificial intelligence and cyberspace, 
including 27 recommendations from the Cyberspace Solarium Commission on 
which I serve.
  Among the most important, notably, this bill establishes a long-
overdue provision that I authored, the Senate-confirmed national cyber 
director within the Executive Office of the President. The national 
cyber director will be the singular point of strategy development and 
implementation and will provide vital coordination to keep us safe in 
cyberspace.
  This bill also funds two Virginia-class submarines and the first 
Columbia-class submarine. I was proud to work with Chairman Courtney to 
fight cuts to the President's budget that would have eliminated a 
Virginia-class submarine. I am equally proud to represent the workers 
in Rhode Island who make such important and unique contributions to 
building the most sophisticated weapons systems ever built, which are 
vital to our national security.
  In all of my efforts on the NDAA, I have been privileged to serve 
with my ranking member, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, by my side. I 
thank her for her contributions and her commitment to bipartisanship.
  I also want to thank my colleagues and the staff on the Intelligence 
and Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee and my personal 
staff for their tireless efforts to get the NDAA across the finish 
line.
  Finally, this bill provides a 3 percent pay raise for our men and 
women in uniform, although no price can ever be put on their invaluable 
service. Every day, servicemembers put their lives on the line to 
protect our way of life and keep us safe at home, and we owe them an 
enormous debt of gratitude that we can never repay.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan 
commitment to national security.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Lamborn).
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to say our country and our 
military are a better place because of Ranking Member Thornberry's hard 
work, involvement, and dedication.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the conference report 
to accompany H.R. 6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. This NDAA continues the 
Armed Services Committee's commendable bipartisan tradition.
  I am particularly happy with the following aspects of the conference 
report that affect readiness.
  It authorizes over $250 billion for operations and maintenance, 
including facilities sustainment and $8 billion in new military 
construction.
  It reforms logistics and sustainment to better align the Department's 
support to the National Defense Strategy while ensuring that 
sustainment planning is emphasized early in major weapon system 
acquisition.
  It extends critical land withdrawals for the Navy and the Air Force 
to perform training activities at the Fallon Range Training Complex and 
the Nevada Test and Training Range. These are vital to the readiness of 
our aviation forces.
  It provides the Air Force with much-needed flexibility to synchronize 
military construction and weapons system fielding for the ground-based 
strategic deterrent system.
  It continues to reform military family housing with better 
remediation of severe environmental hazards.
  These are just some of the important improvements in readiness that 
the NDAA accomplishes.
  I want to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Thornberry for 
their leadership to complete the NDAA, along with Readiness 
Subcommittee Chairman   John Garamendi.
  Passing this bill signals the clear support of Congress to our 
military members and their families. If not enacted, these critical 
readiness authorities and vital matters like military pay raises will 
not happen.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the conference report.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney), the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces.
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 2021 
William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act.
  I want to begin by congratulating Chairman Smith and Mr. Thornberry 
for their persistent teamwork in bringing this bill to fruition. It is 
the way Congress is supposed to work.

  Mr. Speaker, the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces made 
a significant mark in this year's bill. Last February, the President's 
budget, out of nowhere, cut the Navy's shipbuilding budget by 17 
percent, including the removal of an entire Virginia-class attack 
submarine, with no rationale or 30-year shipbuilding plan, as required 
by law.
  Our subcommittee led the way in fully restoring that submarine, 
having listened to the combatant commanders who have articulated the 
need for that repeatedly, and adding a fast transport ship, bringing 
the total new ships in this bill to nine, two more than requested in 
the Trump budget.
  We also focused attention on our domestic sealift fleet. The final 
bill authorizes half a billion dollars for the Maritime Security 
Program to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on our domestic sealift 
fleet and creates a new tanker security fleet aimed at addressing 
alarming gaps in at-sea logistics.
  The bill enhances crucial airlift programs by funding our next-
generation refueler, the KC-46A, and rejecting harmful cuts in our 
refueling fleet.
  The final agreement also includes a provision that sets a firm floor 
in support of more than a dozen State Governors' requests to preserve 
the C-130 aircraft for the Air National Guard.
  Mr. Speaker, this is truly a bipartisan bill that represents the hard 
work and input of Members on both sides of the aisle.
  Thank you to my friend, Ranking Member  Rob Wittman, for his amazing 
friendship and work, and our colleagues on the subcommittee for their 
hard work in crafting this year's bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge a ``yes'' vote today.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Bacon).
  Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of the conference 
report to accompany the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense 
Authorization Act.
  For the past 59 years, Congress has passed the NDAA on a bipartisan 
basis for one simple reason: Politics must never, ever stand between 
the American people and the security of our country. This record of 
bipartisan unity is unrivaled in our history and a testament to what we 
can do when we come together to ensure that the needs of our Nation are 
met.
  As a conferee, I can proudly say that this bill wisely balances the 
differences between each Chamber and puts America's security first.
  Let me say at the outset that I am in agreement with the President's 
concerns about section 230 and the need to deny broad immunity to tech 
companies that abuse legal protections to censor voices that do not 
share their particular political viewpoints.
  However, as important as this issue is, it falls outside the 
jurisdiction of this bill and deserves its own debate and a separate 
vote so that every Member of Congress is on record where they stand. 
For Members considering to vote ``no'' because of this issue, ask 
yourself: Do you think you will get a better bill in 2 months? The 
answer is no.
  I wish to commend the outstanding leadership of Chairman Smith and my 
friend Mac Thornberry for navigating this bill through conference. 
Under their leadership, this legislation will continue the readiness 
recovery we began 4 years ago.
  It will fully fund modernization of our strategic nuclear deterrence. 
It ensures America's military advantage well into the future with 
necessary investments in air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace. It 
directs the Secretary of Defense to establish emergency medical surge 
partnerships with Federal, State, and local entities, universities, and 
private healthcare providers to prepare for future pandemics. It keeps 
the faith of our servicemembers and military families.

[[Page H6922]]

  This bill also provides long-overdue support and relief to veterans 
suffering from toxic exposure. As an airman who deployed four times, I 
served with many who were exposed to burn pits and now suffer from 
tumors in their lungs. This bill grants presumptive benefits for 
veterans suffering from these illnesses and requires the VA to fast-
track disability statuses.
  So this conference report provides our servicemembers the tools they 
need to defend America. On the 60th consecutive NDAA, I am proud to 
have helped craft this bill, and I thank the statesmanship of Mac 
Thornberry, whose name it bears.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

                              {time}  1245

  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker of the House.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I 
thank him and Mr. Thornberry for their leadership in bringing this 
legislation to the floor in a strong bipartisan way.
  I am proud to support the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act 
that honors our values, strengthens our security, and advances our 
leadership in the world.
  I, again, salute Chairman Smith. I congratulate Ranking Member 
Thornberry for his service in the Congress. I know this legislation is 
named for him. That is pretty exciting for all of us. I don't know if 
it is for him, but it is exciting for the rest of us.
  I thank the members of the committee for their patriotic, persistent 
leadership on this legislation; it reflects the brilliance and the 
collaboration we can have. Nearly half the members contributed to parts 
of this bill.
  While we would have liked to have seen the House version of this 
legislation, we can all take pride that the NDAA, again, will 
strengthen our national security for years to come.
  I am particularly pleased with some of the issues in the bill that 
are supportive of our troops. This NDAA, Mr. Speaker, incorporates key 
Democratic priorities, including supporting our troops' financial 
security, authorizing a long-overdue pay raise and hazard duty pay, 
extending paid parental leave to civilian employees who had not been 
included, and providing long-overdue benefits to Vietnam-era veterans 
exposed to Agent Orange.
  This issue has been an issue for a long time in our country and in 
this Congress, and it needed some expansion. I am glad in this 
legislation the exposure extends to hypothyroidism, bladder cancer, and 
Parkinson's. If you are there and you have this, it is connected.
  Mr. Speaker, I am personally interested in this because many years 
ago, before I was in Congress, in our community in California, we had a 
big--in LA, actually, we had a big hunger strike by Vietnam vets over 
Agent Orange. This was, like, 35 years ago, long before Congress acted 
on this. They were on a hunger strike, and I went to be sympathetic and 
show support. I was chair of the California Democratic Party at the 
time.
  Dick Gregory came. Dick Gregory had been on many hunger strikes for 
one thing or another, civil rights, this and that. He taught them that, 
if you are on a hunger strike, you must shower, you must hydrate, 
hydrate, hydrate; telling them how not to make themselves sick because 
they were on a hunger strike, but to control that damage.
  I was particularly pleased to be there with Dick Gregory because my 
brother and he served in the Army in Texas together. In those days--
that was in the fifties, a long time ago--my brother was Dick Gregory's 
friend, at a time when there wasn't so much, shall we say, integration 
among the troops. So we had that personal connection.
  Then, once again, with our Vietnam-era vets, when it came to Agent 
Orange. So I commend you all personally, patriotically, and in every 
way for taking care of our vets there.
  Then the families, defending their health and well-being and that of 
their families, improving housing and access to childcare, improving 
pandemic response, protecting military communities from dangerous PFAS 
chemicals, and addressing sexual assault in the military.
  Jackie Speier has been such a champion on that issue, and I thank her 
for that.
  Combating our adversaries and investing in our allies with important 
tools to deter China and Russia, fight transnational threats, and 
further strengthening our partnership with Israel.
  Bringing our defense further into the 21st century with reforms to 
make the Pentagon more efficient and innovative, important bipartisan 
provisions on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and key 
investments in military construction and base realignment.
  This NDAA is momentous in this respect, as Congress comes together on 
a bipartisan and bicameral basis to begin the process of changing the 
names of military bases and infrastructure named after individuals who 
served in the Confederacy.
  Mr. Speaker, it is important to know that this isn't names of things 
that, oh, my gosh, later we found out that so-and-so did this and that, 
that was so wrong. This was a decision made to name these bases after 
people, White supremacists, and those who were part of the Confederacy. 
The men for whom these bases were named are not heroes. They are named 
for traitors who took up arms against America and killed American 
soldiers in defense of slavery.
  As I have said before, there is no room for celebrating the violent 
bigotry of the men of the Confederacy in any place of honor across our 
country, whether in the hallowed Halls of the United States Capitol or 
on our military bases.
  Changing the hateful names of these bases is supported by an 
overwhelming majority of the American people, by our Active Duty 
servicemen and -women, and by top military leaders.
  And now the President has threatened to veto this legislation. I hope 
not. I hope not. This bipartisan policy bill has been signed into law 
for 59 consecutive years. Let us urge the President to a show respect 
for the work of the bipartisan, bicameral Congress, and for the 
sacrifice of our military.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge a strong bipartisan vote for this legislation, 
which upholds our values, honors our troops, and keeps the America 
people safe. And I hope that it will be swiftly signed into law.
  I just want to make the further point that the strength of our 
Nation, of course, depends on our strength that we are talking about 
here, but it also depends on the health and well-being of the American 
people. So as we have our budget debate and the rest, let us recognize 
that the health and well-being of the American people, whether it is 
the education of our children, the security of our economy, and the 
rest, and so many other aspects of our budgeting here, that this is one 
element of the strength of our country.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote. I congratulate Mr. Thornberry for 
his namesake bill, and I acknowledge the great leadership of our chair, 
Adam Smith. I want to also acknowledge Anthony Brown, who did such a 
tremendous piece of work on the base renamings.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler).
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference 
report to accompany H.R. 6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.
  I am grateful that this bill bears the name of a public servant who 
has fought tirelessly throughout his 26 years in Congress for our men 
and women in uniform, and whose steadfast and wise leadership has made 
such a difference. This legislation is a fitting tribute to his 
enduring legacy.
  As ranking member of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee, I 
am pleased this conference agreement builds on the progress we have 
made in rebuilding military readiness after years of deferred 
modernization.
  Through targeted oversight, this agreement will set the right 
conditions to ensure needed capabilities required for the national 
defense strategy and credible deterrence are delivered in a timely 
manner to maintain our competitive edge against Russia and China.
  A few examples of these critical capabilities include funding for 12 
F-15EX aircraft; an additional $1.2 billion for

[[Page H6923]]

F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for a total of 93 F-35 aircraft; funding for 
24 F-18 Super Hornets to include an additional $28 million for advance 
procurement; strong support for the Army's identified big six 
modernization priorities, such as future vertical lift and long-range 
precision fires; an additional $104 million for Army Ammunition Plant 
modernization; and an additional $150 million for National Guard and 
Reserve Component Equipment modernization.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to, again, thank Ranking Member 
Thornberry for his leadership, thank Chairman Adam Smith for his 
steadfast and fair handling of the committee and this vital bill, and 
thank our subcommittee chairman,   Donald Norcross, for his spirit of 
bipartisanship.
  In addition, this conference report wouldn't be possible without the 
hard work and dedication of the entire subcommittee staff, and I thank 
them all.
  The NDAA has always been a product of bipartisan consensus, whose 
purpose has always been to support our troops and to protect American 
national security.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 
support this bill and vote ``yes'' on H.R. 6395 for the 60th year in a 
row.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Speier), the chair of the Subcommittee 
on Military Personnel.
  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the time and for 
his outstanding leadership, patience, and perseverance.
  I also thank Ranking Member Thornberry for his many years of 
distinguished service to our Nation, both in the military and in 
Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member of the committee, Mr. Kelly; 
also the committee staff, Craig, David, Hannah; and my personal staff, 
Josh, Brian, and Luke.
  Before I speak about the conference agreement, I feel like I must 
speak about the Fort Hood Independent Review, which was ordered after 
Specialist Vanessa Guillen's murder. This is the report. It is being 
released in a matter of 3 minutes by the Secretary of the Army. I won't 
go into details, but I will say that it is a damning expose of a system 
at Fort Hood that does a shameful disservice to the sacrifices of our 
servicemembers and their families.
  The report makes clear what I have been saying since before I was on 
the Armed Services Committee, that the Army sexual assault and 
harassment response has failed, that servicemembers are afraid to 
report, believe they will not be taken seriously and will be retaliated 
against, and that major systemic changes are needed, including greater 
independence from the chain of command for handling sexual assault and 
harassment.
  Any parent reading this report would have to ask themselves: Is my 
son or daughter safe in the military?
  This bill is not perfect. Important provisions on sexual assault and 
domestic violence were left out. But this conference agreement would 
make progress, including a new confidential reporting option for sexual 
harassment and a provision to ensure that servicemembers who report 
sexual assault are not disciplined for related minor infractions.
  It also includes a pay raise for servicemembers, long-overdue 
provisions to promote racial and gender equity within the armed 
services, including goals for accessions and promotions of persons of 
color and women, as well as the creation of a new deputy inspector 
general for diversity and inclusion that will investigate White 
supremacists' activities by servicemembers.
  Additionally, the bill expands support for childcare and provides for 
exceptional family member services.
  Therefore, I will be voting for the bill, and I hope my colleagues 
will join me in this. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to recognize 
that this is just the beginning. We have more to do. More lives are 
lost and must be accounted for.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from New York (Ms. Stefanik).
  Ms. STEFANIK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
bipartisan bill.
  As the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Intelligence and 
Emerging Threats and Capabilities, I am I proud of our oversight and 
legislative activities this year, which have included recharging our 
science and technology enterprise, strengthening our Nation's 
cybersecurity, expanding the resources and authorities for irregular 
warfare activities across the globe, and bolstering our biological 
threat and pandemic preparedness efforts.
  Two years ago, I introduced legislation in the NDAA that created the 
National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence with the 
purpose of accelerating and advancing the development of AI across the 
Federal Government. I applaud the commission for their work on this 
important issue, and I am pleased that this conference report includes 
17 of those recommendations, including elevating the role of the Joint 
AI Center; modernizing how the DOD attracts and retains AI talent; and 
ensuring our AI research ecosystem maintains its competitive advantage 
over China.

                              {time}  1300

  Second, this bill extends and expands the opportunities for our 
Special Operations Forces to partner with foreign forces, build 
critical relationships, and more effectively counter the malign 
influences of Russia and China. This bill also ensures that all of our 
Special Operations Forces--active duty, reserve, National Guard and 
their families are provided the care and support that they deserve.
  Third, this bill takes concrete steps to protect critical defense 
technologies, strengthen cybersecurity cooperation with the defense 
industrial base, and rebuild our domestic manufacturing capabilities 
for sensitive microelectronics and semiconductor components. This bill 
brings transparency to Federally funded research while at the same time 
restricting foreign influence on our university campuses.
  As the chief advocate for Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division, I 
am proud to deliver results for the Army's most deployed division since 
9/11. This year's NDAA addresses our homeland missile defense, as Fort 
Drum is named as the preferred East Coast missile defense site. I am 
also proud to include provisions that require plans for renovating 
child development centers and review of IT infrastructure enhancements 
at Army mission training complexes. These provisions are critical to 
enhance readiness and ensure the 10th Mountain Division can conduct 
safe and secure operations.
  I recognize my partner, my colleague, Congressman  Jim Langevin of 
Rhode Island. And lastly, I thank Ranking Member Thornberry for his 
extraordinary leadership and guidance, not only this year, but in many 
years of his truly exemplary service. He is a giant in the people's 
House, and he will be sorely missed.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill and vote 
``yes.''
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper), the chairman of the Subcommittee 
on Strategic Forces.
  Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  I am pleased to support the fiscal year 2021 National Defense 
Authorization Act. Thankfully, maintaining a tradition of 
bipartisanship to get the 60th, a record, National Defense 
Authorization Act through the House and then through conference with 
the Senate is no small feat, particularly during a global pandemic.
  I thank, in particular, our outstanding Chairman Smith and Ranking 
Member Thornberry for their leadership, as well as Ranking Member  Mike 
Turner for his partnership in the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, and 
all of the conferees for getting to this point.
  In particular, I would like to thank Ranking Member Thornberry for 
his extraordinary leadership on the HASC over the last 6 years, and I 
am happy to congratulate my friend and colleague,   Mike Rogers, as the 
next HASC ranking member.
  The Strategic Forces provisions in the bill would not have been in 
place without the outstanding staff work of Leonor Tomero, Maria 
Vastola, and Grant Schneider as the lead staffers.
  These provisions support our nuclear forces and nuclear 
nonproliferation. They also enhance oversight of the warhead 
acquisition and plutonium pit production programs, which continue to be 
major undertakings.

[[Page H6924]]

  The conference report supports regional missile defense efforts, 
restores funding to critical radar discrimination capabilities, and 
provides needed oversight on the next generation of interceptors in 
order to ensure fly-before-you-buy principles in this $10 billion 
program.
  The report acknowledges the increased focus on development and 
delivery of conventional hypersonic weapons, while also initiating 
efforts to address broad policy concerns regarding the risk of 
miscalculation as these new strategic-level weapons are fielded.
  With regard to the rapidly transforming space domain, the conference 
report supports innovative commercial capabilities, competition, and 
the emergence of small-launch providers to provide national security as 
well as the codification of the Space Development Agency's mission.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge a strong vote in favor of this conference report.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Kelly).
  Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  As ranking member of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, I stand 
before you today in proud support of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for fiscal year 2021. The conference report reflects bipartisan 
compromise that has been a hallmark of this committee for 59 
consecutive years.
  The National Defense Authorization Act has always been about ensuring 
the national defense of the United States, which would be impossible 
without appropriate focus on the men and women who tirelessly serve 
this country; and appropriate focus on their families who serve this 
great Nation by supporting their loved ones time and again; through the 
deployments, the training periods and all the challenges of day-to-day 
living. We owe them a great debt of gratitude. The NDAA also preserves 
a number of robust TRICARE and retirement benefits for our retirees.
  To this end, we addressed a number of significant and overdue policy 
issues that would directly improve the quality of life of our 
servicemembers and their families.
  The NDAA authorizes a 3 percent increase in basic pay for 
servicemembers. It also standardizes the payment of hazardous duty 
incentive pay and increases hazardous duty pay from $250 to $275 a 
month for members of the uniformed services.
  The NDAA reinforces the committee's longstanding commitment to the 
military family by requiring the Department of Defense to redefine 
military family readiness and military personnel resiliency, and it 
provides for significant reforms in the Exceptional Family Member 
Program.
  Of course, the NDAA also addresses COVID-19.
  This is an outstanding bipartisan NDAA dedicated to our 
servicemembers, military families, and retirees, and gives them the 
care and support they need, deserve, and have earned.
  I thank my staff, Sergeant Major Jeremy Barton, my Army Fellow; 
Rodney Hall, my MLA; and our MILPER staff, Glen Diehl and Paul Golden. 
I thank Chairwoman Speier for working together with me to do a great 
Military Personnel mark. Finally, I thank Mac Thornberry, a mentor, 
leader, and friend.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Norcross), the chair of the Subcommittee 
on Tactical Air and Land Forces.
  Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and 
certainly for his leadership in bringing this conference report to the 
floor for the 60th year. And certainly, I take a moment to thank Mac 
Thornberry, who this conference report is named after, for his 
leadership, and certainly   Mike Rogers. They are the type of Members 
that we all should look toward in terms of being bipartisan and working 
toward a goal.
  Mr. Speaker, this conference report continues the Tactical Air and 
Land Forces Subcommittee's long tradition of bipartisanship to make 
America's Armed Forces the best in the world. I commend the hard work 
of our Members, my colleagues, our staff, certainly in these unusual 
and demanding circumstances brought on by the coronavirus.
  I also thank Ranking Member Hartzler for her leadership and 
commitment to working toward a goal of keeping America safe. Our 
cooperation has kept us focused on what is truly important. We have 
delivered a defense bill that meets the modernization and readiness 
needs of our Nation's air and land forces.
  This bill carefully manages our military resources while increasing 
the Department of Defense program oversight to make sure that we do our 
job, particularly in the F-35, our most advanced weapons system and 
also the most expensive in U.S. history.
  But we are also looking at manned and unmanned intelligence, 
surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, and continued oversight of 
the Army's new modernization strategy with respect to Army aviation, 
including the CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
  Also, I take a moment for our national defense and the priorities of 
keeping America safe and New Jersey safe while ensuring the KC-10 
refuelers are not retired prematurely and making sure the KC-46s are 
being delivered on time.
  I am grateful this bill includes that 3 percent pay raise, taking 
care of military families and also providing affordable childcare on 
bases. Making sure that your children are safe is incredibly important.
  I am proud of the hard work this committee has done to continue to 
serve America's national security interests.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill deserves our support, and I urge a ``yes'' 
vote.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman).
  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Thornberry for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, we are in a period of great power competition. These are 
not just words; this is our new reality. We are seeing Russian, 
Chinese, Iranian, and North Korean aggression on a global scale. This 
is why I am confounded by some pundits who believe cutting defense 
spending at a time of great power competition is in our best interest. 
Anything less than our negotiated defense topline is capitulating our 
global standing to an ever-expanding China and Russia hegemony.
  Additionally, there are some who believe that we should not pass this 
defense bill this Congress. I want to remind my friends that we are 
already 68 days late in delivering this defense bill to our Nation. 
Harmed by our delay is almost $8 billion in troop military 
construction. Harmed by our inaction is the potential shuttering of our 
Air Force's and Navy's premier training ranges at Nellis and Fallon. 
And most importantly, harmed by our continuing neglect are the 
countless servicemembers who rely on us for reasonable pay and benefits 
to support our national security. We must do better.
  As to my Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, our conference 
is all about great power competition. We authorize an additional 
Virginia class submarine and eight additional P-8 submarine hunting 
aircraft to partially offset these great power advances. We pay down 
future readiness with our continued support of the next-generation 
bomber and Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine programs. And 
finally, we procure the long-neglected logistics that are essential to 
power projection. This is a strong mark to pay down our generation's 
contribution to our Nation `s future.
  While I want to acknowledge Chairmen Smith and Courtney's leadership 
in their efforts as chairman of the full committee and chairman of the 
Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, I want to particularly 
thank Mac Thornberry for his 26 years of Congressional service. Mac, 
thank you so much for your leadership, for your continued focus and 
dedication to our Nation and to those brave men and women that serve 
this Nation.
  I also thank Congressman   Mike Rogers and congratulate him on his 
new role as the future Republican leader of the House Armed Services 
Committee. Mike, congratulations. We look forward to the continuation 
of the legacy of leadership from Mac Thornberry to you.
  We have all seen the great service and great stewardship provided by 
both Chairman Thornberry and others, and,

[[Page H6925]]

my friends, at this moment this is our time. Anything less than action 
on this bill now is turning our backs and ignores the servicemembers 
and their families who continue to serve the Nation.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis).
  I recognize Mrs. Davis is retiring after 22 years of service on the 
committee. It has been great working with her, and I appreciate her 
leadership.

  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, this will be my 20th and final 
NDAA. As I prepare to seek other challenges, I want to remind my 
colleagues of the incredible work that can get done with this 
legislation, especially when patience is required.
  Since joining the Armed Services Committee, I have seen our focus 
change. At the height of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we focused 
on the critical needs of our troops fighting every day. Now, our focus 
has shifted more towards innovation and future needs of our troops. But 
we can't forget that this bill is not just about spending on things, it 
is about our servicemembers and their families. We cannot forget the 
importance of the sacrifices that they make. It is hard to even convey 
the magnitude of their service.
  The military can enhance performance by caring for every member of 
the military community, something that we hear every day from military 
leaders that, quite honestly, we didn't hear 20 years ago. But there is 
more work to be done. We must ensure no military family goes hungry and 
no military spouse is forced to leave the workforce because of a 
military move or lack of childcare.
  The military can enhance performance by fostering an environment 
where the opportunities for advancement include all who are willing to 
work hard. When I began serving on the HASC, the idea of women in 
combat roles or LGBTQ Americans serving openly was only a distant 
dream. Today, we understand the importance of diversity in our ranks. 
That strategic focus brings the best and the brightest Americans 
forward to serve. Where any discrimination persists, it must end.
  We have focused so much on the prevention of sexual assault and 
harassment.
  I recently came across a picture taken at a breakfast on this issue 
with General James Amos in 2010, then the commandant of the Marine 
Corps. He asked one of his mid-level officers if she would report an 
assault if it occurred. She responded unequivocally, no. Much to his 
surprise.

                              {time}  1315

  We have made sincere policy changes to address this horrible problem, 
but the fight continues.
  This bipartisan legislation is the culmination of many of the efforts 
of many Members. There is much good in it and much that is needed to 
support our servicemembers and their families.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank, very quickly, our outstanding Chair 
Smith, our dedicated Ranking Member Thornberry, and the amazing 
professional staff who made this all possible. I will miss them all, 
and I know the critical work in service to our Nation continues.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
South Carolina (Mr. Wilson).
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Chairman 
Adam Smith and Ranking Member Mac Thornberry for their dedicated work 
on developing this bipartisan bill appropriately named in honor of 
Chairman Mac Thornberry, an American patriot.
  As a member of the conference committee, I appreciated the 
opportunity to work on another historically important NDAA. Enactment 
of this bill will be the 60th consecutive fiscal year that the NDAA has 
passed, exhibiting the true bipartisan nature of the process.
  I am thankful for the provision of a 3 percent military pay increase, 
which represents the first time in a decade the troops have 
consecutively received a salary boost of at least 3 percent.
  The most recent report contains the Guardian and Reserve Hazard Duty 
Pay Equity Act, a bipartisan bill introduced with Representative   Andy 
Kim. I was grateful to lead a letter with Representative Kim urging its 
inclusion.
  I am also especially grateful that my bill, the Body Armor for 
Females Modernization Act, was included to ensure that female 
servicemembers have the right equipment from day one.
  This legislation contains the Small Manufacturer Cybersecurity 
Enhancement Act, a bill I introduced with Representative   Jimmy 
Panetta, which will allow the Department to partner with manufacturing 
extension partnership centers to provide assistance to small 
manufacturers.
  There is full funding for the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative at 
USC Aiken and PILT and pit production at the Savannah River site.
  It also incorporates a bipartisan bill I introduced with 
Representative Ed Perlmutter to ensure continued funding for the Office 
of the Ombudsman in the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Program.
  I appreciate the success of staff member Drew Kennedy and military 
fellow Major Jeremy Tillman.
  I support this conference report, remembering 9/11 and the murderous 
attacks, by defeating the terrorists overseas.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to vote in favor.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Brown), the vice chair of the committee.
  Mr. BROWN of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith for his 
exemplary leadership, Representative Thornberry for his career service 
to our men and women in uniform, and my colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle for their hard work on this year's National Defense Authorization 
Act.
  This bill strengthens our military, makes our country safer, and 
provides for our servicemembers and their families.
  National security isn't simply defined by the planes and ships we 
buy, but in the values we promote within the military and for our 
Nation.
  This legislation is a significant step forward for diversity, 
inclusion, and justice in our Armed Forces, core American values that 
our military must promote.
  Today's military is the most diverse in our history, with people of 
color making up more than 40 percent of Active-Duty servicemembers. And 
as our country reckons with systemic racism, so, too, does our 
military.
  By affirming our founding values, this NDAA enhances military 
readiness and taps into the diverse talents and skills of our country.
  We elevate the chief diversity officer to report directly to the 
Secretary of Defense and service secretaries.
  We provide for better accountability, transparency, and reporting on 
our diversity efforts.
  We ensure equity in promotion boards by removing pictures and other 
identifying information that could bias these processes. Officers will 
instead be judged solely on what matters: their performance.
  We foster new leaders in our military to reflect the diversity of our 
country and support their career development, from Junior ROTC to 
service academies and historically Black colleges and universities, to 
our elite units.
  We correct racial inequities in our military justice system by 
appointing a deputy inspector general to investigate racial 
disparities.
  And after years of delay, we finally rename bases and property 
honoring the Confederacy.
  With support from Congress, barrier-breaking leaders in our military, 
and the American people, we will lead with our values.
  Mr. Speaker, for a more equitable country and military, I urge all of 
my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Rogers), the next Republican leader of the House Armed 
Services Committee.
  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Thornberry 
and Chairman Smith for their leadership in this essential process to 
ensure America's security.
  This bill takes important steps forward to confront China by 
establishing the Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative. It is vital that 
we support and strengthen our allies and partners in the region in 
order to deter the growing threat from China.
  This NDAA also funds critical investments here at home that will 
enable us

[[Page H6926]]

to confront the sophisticated threats we face from China and Russia.

  The NDAA also includes provisions implementing a number of Cyber 
Solarium recommendations. These changes will continue to modernize our 
military and civilian cybersecurity efforts. I think that we have only 
begun our work in this area.
  In addition to these cutting-edge needs, this conference report also 
reauthorizes the pay to troop deployed in combat zones.
  Most importantly, this bill adheres to the budget agreement and fully 
funds the President's budget request.
  Now more than ever, we must reject calls for blanket defense cuts 
from partisans who are using the current crisis as an opportunity to 
push their agenda.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague Mac Thornberry 
for his years of service and dedication to the Armed Services 
Committee. No one cares more about our men and women in uniform and has 
been a better leader for our conference. We are going to miss his 
passion and dedication for these issues, and we wish him and Sally 
nothing but the best as they go forward.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Luria), a member of the committee.
  Mrs. LURIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the fiscal year 
2021 National Defense Authorization Act. This NDAA will provide the 
tools and resources essential to maintaining our national security.
  I am pleased that the conference report includes a 3 percent pay 
raise for our troops and invests robustly in initiatives to compete 
with China, Russia, and others who threaten our security around the 
world.
  The conference report includes vital investments in our fleet, our 
readiness, and continued construction of the Virginia-class submarine 
and the modernization of our nuclear deterrence through the Columbia-
class submarine.
  Mr. Speaker, I look forward to supporting the final passage of this 
bipartisan legislation and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Wyoming (Ms. Cheney), the distinguished Chair of the Republican 
Conference.
  Ms. CHENEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this NDAA conference 
report named after a true American patriot, our Armed Services 
Committee Ranking Member Mac Thornberry, whom we will very much miss 
and who has dedicated his career to serving this Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I also thank the chairman of our committee, Mr. Smith, 
for his work on this bipartisan product.
  Congress has no greater responsibility, Mr. Speaker, than providing 
for the defense of our Nation.
  At a time when the United States faces the most complex array of 
threats in our history, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that our 
servicemembers have the tools they need to deter and defeat our 
adversaries.
  The 2021 defense bill before us today makes critical progress towards 
modernizing our military, supporting our military families, protecting 
supply chains, and deterring Russia and China.
  At this crucial moment when we have troops deployed overseas, 
including those from Wyoming's 153rd, 187th, and 243rd Air National 
Guard units, it is imperative that they have the full support of the 
United States Congress behind them as they execute their missions.
  Failure to pass this act would force hundreds of thousands of our men 
and women in uniform and their families to endure cuts to their pay 
right before the holidays. Over 250,000 military families would lose 
their hazardous duty pay.
  Given the sacrifices they make for all of us, our troops should never 
have their livelihoods threatened by political battles in Washington, 
D.C.
  In addition to all that this NDAA does to support our troops, it also 
builds on the Trump administration's successful efforts to counter the 
Chinese Communist Party, including through provisions I authored that 
require publication of the names of Chinese Communist military 
companies operating in the United States.
  It also includes my bipartisan provision seeking to reduce DOD's 
dependence on China for critical rare earth minerals. States like 
Wyoming are blessed with these resources, and we must rebuild our 
Nation's capacity to mine and process rare earths here at home.
  This legislation funds the modernization of our nuclear triad and 
contains crucial provisions to strengthen our deterrence capability in 
the Indo-Pacific.
  American security requires that we maintain a military that is second 
to none, that we arm our troops with the world's best equipment, and 
that we provide for their families. Our men and women in uniform put 
their lives on the line to defend our freedom. We owe them the tools to 
do their job.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support this year's NDAA, and I urge all 
my colleagues to vote for it.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), the distinguished chair of 
the Financial Services Committee.
  I really want to thank her for her leadership. The Financial Services 
Committee provided a number of key pieces of legislation on this bill.
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the William ``Mac'' 
Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act, NDAA, for Fiscal Year 
2021, for which I served as a conferee.
  For several months, I have worked with my House and Senate 
counterparts to include 10 measures authored by Democratic members of 
the Financial Services Committee within the NDAA. These bills would 
help to protect the U.S. financial system, provide more remedies to 
investors who were deceived by corporate wrongdoers, expand access to 
housing assistance for our veterans, and direct the incoming Biden 
administration to use its full authority to help relieve the student 
debt crisis.
  For years, the issue of shell companies has been ignored by this 
Congress. This is why one of the first actions I took as chair of the 
committee was to move legislation to prevent bad actors from using 
shell companies to hide their activities, a provision I have I been 
fighting for for over a decade, and I am very pleased it is included in 
the conference agreement.

  Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney from New York for her 
tireless work on this provision and the Members and the many outside 
stakeholders for their work on all the measures included in the 
legislation.
  I am also pleased to see the conference report reflected my work and 
progress ensuring that technologies procured by the Department of 
Defense are ethically and responsibly screened for potential bias.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Banks), a distinguished member of the committee.
  Mr. BANKS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding time 
to me today and for his many years of service. America and the world 
are safer today because of Mac Thornberry's service in the United 
States House of Representatives.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Smith, the chairman of the committee, as 
well, for ensuring that this year's NDAA is bipartisan once again.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to rise most of all in support of the aptly named 
Mac Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act.
  While the bill doesn't include everything I want it to and there are 
certainly items that I wish would be removed, overall, it ensures that 
our Nation is protected, and it supports our men and women in uniform.
  So many in the Trump administration have warned us for years that 
China is our Nation's long-term strategic competitor, and countering 
China is a key focus of the fiscal year 2021 NDAA.
  Having just been a part of the Future of Defense Task Force and the 
China Task Force, I am more motivated than ever before to stop the 
Chinese Communist Party's egregious affronts on the U.S. Government, 
its citizens, and our military. I appreciate the inclusion of many 
important recommendations from both of those task force reports in this 
year's NDAA.
  This NDAA establishes the Pacific Deterrence Initiative to strengthen 
U.S. posture and capability in the Indo-Pacific region, and it works 
better with

[[Page H6927]]

allies to deter against Chinese malign behavior.

                              {time}  1330

  It also protects against Chinese industrial espionage by requiring a 
Presidential assessment on how to deter it and large-scale cyber threat 
of intellectual property and personal information.
  The NDAA also includes a number of protections for Federal 
investments in science and technology by including new mandates on 
university research and limiting funding for universities with 
Confucius Institutes, for example.
  These are just some of the very important provisions in this year's 
bill, to not just acknowledge the China threat, Mr. Speaker, but to 
address it head-on. That is why I urge all of my colleagues to vote in 
favor of this critical legislation.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute 
to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the distinguished majority 
leader of the House.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank both Mr. Smith, the chairman 
of the committee, and Mr. Thornberry, who I have had the opportunity to 
work with through the years. Both of them are leaders who have focused 
on America's well-being, America's national security, and the well-
being of our troops who serve in uniform and support those who are at 
the point of the spear.
  I believe that we have and our country has been advantaged by the 
leadership of both and by the fact that they have been able to work 
together collegially to accomplish objectives on behalf of the country, 
not on behalf of party.
  So, I thank both Mr. Smith, the chairman, and Mr. Thornberry, the 
ranking member who was the chairman. They have both held the 
responsible positions of leading this committee and its work.
  I rise in strong support of this year's authorization bill. Let me 
say at the outset, as the majority leader, I schedule legislation for 
the floor. Mr. Smith and I have had long conversations, and Mr. 
Thornberry and I have had conversations in the past.
  This bill should not be on the floor in December. This bill has 
historically passed in May through the committee and has been to the 
floor before we break for the August break. I have had discussions with 
Mr. Smith and will tell successors on the Defense Committee that it 
will be my intention to urge the committee to mark up its bill and have 
it ready to report to the floor by May.
  Now, there have been exigencies from time to time which made that 
impossible. That was certainly the case when the government was shut 
down, and it has been this case through the pandemic, which has 
obviously slowed up our work as well.
  But I am hopeful, Mr. Speaker, that I will be able to bring this 
bill, at the instance of the chairman and the ranking member, to the 
floor either in late May or very early June, the first week in June 
before, frankly, we get to the appropriations process, which is really 
how the process ought to work, as opposed to the other way around.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a major piece of legislation, one of the most 
important we pass each year and one, frankly, that we need to pass each 
year.
  I just said we need to do it in a timely fashion, but it is never too 
late to do the right thing. What we are doing today is the right thing, 
passing a bill which provides for the security of our country.
  Again, I want to thank both of those leaders who I have referenced. 
This conference report will ensure that our men and women in uniform 
can continue to protect our Nation and meet global challenges.
  Now, I hope that President Trump does sign this bill. He ought to 
sign this bill. This is about our national security. It is not about 
partisanship. Taking issue with one provision or another in such a 
large and important bill is no reason to block the whole of it. That is 
particularly true when this bill would take a major step forward to 
right a historic wrong.
  But let me say, with respect to a veto, I hope the President does not 
veto this. I hope that we have, as previous speakers have said, 
overwhelming bipartisan support on both sides of the aisle.
  Of course, there are specifics in a bill this large where one can 
say: ``I don't like that provision.'' Well, I don't think there is a 
bill that you can't have a significant number or one of us say: ``I 
wish that provision were different.'' But we ought not to have our 
focus on the doughnut hole. We ought to have our focus on the doughnut, 
on the whole of what makes this bill so critically important for our 
country.
  In our founding document, it states that all are ``created equal, 
that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, 
that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.''
  It said: ``All men are created equal.'' None of us would argue that 
all men should be exclusively perceived as being created equal. We 
believe that all human beings are created equal, whether they are men 
or they are women, or they are Black or they are White, or they are 
yellow or they are red. Whatever the differences may be, it is our 
perception and articulation in this Declaration that it is God who 
created the soul that is colorless, that is genderless, that is of no 
one nation.
  It is the soul that is imbued in us, as we say in our Declaration, by 
our creator. While these rights may have been self-evident, I tell 
people, they are not self-executing. It fell to future generations of 
Americans to secure them in practice.
  Less than a century after our Nation's founding, it was torn apart by 
a Civil War, with Southern States waging war to protect the evil 
institution of slavery. All of us would agree that one human being 
owning another human being is untenable. But it is what we fought a war 
over.
  The names of those who fought violently to perpetuate slavery and who 
rebelled against the United States do not deserve the honor of being 
associated with the installations housing, training, and equipping 
those who serve today under our flag of freedom and democracy.
  Now, without getting into that argument, it would have been perverse 
to drop an amendment adopted by 93 percent of the Senate, not because 
they voted on the individual amendment but because it was included in 
the bill and 93 percent of the Members of the United States Senate 
voted for it.

  It simply says what is the right thing to do: remove a name from a 
base on which an African-American sailor, an African-American soldier, 
an African-American marine, an African-American coastguardsman serve. 
An African American of whatever service, at whatever time, should not 
have to serve on a base named for somebody who believed that person 
ought to be enslaved.
  I congratulate both the chairman and the ranking member for making 
sure that that language was kept in. I know the President has said he 
doesn't like that language, but as I said, I am convinced that any one 
of us could point to something in this bill we don't like. But we need 
to keep our eye on the ball, the national security of our country.
  This National Defense Authorization Act requires the military to 
remove the names. I think that is appropriate, and I congratulate them 
for leaving that language whole.
  I had made it clear that I felt this bill needed to pass. But I felt 
that if that provision were left out, it would be inappropriate to put 
it on the floor.
  Additionally, I also want to mention that this conference report will 
ensure that all Federal employees can access 12 weeks of paid parental 
leave. That is now the practice in most, if not all, certainly, but 
many of the largest corporations in our country. Why? Because they 
believe it is good for their employees. They believe it is good for 
their children. They believe it is good for America. We have now 
adopted that, and I praise the committee for doing so.
  Unfortunately, some Federal employees were left out last year when we 
enacted paid parental leave, and we have now included them. Today, we 
are fixing that and making sure that it applies to all Federal workers.
  Mr. Speaker, it is also important that we are able to include 
language in the conference report that will close corporate loopholes, 
which were referred to by Ms. Waters, the chair of the Financial 
Services Committee, eliminating loopholes which allowed

[[Page H6928]]

dark money to enter the U.S. financial system from Russia and other 
malign actors.
  That beneficial ownership provision is a major win in the fight 
against foreign kleptocrats and oligarchs seeking to undermine 
America's security and fund those who wish to do us harm.
  Congratulations to Mr. Smith, congratulations to the ranking member, 
and congratulations to the committee for that.
  Mr. Speaker, we have an opportunity today to do right by our 
servicemembers and by the principles they uphold. Let us do so by 
passing this conference report and doing our part, as President Lincoln 
said, to bind up the Nation's wounds.
  I urge all of my colleagues, not because they will come to the 
conclusion that this is a perfect bill--there are no perfect bills. But 
it is a bill essential for the defense of our values, our people, and 
our land. This bill needs to pass overwhelmingly.
  I urge all of my colleagues to vote for it.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), the distinguished ranking member of 
the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to also thank my good friend 
from Texas for his service to the Nation.
  The United States has a special partnership with Israel. In the past 
4 years, we have strengthened this relationship while taking steps 
toward peace in the Middle East under the Abraham Accords with Bahrain, 
Sudan, and the UAE. This has made Israel and the entire Middle East 
safer.
  However, Israel still faces threats from malign actors like Iran that 
seek to sow chaos and spread terror. In fact, earlier today, Iranian 
President Rouhani directly threatened Israel by promising to support 
Syria's aggression in the Golan Heights.
  I am pleased the final bill bolsters cooperation between our 
countries and fully funds the security assistance to Israel. It also 
improves the laws on the books so that we can quickly supply Israel 
with precision-guided missiles to defend themselves against malign 
actors in the region.
  This bill also enhances cooperation between our two nations by 
establishing a defense acquisition advisory group.
  As an NDAA conferee, I am proud this year's bill includes provisions 
that support Israel and deepen our partnership.
  Mr. Speaker, before I close, I would like to take a moment of 
personal privilege to honor my colleague, my friend, my fellow Texan, 
Congressman Mac Thornberry. His leadership on the House Armed Services 
Committee has made our country stronger.
  I am proud to have served with him in the Congress where we have 
worked together on key national security issues, including the year's 
NDAA which bears his name.
  But most importantly, Mr. Speaker, I am proud to call him my friend. 
He has brought dignity and bipartisanship to this Chamber.
  For that, sir, we are forever grateful.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute 
to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney).
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on 
an important aspect of this bill.
  My Corporate Transparency Act is the most important anticorruption, 
anti-money laundering bill in 20 years. When a terrorist cell or a 
criminal organization wants to move or hide money, they usually do it 
right here in the United States with a shell company. So the same 
terrorist groups that want to attack the United States are using our 
own financial system to finance those attacks. It is appalling, and it 
has to stop.
  My bill will end the abuse of anonymous shell companies in the United 
States by requiring companies to disclose their true beneficial owners 
to the Treasury Department at the time the company is formed.
  I want to thank my negotiating partners, Chairman Crapo, Ranking 
Member Brown, Chairwoman Waters, and Ranking Member McHenry, and I 
congratulate Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Thornberry for all of 
their hard work on this bill.

                              {time}  1345

  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer), who is a distinguished member of the 
Financial Services Committee.
  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment of 
personal privilege to express my thanks to Mr. Thornberry, who is 
retiring, for his many years of service to our military and our country 
through his actions in this committee. He will certainly be missed.
  Mr. Speaker, each year, Congress is tasked with one of its most 
important duties: reauthorizing the NDAA to ensure that our military 
has everything that they could possibly need to continue protecting 
this country.
  This year, I am proud to have served as conferee for the financial 
services measures in the NDAA, which includes the most significant 
overhaul of our anti-money laundering laws in decades.
  The bipartisan Anti-Money Laundering Act authorizes new resources for 
the Treasury Department to combat illicit finance and requires the 
Treasury to apply more rigor to its data collection. This will allow 
suspicious activity reports and currency transaction reports to be as 
useful as possible for law enforcement.
  For too long, Congress and the private sector have had little to no 
insight into how the executive branch uses these reports, which has 
decreased accountability and prevents us from modernizing the reporting 
regime. That ends with this bill.
  The conference report also contains the ILLICIT CASH Act, legislation 
that Congresswoman Maloney and I have been working on for years. This 
provision will deliver a significant blow to human traffickers and drug 
cartels by eliminating shell corporations that, for decades, have been 
a critical vehicle for laundering money in the United States.
  In the fight against shell companies, the Federal Government has 
continuously deputized financial institutions, threatening massive 
penalties unless they play the role of law enforcement, effectively 
forcing private industry to do the government's job.
  This legislation puts an end to that practice by forcing Treasury's 
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to collect beneficial information 
with minimal effort or inconvenience to businesses.
  I thank Congresswoman Maloney for her tireless efforts and 
collaboration on several provisions that protect small businesses and 
streamline regulations for financial institutions. I also thank Ranking 
Member McHenry for fighting for additional protections and relief for 
small businesses in conference.
  Mr. Speaker, with these provisions, America can better fight illicit 
and terrorism finance, which helps our brave men and women in uniform 
who risk their lives every day to protect our freedoms and keep us 
safe.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for his 
leadership. I also thank my fellow Texan, Mac Thornberry, for his 
service to the Nation as he continues his journey.
  Let me say how important this legislation is as it relates to basic 
pay, incentive pay, and hazard pay for our military families, many of 
whom are in my congressional district; the work that has been done on 
the maternity uniform pilot program; and also the work on reenforcing 
NATO; the sexual assault prevention and response that is so important, 
particularly in our community in Texas, for the horrible acts at Fort 
Hood against Vanessa Guillen, causing her to lose her life along with 
many others. This is a legislation that focuses on the personnel and 
that focuses on the security of our Nation.
  I am very grateful to Congressman Brown for his leadership on joining 
with other Members to ensure with Chairman Smith that we remove these 
Confederate names from the names of military bases that represent all 
people. I am very grateful that my language indicates that profound, 
dignified, qualified, and heroic African-American soldiers have the 
right to have their names listed on these particular bases.
  I ask America to send in the names of your relatives. Call my office. 
Send it to the Armed Services Committee.

[[Page H6929]]

Let us have a base where soldiers go that reflects everyone. I am 
thankful that my language was put in to name bases after African-
American soldiers and other diverse persons.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask support of this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in strong support of all the Jackson Lee 
Amendments made in order for consideration of the William M. (Mac) 
Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.
  I thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Thornberry and their staffs 
for working with me and my staff in consideration of several Jackson 
Lee Amendments.
  I am particularly thankful to Chairman Smith for taking up the 
challenge of removing the stain of confederate traitors being honored 
by the naming of bases and military installations in their name.
  It has been too long that African Americans guarded their communities 
from the hidden racism that existed under the guise of the confederate 
flag and knowing through oral history the brutality of those who served 
voluntarily in the confederate army and whose names were on bases and 
military installations.
  This bill is ushering in a new era where the names of confederates 
who served voluntarily to take up arms against the United States will 
have their names removed from places of honor such as military bases or 
installations and these individuals be placed in historical context 
where historians and scholars may study ad understand their place in 
American history.
  It is also time that African Americans and Native Americans be 
recognized for their contributions in defense of our nation.
  The history of African Americans and Native Americans serving in the 
military date back to the colonial period of our nation to the present 
day.
  In every war waged from the Battle of Lexington to the Battle for 
Fallujah, African Americans and Native Americans have honorably 
answered the call to duty, and served with great valor and distinction 
in America's armed forces.
  At decisive moments in our nation's history, the United States 
military and its citizens warriors, were there and made the difference:
  The Revolutionary War (1776-1783),
  The War of 1812 (1812-1814),
  The Mexican-American War (1836),
  The Civil War (1861-1865),
  The Spanish-American War (1898),
  World War I (1914-1918),
  World War II (1941-1945),
  The Korean War (1950-1953),
  The Vietnam War (1965-1975),
  The Gulf War (1991), and
  The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as conflicts in other 
theaters of war.
  The military is there defending our nation when attacked by hostile 
nations or adversaries.
  But it is also there when needed to respond to attack from natural 
elements like floods and Hurricanes like Hurricanes Irma, Harvey and 
Katrina.
  The military was there doing a job no other branch of our nation's 
government could do--in the face of overwhelming calamity when the 
lives of thousands of American citizens were on the line--they came.
  Our thanks to the military for being always ready to answer the call 
of duty--whether that call comes in the dead of night or the light of 
day--we know that we can count on you.
  The names and faces of millions of African Americans who have served 
our nation in uniform may fade from memory, but this evening we have 
the opportunity to remember and see them in the faces of the young 
people who have answered the call to duty by becoming members of the 
armed forces.
  I offered several amendments to H.R. 6395 to improve the bill.
  I thank my colleagues: Representatives Bennie Thompson, William Lacy 
Clay, Gregory Meeks, A. Donald McEachin, Marc Veasey, Stanford Bishop, 
Andre Carson, and Jahana Hayes for joining as cosponsors of this 
Amendment.
  The fact that military bases have been named after Confederate 
military leaders or soldiers is hard to imagine given that they were 
fighting to end the United States.
  The Confederacy was not something that should be held up for honor by 
the United States or our nation's military.
  There is no shortage of honorable replacement candidates to receive 
the honor of having a military base, installation or facility named in 
their honor.


                           United States Army

  1. Gen. Roscoe Robinson Jr.
  General Robinson was a 1951 graduate of West Point who attended the 
service academy before the Army was desegregated. Robinson served in 
Korea and Vietnam, with valor decorations in both conflicts, and as a 
training officer as part of the U.S. military support mission in 
Liberia. He went on to become the first black commander of the 82nd 
Airborne Division, deputy chief of staff for operations in U.S. Army 
Europe, commander of U.S. Forces Japan, the U.S. representative on the 
NATO Military Committee, and the first black four-star general in the 
Army.
  2. William Harvey Carney
  William Carney was the first African American recipient of the 
Congressional Medal of Honor, which he received for his actions on July 
18, 1863 at Fort Wagner, SC while a member of the 54th Massachusetts 
Regiment in the Civil War--the state's first all-black regiment.
  The 54th Massachusetts was the subject of the film, ``Glory,'' 
starring Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman.
  3. Lieutenant Colonel Charity Edna Adams
  Lieutenant Colonel Charity Edna Adams was appointed to lead the 
African American Women's Army Corps unit designated as the 6888th 
Central Postal Directory Battalion, which became known as the ``Six 
Triple Eight.''
  This unit was instrumental in establishing and maintaining morale 
because it assured that mail from the battlefront and the home-front 
flowed efficiently and timely.
  4. Lt. Col. Margaret E. Bailey
  In 1964, Margaret E. Bailey, Army Nurse Corps, was the first nurse to 
be promoted to lieutenant colonel.


                           United States Navy

  5. Dorie Miller Messman First Class and Admiral Michelle Howard.
  Dorie Miller, Messman First Class was serving in a noncombat role in 
the Navy, Dorie Miller responded heroically when the battleship West 
Virginia was attacked at Pearl Harbor. He was the first African 
American to be awarded the Navy Cross, the third highest honor awarded 
by the US Navy at the time.
  6. Admiral Michelle Howard
  Admiral Michelle Howard is a four-star Admiral and one of the 
highest-ranking African American women ever to serve in any branch of 
the military. Admiral Howard is also the first African American woman 
to command a U.S. Navy ship, the USS Rushmore.
  She is the Navy's second highest ranking officer and is currently 
serving as the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Africa, commander of U.S. 
Naval Forces Europe and commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples.


                             The Air Force

  7. Lt. Col Shawna Rochelle-Kimbrell
  In 2012, Lieutenant Colonel Kimbrell became the first female African 
American fighter pilot in the Air Force history. Her flights in 
Northern Watch marked her as the first female pilot to fly combat 
missions for Misawa's 35th Fighter Wing, and the first African American 
woman to employ ordinance in combat. She has more than 1,110 hours in 
the F-16, including 176 hours of combat time.
  8. Colonel Ruth A. Lucas
  Colonel Lucas was the first African American woman in the Air Force 
to be promoted to the rank of colonel. At the time of her retirement in 
1970, she was the highest-ranking African American woman in the Air 
Force.
  9. Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr
  In 1959 General Benjamin O. Davis became the first African American 
Major General in the United States Air Force. In 1943, he organized and 
commanded the 332nd Fighter Group known as the Tuskegee Airmen. General 
Davis received many decorations during his career, including two 
Distinguished Service Medals and a Silver Star. On December 9, 1998, 
General Davis was awarded his fourth general's star by President Bill 
Clinton.


                            The Coast Guard

  10. Alex Haley
  Chief Petty Officer Haley is best known for writing letters for his 
shipmates and his short stories and articles, which got him promoted to 
Chief Journalist of the Coast Guard in 1959. Haley ultimately received 
a number of military honors, including the American Defense Service 
Medal, World War II Victory Medal and an honorary degree from the Coast 
Guard Academy. And most of you know him also as the author of 
``Roots.''
  11. Bobby C. Wilks
  In 1957, Captain Bobby Wilks became the first African American Coast 
Guard aviator. He later became the first African American to reach the 
rank of Captain and the first to command a Coast Guard air station. He 
accumulated over 6,000 flight hours in 18 different types of aircrafts.
  Twenty-five percent of the today's military is comprised of persons 
of color, of which 17.8% are African American.
  In 2017, blacks made up 17% of the DOD active-duty military--somewhat 
higher than their share of the U.S. population ages 18 to 44 (13%). 
Blacks have consistently been represented in greater shares among 
enlisted personnel (19% in 2015) than among the commissioned officers 
(9%).


                            Native Americans

  The amendment I offered during House consideration of the NDAA was 
expanded to include Native Americans.
  It is without doubt that the military has a storied history of Native 
American contributions to

[[Page H6930]]

the securing our nation since colonial times to the present.
  One famous example of their contributions occurred during World War 
II when the U.S. military developed a specific policy to recruit and 
train Navajo speakers to become code talkers.
  A code talker is the name given to 29 Navajo Natives who used their 
tribal language to send secret communications on the battlefield.
  The Marines formed the Navajo Code Talkers, who created a code based 
on the complex, unwritten Navajo language.
  The code primarily used word association by assigning a Navajo word 
to key phrases and military tactics.
  This system enabled the Code Talkers to translate three lines of 
English in 20 seconds, not 30 minutes as was common with existing code-
breaking machines.
  The Code Talkers participated in every major Marine operation in the 
Pacific theater, giving the Marines a critical advantage throughout the 
war.
  During the nearly month-long battle for Iwo Jima, for example, six 
Navajo Code Talker Marines successfully transmitted more than 800 
messages without error.
  Marine leadership noted after the battle that the Code Talkers were 
critical to the victory at Iwo Jima.
  At the end of the war, the Navajo Code remained unbroken.
  Our Native American brothers and sisters are more than worthy to be 
so honored by having their names considered for military bases and 
installations.


                        Boogaloo and Proud Boys

  A Jackson Lee Amendment included in the House version of the NDAA 
directed the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress the extent, if 
any, of the threat to national security posed by domestic terrorist 
groups and organizations motivated by a belief system of white 
supremacy, such as the Boogaloo and Proud Boys extremists is reflected 
in the Conference bill.
  The NDAA conference identified that the FBI is under statutory 
obligation, established by Section 5602 of the NDAA FY 2020 (Public Law 
116-92), to complete a report that would better characterize the 
domestic terrorist threat by requiring the FBI and the Department of 
Homeland Security in consultation with the National Counterterrorism 
Center (NCTC), to produce a set of comprehensive reports over 5 years.
  The report is to include: a strategic intelligence threat internal to 
the United States; metrics on the number and type of incidents, coupled 
with resulting investigations, arrests, prosecutions, and analytic 
products, copies of the execution of domestic terrorism investigations; 
detailed explanations of how the FBI, DHS and NCTC prioritize the 
domestic terrorism threats and incident; and descriptions regarding the 
type and regularity of training provided by the FBI, DHS, or NCTC to 
other Federal, State, and local law enforcement.
  The conferees note that the report has not been delivered to the 
appropriate committees and they urge the FBI Director to deliver the 
report without delay.
  The Jackson Lee Amendment to the NDAA FY 2021 sought the same 
information that is required under the NDAA FY 2020 because of the 
threat posed by accelerationists and militia extremists who comprise a 
range of violent anti-government actors, movements, and organizations, 
some of which branch out of decades-old ideologies and others of which 
are relatively new has led to violent engagement of law enforcement.
  My concern is that in the aftermath of a historic national election, 
the activity of violence influencers like Boogaloo Boys or Proud Boys 
will increase and lead to attacks becoming more frequent.
  In 2018, we saw too many instances of violent extremists searching 
for opportunities to sow violence and disrupt democratic processes.
  Boogaloo and Proud Boys are targeting constitutionally protected 
activity for cooption or to provide cover for attacks.
  Jackson Lee Amendment 179 implements a recommendation made by the 
Cyberspace Solarium Commission to require the Secretary of Homeland 
Security to develop a strategy to implement Domain-based Message 
Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) standard across 
U.S.-based email providers to increase the security of email.
  I thank my colleagues Congressmen Langevin, Gallagher, Katko, and 
Joyce for joining this bipartisan amendment to the FY 2021 NDAA.
  The security of email has grown in importance as it has become in 
many ways the primary way that businesses, consumers, government 
communicate.
  The Senate bill also addressed this important issue and the language 
of the final Conference concurs.
  I urge my colleagues to support the Conference for the NDAA FY 2021.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I understand that the chairman has no 
further speakers.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Correct.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, I would begin by expressing my gratitude and admiration 
for Chairman Adam Smith and our ability to work together over a number 
of years, as well as to the members on both sides of the Armed Services 
Committee and our colleagues in the Senate, Chairman Inhofe and Ranking 
Member Reed.
  Like Chairman Smith, I also want to pay particular attention, 
gratitude, and honors to our professional staff. They started this 
conference process in July, and they have been working all these months 
to make sure that every detail was as right as we could make it. I 
particularly want to thank Dan Sennott, who had the responsibility of 
answering my phone calls on nights and weekends and so forth. Our staff 
worked with the professionalism and patriotism that would make all 
Americans proud if they could see it.
  I also appreciate the generous words of my colleagues and having my 
name attached to this bill. This bill is one of which I am very proud. 
It strengthens our country's security in many ways. But as grateful as 
I am, I do not lose sight of the fact that this bill is not--and this 
bill has never been in 60 years--about any of us. It is not about us or 
our political agendas or our political grievances.
  This bill is about the men and women who risk their lives to protect 
and defend us and our freedoms and their families. This bill is about 
American national security. We have been able to come together on those 
things for 60 years, whatever other differences we may have had.
  Without this bill, both the troops and America's national security 
will be hurt. Now, Members need to understand that and accept 
responsibility for the consequences of their vote. That damage that 
would happen without this bill cannot be papered over with some 
executive order or any appropriation bill, and it won't or it can't be 
repaired by a new bill in a new Congress with a new administration.
  I know we can always find an excuse to vote against a bill, 
especially an excuse about what is not in it. So I will admit right 
here that this bill does not fix healthcare. This bill does not fix 
immigration. It does not raise or lower taxes. And it does nothing 
regarding the legal liability of social media companies. All of those 
things need attention and some kind of action.
  But our troops should not be punished because this bill does not fix 
everything that needs to be fixed or it doesn't have a provision 
exactly the way we would want it.
  The main reason this bill has been signed into law every year for 59 
straight years is because of its substance. But like the chairman, I 
just want to add a note about process.
  This committee started collecting proposals in January in a database 
that would be ultimately included in this bill. It went through all the 
subcommittees, the full committee, a conference process, and hundreds 
of amendments have been considered one way or another.
  Every step of the way, Members shape it. In fact, we could easily 
identify close to 200 Members of the House that have a provision that 
can be linked to them in one way or another that are in this bill, and 
I think that is unique, frankly, in Congress today. If the 6-decade 
legacy of having this bill signed into law ends with us after 59 years, 
then I am afraid that process of having hundreds of Members contribute 
would end as well.
  A very strong vote will help prevent that. The stronger the vote, the 
smoother the process from here on out. A strong vote will show the 
troops that we support them. A strong vote will show the adversaries 
that we can stand together to support this Nation, and that is what 
this bill is really all about.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of 
my time.
  Mostly, I would like to associate myself with Mr. Thornberry's 
remarks. I think that was the perfect statement

[[Page H6931]]

of why it is so important to vote for this bill and why every Member of 
this body should vote for this bill. It contains incredibly important 
provisions, and the excuses for not doing those provisions just don't 
hold up.
  As Mr. Thornberry points out, every year near the end of the process, 
because we are the only bill that actually makes it through the 
process, people who have been working on issues for a long time are 
desperate to get them taken care of. We respect that, we honor that, 
and we are the last vehicle to find.
  Many times we are able to help, but not always. That is not a reason 
to not do the bill because of all the other issues, as Mr. Thornberry 
laid out, that we have not addressed.
  Then, as people want to find reasons to oppose the bill, they start 
saying things that aren't terribly accurate. I think Mr. Gaetz wins the 
award for that one this year in his remark on Afghanistan.
  Our bill says that if the President wants to go below 2,000 troops in 
Afghanistan--he said he is going to go to 2,300. So this bill doesn't 
have anything to do with what President Trump said he is going to draw 
down in Afghanistan. If he wants to go below 2,000 or a future 
President wants to go below 2,000, then he has to file a report. It 
doesn't say that he can't do it. He has to file a report.
  I actually agree with Mr. Gaetz on where we need to go in 
Afghanistan. And I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, this bill does nothing 
to prohibit the next President, President Biden, from completely 
drawing down in Afghanistan. That is a policy debate he will have.
  So anyone who comes to the floor and says they are voting against 
this bill because of that is really not telling the truth. That is not 
what this bill does.
  I also want to mention the top line because that is a favorite 
argument on our side to not vote for the bill. I will let you in on a 
little secret: the defense policy bill does not control how much money 
we spend at the Pentagon.

  I know that sounds a little odd, but it doesn't. The budget process 
does that. And when we don't have a budget process because of how much 
things have broken down, which has happened frequently, then the 
Appropriations Committee decides how much we spend. What we do is we 
decide how that gets spent and the oversight of it.
  A few years ago, Mr. Courtney pushed us to do two submarines a year, 
a great provision that saved a lot of money. We can control that. But 
if you think the Pentagon should spend more than it is spending, or 
less, then your beef is on the appropriations side. We could take the 
tables out in terms of the amount of money that we have in this bill, 
and it wouldn't change the amount of money that is spent at the 
Pentagon.
  So, again, if you have a reason to vote against the bill, that is 
great. But the top line, Afghanistan, those are not valid reasons. This 
is an important piece of legislation that has been unduly complicated 
by the fact that, of all people, the President is one of the people 
this year who, near the end of the process, said: I want to fix that.
  He wanted to fix something about section 230 having to do with social 
media platforms, and he went looking for the only possible vehicle. Let 
me just say to people on that issue, that section is not going to be 
addressed in this bill. You can not address section 230 and pass a 
defense bill; or you can not address section 230 and not pass a defense 
bill. There is no choice here where you can do both, Mr. Speaker.
  So please make the right choice. Please recognize all of the 
incredibly important bicameral, bipartisan provisions that are 
contained in this bill. This is one thing in a very tumultuous time 
that we ought to be able to agree on. There are enough provisions and 
good policy in here for everyone in this body.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to close by thanking everyone in this body. We 
have worked together in this process. I am now finishing up my 2 years 
as chairman. My caucus, in their infinite wisdom, has given me another 
2 years to do the job, but these first 2 years I really enjoyed the 
process.
  Members keep coming up to me and saying: You have a terrible job, it 
must be difficult, you have all these people making all these demands.
  I love what I do. I am in a position with all the other team here to 
help people. We don't always succeed and we don't always get it done, 
but we have a chance. Every Member of the House and Senate, I think, 
have worked together, and we have produced an outstanding product. Let 
us reward ourselves for our work. Let us take care of the troops, as we 
are supposed to do, and pass this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. YOUNG. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support William M. (Mac) Thornberry 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. It is a 
fitting tribute to the years of dedication and work that Congressman 
Thornberry has done in this body and, in particular, on national 
security issues.
  In particular, this legislation contains Section 3510 that addresses 
and corrects a regulatory mismatch of the manner in which a small 
passenger vessel that operates in Southeast Alaska is measured. 
Specifically, the M/V Liseron (United States official number 971339), a 
converted minesweeper that conducts overnight passenger cruises in the 
eco-tourism trade in Southeast Alaska, should be classified as having 
the same regulatory tonnage for licensing its crew as is used for its 
safety inspection category (i.e., 100 gross tons), and the other 
vessels in the same trade. For construction and safety, the vessel 
meets all Coast Guard standards. This section in essence aligns and 
makes licensing requirements consistent with all the other safety and 
inspection regulations that apply to the M/V Liseron as a small 
passenger vessel by deeming the M/V Liseron to be less than 100 gross 
tons for the purposes of licensing and credentialing subject to some 
conditions.
  Operationally, the M/V Liseron has ten staterooms and is limited to 
about 20 passengers. More critically, the vessel is currently inspected 
by the Coast Guard as a small passenger vessel in the 100 gross 
regulatory tonnage category. Notwithstanding that, the vessel has a 
larger tonnage entered on its certificate of inspection due to the 
arcane nature of the U.S. vessel admeasurement laws, rules that govern 
the volumetric size of vessels. Larger competitor vessels can be nearly 
100 feet longer and carry 5 times the number of passengers, yet they 
are considered to be in the smaller 100 GT small passenger vessel 
category for both licensing and inspection purposes.
  Needless to say, the M/V Liseron suffers from the inequitable 
situation as the vessel must compete with similar or larger vessels in 
the eco-tourism trade that carry five times the number of passengers. 
While the vessel is inspected and regulated for all safety purposes in 
a lower tonnage category (i.e., 100 GT), due to the higher tonnage 
rating entered on its certificate of inspection, the M/V Liseron must 
source crew from seafarers with deep water credentials (i.e., 500 GT) 
rather than for the shallower and protected waters of Southeast Alaska. 
The inequity is underscored by the fact that the M/V Liseron physically 
can fit within the volumetric profile of its competitors, yet the rules 
say it should be assigned a measurement of being larger. This is a 
classic example of the matryoshka principle. Further, the vessel 
carries far fewer passengers than its competitors.
  This legislation prohibits the M/V Liseron from undergoing any 
alteration of its size. It also limits the operation while carrying 
passenger to inland waters of the United States so it will not go on 
deep sea oceangoing cruises. Further the section permits 100 GT 
licensed crew members operate the vessel while allowing the Coast Guard 
to add additional credentials in a justifiable case if the experience 
and training of the individual warrant it. This does not mean 
additional credentials must be required or are warranted in every 
instance. My understanding is that the Coast Guard already has 
authority to do this in existing regulation so no rulemaking is 
required that would delay the implementation of this provision. If the 
master and first mate can hold 100 GT licenses it should result in less 
turnover and more appropriately experienced personnel that will 
ultimately contribute to even safer and more consistent operation of 
the vessel. Only two positions are affected by this legislation.
  During the cruising season in Southeast Alaska this vessel brings 
significant job opportunities and needed economic activity in local 
businesses by the company and its customers. The vessel enables 
tourists from around the world to come and enjoy the fishing and 
unparalleled scenic and natural beauty that Alaska has to offer. This 
year the vessel suffered the economic impact of the cancellations due 
to the COVID-19. As a result, the M/V Liseron has lost an entire season 
of revenue due to cancellations. Continuing an artificial barrier such 
as having to hire crew in a mismatched licensing category will only add 
to the vessel's difficulties to recover from this economic loss when 
they are able to resume operations.

[[Page H6932]]

  In summary, I urge all of my colleagues to join me to enact this 
legislation. By adjusting the tonnage rating for licensing the M/V 
Liseron's crew to be consistent with its safety inspection category, 
the M/V Liseron would be able to hire and retain more appropriate 
experienced crew familiar with Southeast Alaskan waterways and small 
passenger vessel operations.
  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Conference 
Report associated with H.R. 6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA), which 
supports our troops and includes critical provisions to remove 
Confederate symbols from our military. The legislation also ensures our 
country retains its leadership in artificial intelligence (AI), 
cybersecurity, and semiconductor manufacturing. I'm proud that the 
conferenced NDAA includes several provisions I authored or cosponsored.
  The Global AI Index quantifies the AI arms race among nations, and it 
has found that the U.S. is ahead of China today but ``experts predict 
China will overtake the U.S. in just five to 10 years.'' This is why 
it's so critical we continue to invest in AI, especially as it relates 
to national security.
  The conferenced NDAA includes my bipartisan and bicameral 
legislation, H.R. 7096, the National AI Research Resource Task Force 
Act, which establishes a task force of experts from government, 
academia, and companies (large and small) to develop a roadmap for a 
national AI research cloud to make available high-powered computing, 
large data sets, and educational resources necessary for AI research. 
The national AI research cloud expands access so that American 
universities and companies can participate in AI R&D. My bill appears 
as Section 5106 of the conferenced NDAA.
  My legislation is supported by Chairman Eric Schmidt and Vice 
Chairman Bob Work of the National Security Commission on AI; 12 leading 
public and private research universities, including Stanford, UC 
Berkeley, Princeton, UCLA, and Ohio State; research and tech nonprofits 
Mozilla, Open AI, and the Allen Institute for AI; standards body IEEE-
USA; leading technology companies, including Google, Amazon, Microsoft, 
Oracle, and IBM; and startups, including Calypso AI and Scale AI. I 
thank Representatives Anthony Gonzalez and Mikie Sherrill, and Senators 
Portman and Heinrich, for their partnership in advancing this highly 
important legislation.
  I'm proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 6216, the National Artificial 
Intelligence Initiative Act, comprehensive and bipartisan legislation 
which establishes an initiative to accelerate and coordinate 
investments and partnerships in AI research, standards, and education. 
This legislation appears as Division E of the conferenced NDAA, and it 
is a major investment in our country's future that will pay dividends 
for decades to come.
  The conferenced NDAA also includes language based on two AI-related 
amendments I offered and the House adopted on July 20th. House NDAA 
floor Amendment No. 131 requires the Joint Artificial Intelligence 
Center (JAIC) of the DOD to report on its contribution to the 
development of Al standards in multistakeholder bodies. House NDAA 
floor Amendment No. 132 requires the JAIC to report on the assignments 
servicemembers receive after they complete their duty with the JAIC. 
Both were adopted as part of H. Amdt. 841 to H.R. 6395 and appear in 
Section 231 of the conferenced NDAA.
  I also cosponsored key technology provisions of the conferenced NDAA. 
The CHIPS for America Act, introduced by Reps. Matsui and McCaul, 
restores American leadership in semiconductor manufacturing and appears 
as Title XCIX of the conferenced NDAA. I thank conferees for retaining 
a provision I authored to ensure that small businesses are given 
preference for grants authorized by the legislation (Section 
9902(a)(2)(C)(ii)(IV)). A provision establishing the role of the 
National Cyber Director within the Executive Office of the President, 
based on the National Cyber Director Act, which I cosponsored, appears 
as Section 1752 of the conferenced NDAA. This legislation is critical 
to help coordinate cybersecurity at the highest levels of government.
  I urge my colleagues to vote `YES' on the Conference Report for H.R. 
6395.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. This 
legislation authorizes the funding for a national defense strategy that 
is built on Democratic principles and advances American values.
  As Dean of the Texas Congressional Delegation, I would be remiss if I 
did not briefly take a moment to recognize and acknowledge Congressman 
Mac Thornberry--a longtime colleague of mine and the namesake for this 
bill--for his service to our country. I wish him and his family a 
fruitful retirement.
  This year's National Defense Authorization Act reflects the 
priorities of the American people. As an appointee on the NDAA 
conference committee, I was proud to fight for the inclusion of key 
bipartisan provisions like a pay raise for our servicemembers, expanded 
paid parental leave for civilian DOD employees, and new investments to 
combat climate change in the final version of the bill.
  The Congressional Black Caucus played a critical role in the shaping 
of this legislation. Among the several bold initiatives ushered through 
the House, Senate, and conference deliberations by the CBC is the 
establishment of a commission to rename military installations that 
honor Confederate officers. This proposal, paired with the required 
modification or removal of any symbols, monuments, and paraphernalia 
that commemorate the Confederacy, is a necessary step in achieving 
racial equity in the military.
  Mr. Speaker, despite the President's veto threat, I look forward to 
the passage and enactment of this legislation.
  Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference report 
to the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2021.
  Combating illicit finance and targeting bad actors is a nonpartisan 
issue. However, Congress' actions must be thoughtful and data-driven.
  An example of this is H.R. 2514, the COUNTER Act, which is included 
in this conference report. Division G is a compilation of bipartisan 
policies that will modernize and reform the Bank Secrecy Act and anti-
money laundering regimes. These policies will strengthen the Department 
of Treasury's financial intelligence, anti-money laundering, and 
counter terrorism programs. I would like to thank Chairman Cleaver and 
Ranking Member Stivers for their work on this bill and the language 
included in Division G.
  In addition to Division G, the conference report contains an 
amendment replacing the text of H.R. 2513, the Corporate Transparency 
Act, with new legislation. H.R. 2513, which passed the House on October 
22, 2019, and again as an amendment to H.R. 6395 on July 21, 2020, 
attempted to establish a new beneficial ownership information reporting 
regime to assist law enforcement in tracking down terrorists and other 
bad actors who finance terrorism and illicit activities. But, it did so 
to the detriment of America's small businesses.
  Beneficial ownership information is the personally identifiable 
information (PII) on a company's beneficial owners. This information is 
currently collected and held by financial institutions prior to a 
company gaining access to our financial system.
  However, bad actors and nation states, such as China and Russia, are 
becoming more proficient in using our financial system to support 
illicit activity. As bad actors become more sophisticated, so to must 
our tools to deter and catch them. One such tool is identifying the 
beneficial owners of shell companies, which are used as fronts to 
launder money and finance terrorism or other illicit activity. 
Beneficial ownership information assists law enforcement to better 
target these bad actors.
  Although well-intentioned, H.R. 2513 had numerous deficiencies in its 
reporting regime. First, H.R. 2513 placed numerous reporting and costly 
reporting requirements on small businesses. It lacked protections to 
properly protect small businesses' personal information stored with a 
little-known government office within the Department of Treasury--known 
as FinCEN. The bill authorized access to this sensitive information 
without any limitation on who could access the information and when it 
could be accessed. Finally, it failed to hold FinCEN accountable for 
its actions.
  The text of H.R. 2513 is replaced with new language that I 
negotiated, along with Senate Banking Committee Chairman Crapo. This 
substitute, which is reflected in Division F of the conference report, 
is a significant improvement over the House-passed bill in three key 
areas.
  First, Division F limits the burdens on small businesses. Unlike H.R. 
2513, the language included in the conference report protects our 
nation's small businesses. It prevents duplicative, burdensome, and 
costly reporting requirements for beneficial ownership data from being 
imposed in two ways. It rescinds the current beneficial ownership 
reporting regime set out in 31 CFR 1010.230 (b)-(j), which is costly 
and burdensome to small businesses. Rescinding these provisions ensures 
that it cannot be used in a future rule to impose another duplicative, 
reporting regime on America's small businesses. In addition, Division F 
requires the Department of Treasury to minimize the burdens the new 
reporting regime will have on small businesses, including eliminating 
any duplicative requirements.
  House Republicans ensured the directive to minimize burdens on small 
businesses is fulfilled. Division F directs the Secretary of the 
Treasury to report to the House Committee on Financial Services and the 
Senate Committee on Banking annually for the first three years after 
the new rule is promulgated. The report must assess: the effectiveness 
of the new rule; the steps the Department of Treasury

[[Page H6933]]

took to minimize the reporting burdens on reporting entities, including 
eliminating duplicative reporting requirements, and the accuracy of the 
new rule in targeting bad actors. The Department of Treasury is also 
required to identify the alternate procedures and standards that were 
considered and rejected in developing its new reporting regime. This 
report will help the Committees understand the effectiveness of the new 
rule in identifying and prosecuting bad actors. Moreover, it will give 
the Committees the data needed to understand whether the reporting 
threshold is sufficient or should be revised.
  Second, Division F includes the strongest privacy and disclosure 
protections for America's small businesses as it relates to the 
collection, maintenance, and disclosure of beneficial ownership 
information. The new protections set out in Division F ensure that 
small business beneficial ownership information will be protected just 
like an individual's tax return information. The protections in 
Division F mirror or exceed the protections set out in 26 U.S.C. 6103, 
including:

       1. Agency Head Certification. Division F requires an agency 
     head or designee to certify that an investigation or law 
     enforcement, national security or intelligence activity is 
     authorized and necessitates access to the database. Designees 
     may only be identified through a process that mirrors the 
     process followed by the Department of Treasury for those 
     designations set out in 26 U.S.C. 6103.
       2. Semi-annual Certification of Protocols. Division F 
     requires an Agency head to make a semi-annual certification 
     to the Secretary of the Treasury that the protocols for 
     accessing small business ownership data ensure maximum 
     protection of this critically important information. This 
     requirement is non-delegable.
       3. Court authorization of State, Local and Tribal law 
     enforcement requests. Division F requires state, local and 
     tribal law enforcement officials to obtain a court 
     authorization from the court system in the local 
     jurisdiction. Obtaining a court authorization is the first of 
     two steps state, local and tribal governments must take prior 
     to accessing the database. Separately, state, local and 
     tribal law enforcement agencies must comply with the 
     protocols and safeguards established by the Department of 
     Treasury.
       4. Limited Disclosure of Beneficial Ownership Information. 
     Division F prohibits the Secretary of Treasury from 
     disclosing the requested beneficial ownership information to 
     anyone other than a law enforcement or national security 
     official who is directly engaged in the investigation.
       5. System of Records. Division F requires any requesting 
     agency to establish and maintain a system of records to store 
     beneficial ownership information provided directly by the 
     Secretary of the Treasury.
       6. Penalties for Unauthorized Disclosure. Division F 
     prohibits unauthorized disclosures. Specifically, the 
     agreement reiterates that a violation of appropriate 
     protocols, including unauthorized disclosure or use, is 
     subject to criminal and civil penalties (up to five years in 
     prison and $250,000 fine).

  Third, Division F contains the necessary transparency, accountability 
and oversight provisions to ensure that the Department of Treasury 
promulgates and implements the new beneficial ownership reporting 
regime as intended by Congress. Specifically, Division F requires each 
requesting agency to establish and maintain a permanent, auditable 
system of records describing: each request, how the information is 
used, and how the beneficial ownership information is secured. It 
requires requesting agencies to furnish a report to the Department of 
Treasury describing the procedures in place to ensure the 
confidentiality of the beneficial ownership information provided 
directly by the Secretary of the Treasury.
  Separately, Division F requires two additional audits. First, it 
directs the Secretary of Treasury to conduct an annual audit to 
determine whether beneficial ownership information is being collected, 
stored and used as intended by Congress. Separately, Division F directs 
the Government Accountability Office to conduct an audit for five years 
to ensure that the Department of Treasury and requesting agencies are 
using the beneficial ownership information as set out in Division F. 
This is the same audit that GAO conducts as it relates to the 
Department of Treasury's collection, maintenance and protection of tax 
return information. This information will ensure that Congress has 
independent data on the efficacy of the reporting regime and whether 
confidentiality is being maintained.
  Division F also requires the Department of Treasury to issue an 
annual report on the total number of court authorized requests received 
by the Secretary to access the database. The report must detail the 
total number of court authorized requests approved and rejected and a 
summary justifying the action. This report to Congress will ensure the 
Department of Treasury does not misuse its authority to either approve 
or reject court authorized requests.
  Finally, Division F requires the Director of FinCEN, who is 
responsible for implementing this reporting regime, to testify annually 
for five years. This testimony is critical. For far too long FinCEN has 
evaded any type of congressional check on its activities. Yet, it has 
amassed a great deal of authority. Now, Congress will shine a light on 
its operations. It is my expectation that FinCEN will provide Congress 
with hard data on its effectiveness in targeting bad actors, including 
the effectiveness of this new authority to collect, maintain, and use 
beneficial ownership information.
  One final comment about the importance of FinCEN's annual testimony. 
In the months leading up to the House's consideration of H.R. 2513 last 
October, I sought data from FinCEN and from the Treasury Department, 
along with the Department of Justice, to better understand the need for 
this legislation. No such data was forthcoming. Rather, FinCEN gave 
anecdotes of very scary stories to justify the need for a new reporting 
regime. It is my expectation that FinCEN will provide Congress with the 
necessary data to justify this new reporting regime and the burdens it 
is placing on legitimate companies.
  I will conclude by thanking Chairwoman Maloney for her work over the 
last twelve years on this issue and her willingness to work with me to 
strengthen this bill. I believe we have a better product.
  I urge my colleagues to support the conference agreement.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, the conference report to accompany H.R. 
6395, the National Defense Authorization Act, includes my bills 
ensuring my district, the Northern Mariana Islands, and other insular 
areas are included in additional federal programs as well as improving 
career education for military spouses.
  Businesses in the Marianas will have further access to federal Small 
Business Administration programs under the terms of my Northern Mariana 
Islands Small Business Development Act, included in the final version 
of the NDAA. My bill, H.R. 6021, makes the Marianas eligible for 
funding to establish a Small Business Development Center Lead Center. 
With additional funding, small businesses on Saipan, Tinian and Rota 
will have improved access to free or low-cost services such as 
incubator workspaces for entrepreneurs, business planning, operations, 
and other areas required for small business start-up, growth and 
success. It will, also, provide technical assistance from the Federal 
and State Technology program to Marianas small businesses interested in 
seed funding from the Small Business Innovation Research and Small 
Business Technology Transfer programs.
  The NDAA also includes the two bills I authored to expand education 
opportunities in our islands. H.R. 6786 includes the Marianas in the 
Defense Department's STARBASE education program, which aims to improve 
students' skills in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, 
and math). STARBASE partners military installations with schools having 
high proportions of economically and educationally disadvantaged 
students.
  Additionally included in the NDAA is my bill, H.R. 4614, adding the 
Marianas and other insular areas to the national AMBER alert system for 
finding missing children. AMBER alerts mobilize the community via 
radio, TV, and text messages and have helped locate almost one thousand 
children, since the system was created in 1996. My AMBER Alerts 
Nationwide Act will give law enforcement in the Marianas the financial 
and technical resources from the U.S. Departments of Justice and 
Transportation to implement AMBER alerts in our community, hopefully 
saving lives. My bill also seeks to close gaps in coverage nationwide 
by specifying airports, seaports, and border crossing areas.
  And H.R. 7112, the Military Spouse Career Education Act, will help 
the spouses of service members finish their college degrees more 
quickly and get the training needed to re-license in their professions, 
when they must move to a new location under military orders. The 
spouses will be able to have the costs reimbursed for national tests 
like CLEP providing college credit and for required continuing 
education courses to maintain their career credentials.
  I urge the adoption of the conference report, so we can be sure that 
military spouses have more support in starting and maintaining careers, 
more small businesses in our country can fully benefit from the SBDC 
and FAST programs, more students can benefit from STEM education, and 
more lives can be saved with the help of AMBER Alerts.
  I thank Chairman Smith, Chairwoman Velazquez, Chairman Nadler, 
Chairman DeFazio, Senator Hirono, Senator Schatz, and Representatives 
Gabbard, Houlahan, and Banks for all their support to include into the 
NDAA these important measures.
  I ask my colleagues to support adoption of the conference report to 
accompany H.R. 6395.
  Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the fiscal 
year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). I would like to 
start by thanking Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Thornberry, and the 
House Armed Services Committee staff who have worked

[[Page H6934]]

tirelessly throughout this past year to get us to this point. It's a 
good bill and I encourage my colleagues to support the conference 
report.
  As the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee, I worked closely with 
members on and off the committee to ensure the bill addressed key 
priority areas affecting our military.
  First, the bill includes a number of bipartisan provisions aimed at 
addressing climate change. The bill does the following: requires an 
update to the Department of Defense Climate Change Roadmap; requires a 
report on the implementation of provisions from the FY2020 National 
Defense Authorization Act related to installation master planning, 
updates to the Unified Facilities Criteria, sea-level rise modeling, 
and climate assessment tools; includes an alternative fuel vehicle 
pilot program to require the military departments to expand their use 
of alternative fuel non-tactical vehicles to increase the use of hybrid 
and EV vehicles; requires the Department to submit a report on its 
greenhouse gas emissions for the last 10 years within 180 days of 
enactment; requires the Department to invest in research and 
development of advanced water harvesting technologies that would aid in 
addressing water security issues in areas impacted by drought due to 
climate change; expands the Department's ability to use installation 
resilience authorities to support climate resiliency projects at 
National Guard Facilities owned by the State; and requires the military 
services to assess their water use at installations in regions 
experiencing water scarcity, maximize use of landscaping practices that 
reduce water usage, and improve their water conservation.
  The bill also includes provisions that address energy resiliency for 
military bases, including the following: requires a report on efforts 
taken to ensure fuel consumption, distribution, and logistics are being 
considered across the Department and that steps are being taken to 
reduce consumption of fossil fuels by 30 percent in 25 years to reduce 
the number of resupply convoys and oilers required in a contested 
environment; requires the Department of Defense to institute energy 
metering on critical military facilities to assess the energy 
requirements and plan to ensure resilient power sources for these 
facilities; establishes a pilot program to develop microgrids on 
military installations that integrate emergency diesel generators to 
demonstrate how microgrid emergency diesel generator backup power could 
create efficiencies and resiliency while reducing costs and emissions; 
promotes the use of on-site energy production to promote military 
installation energy resiliency and energy security; requires an 
assessment of the Department's installation and operational energy 
usage; re-establishes the Operational Energy Capability Improvement 
Fund, which was eliminated in the budget request, and authorizes $65 
million to demonstrate and field technologies that reduce fuel 
consumption and logistics; establishes an Operational Energy budget 
line to enhance transparency and congressional oversight of the 
Department's efforts to reduce fossil fuel usage and make conservation 
gains on operational platforms; and requires the Comptroller General to 
assess the Department's progress towards meeting net zero goals for 
installations to include an assessment of the cultural and legislative 
barriers to meeting these goals.
  The bill continues efforts to address contamination associated with 
per- and polyfluorinated compounds around military installations, 
including the following provisions: requires the Secretary of Defense 
to notify all agricultural operations in an area where covered PFAS has 
been detected in groundwater that is suspected to originate from use of 
firefighting foam on a military installation; requires the Department 
of Defense to notify the congressional defense committees when there 
has been an uncontrolled release of PFAS-containing firefighting agent; 
establishes a prize that can be awarded by the Secretary of Defense for 
innovative research that results in a viable replacement agent for 
firefighting foam that does not contain PFAS; requires the Department 
of Defense to survey and report on non-firefighting agent technologies, 
such as hangar flooring and firefighting equipment, that will help 
facilitate the phase-out of PFAS containing firefighting agents; makes 
technical corrections to the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act 
to ensure that all National Guard installations are eligible for 
funding under the Defense Environmental Restoration Account for PFAS 
remediation; establishes an interagency coordinating body for PFAS 
research; prohibits the Department of Defense from procuring certain 
items containing PFAS, including cookware, carpets, and upholstery with 
stain-resistant coatings; authorizes the Department to work with 
private entities to spur research, development and testing of PFAS-free 
fire-fighting agents; requires the National Institute of Standard and 
Technology to study the safety of firefighting equipment with respect 
to protecting fire fighters from PFAS, and conduct research on 
improving the safety of this equipment; authorizes $90 million for 
research lines that support development of PFAS remediation and 
disposal technologies and firefighting agent replacement; and 
authorizes a total of $1.4 billion for environmental remediation and 
BRAC accounts which support a range of remediation activities, to 
include those related to PFAS, at current military installations, 
formerly utilized defense sites, and installations closed by BRAC.
  The bill also builds on the Committee's previous legislative and 
oversight activities to ensure that military personnel and their 
families live in quality housing and that the Department and private 
housing partners are responsive to resident concerns. The bill does the 
following: requires a report on the oversight of known environmental 
hazards in government owned family housing, including overseas housing; 
requires the Department of Defense to report on the feasibility of 
standardizing privatized housing performance metrics to better allow 
the Department to track trends across the housing enterprise; for 
future and renegotiated privatized housing agreements, requires that 
funding for housing maintenance and recapitalization be prioritized 
ahead of housing management and other fees in the payment structure; 
updates minimum health and safety standards for all military base 
housing, requires transparency for private housing company contract 
performance fees, and requires a report on the status of other military 
housing reforms; increases transparency by requiring DOD to notify 
Congress of large expenditures coming from the family housing 
reinvestment accounts; repeals the provision in Title 10 that allowed 
the Department of Defense to place families in substandard housing 
units; requires the Secretary of Defense to implement Comptroller 
General recommendations for improvement of military family housing; and 
authorizes an additional $60 million for oversight and improvement of 
the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) program and to 
continue addressing environmental and maintenance issues in government-
owned family housing.
  Other important provisions that I am pleased are in the conference 
report include the following: establishes an independent commission to 
make binding recommendations to the Secretary of Defense for the 
modification or removal of all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and 
paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of 
America or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate 
States of America from all assets of the Department of Defense; amends 
the national emergency military construction authority (10 USC 2808) to 
set an annual limit of $100 million for the domestic use of the 
authority and $500 million for overseas projects, with an exception for 
medical projects that may be necessary to support response to a health 
emergency or pandemic; does not backfill military construction funds 
stolen for the border wall; makes technical corrections to the Paid 
Parental Leave benefit provided through the FY20 National Defense 
Authorization Act to ensure that Federal Aviation Administration, 
Department of Veterans Affairs, and certain other civilian employees 
inadvertently omitted from the legislation receive the paid parental 
leave benefit; establishes the Office of Local Defense Community 
Cooperation and codifies in law the Department of Defense entity that 
runs the Joint Land Use Study, DOD Schools, Defense Community 
Infrastructure Program, and Defense Manufacturing Community Support 
Program to ensure stability and effective community engagement; 
authorizes $50 million for the Defense Community Infrastructure Program 
(DCIP) and clarifies congressional intent with respect to the 
implementation of the program; provides long overdue benefits to 
Vietnam-Era Veterans, adding hypothyroidism, bladder cancer and 
Parkinsonism to the Agent Orange Presumptive Conditions List; and 
prohibits retirement of the RQ-4 or U-2 aircraft until specific 
certifications or waivers have been provided to Congress.
  I'm also pleased this NDAA includes a 3 percent pay raise for our 
troops and includes several provisions that establish a National 
Maritime Logistics Fleet to bolster America's maritime sector. This is 
accomplished by strengthening US-flagged vessel requirements for the 
transportation of military cargo and fuels, creating a Tanker Security 
Program to address the shortfall in US-flagged, US-crewed tankers, and 
requiring the Navy to initiate an affordable, domestic built sealift 
ship. Strengthening our maritime logistics will bolster our nation's 
commercial shipping industry and enhance our military's capabilities by 
improving the overarching defense industrial base that supports each 
branch of our armed services.
  I am also pleased with the inclusion of the remaining provision of my 
bill, H.R. 2617, the Occupational and Environmental Transparency Health 
Act, to require DoD to integrate information from the Burn Pit Registry 
into servicemembers' Electronic Health Records to aid in the 
collection, documentation, and tracking of any exposures to 
Occupational Environmental Health (OEH) hazards. The legislative

[[Page H6935]]

intent of H.R. 2617 has been fully accomplished through the NDAA as 
last year's FY20 NDAA required DoD to input any OEH hazards exposure 
into servicemembers' records while deployed so it is tracked throughout 
their career and into veteran status.
  Overall, I am proud of the Readiness Subcommittee's contribution to 
this year's bill and would like to thank the Readiness staff, Brian 
Garrett, Jeanine Womble, Melanie Harris, Jay Vallario, John Muller, 
Dave Sienicki, and Sean Falvey, and my personal staff, Betsy Thompson, 
Marcus Jones, and Danusia Hubah, for their tireless work. Marcus and 
Danusia will be departing the Hill after next week, and I would like to 
personally thank them for their hard work and sharing their expertise 
with us this past year. Both Marcus and Danusia have been invaluable 
members of my staff and we will miss them dearly.
  This bill helps advance our military's near-term readiness goals and 
drives the Department to plan for and take action against long-term 
threats. The conference report also authorizes funding that will 
strengthen DOD and the country's ability to respond to potential COVID-
19 resurgence and other infectious diseases in the future. With that, I 
urge my colleagues to support the FY21 NDAA.
  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, section 6308 enhances U.S. law 
enforcement's ability to access international bank records to help 
better ensure financial crimes are investigated. I am supportive of 
this new and necessary provision. This new authority allows the 
Departments of Treasury and Justice to issue subpoenas requiring 
production of records relating to accounts held by banks outside of the 
United States. This new authority would create a secondary mechanism 
for seeking discovery from foreign banks separate from the Mutual Legal 
Assistance Treaties (``MLATs'') or other multilateral or bilateral 
agreements the United States currently maintains with many foreign 
governments for this purpose. As the Departments of Justice and 
Treasury implement Section 6308, I encourage them only to use this new 
authority where a foreign bank operates in a jurisdiction as to which 
no MLAT or other information-sharing agreement exists or where the 
relevant foreign government has not satisfied its obligations under an 
MLAT or other information-sharing agreement.
  Many foreign countries restrict banks operating in their 
jurisdictions from sharing their customers' financial or personally 
identifiable information (``PII'). As a result, subpoenas issued under 
section 6308 may place foreign banks in the difficult position of 
either violating home country law or being in contempt for failure to 
comply with a subpoena issued by the United States government. As a 
result, I believe it is appropriate for the Departments of Justice and 
Treasury to take into consideration conflict of laws situations to 
achieve the purposes of Section 6308 while also maintaining a respect 
for home country requirements.
  Finally, I encourage the Departments of Treasury and Justice to issue 
regulations establishing appropriate protocols to ensure that the 
authority granted under section 6308 does not supersede or supplant 
existing MLATs or other multilateral or bilateral agreements between 
the United States and the relevant foreign government that are 
available for obtaining records from a foreign bank.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Conference 
Report for H.R. 6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. This bill contains many 
important provisions that should become law, but unfortunately those 
laudable policies are outweighed by the staggering cost and I cannot 
support the bill as a whole.
  I am grateful for the Conferees' work to include language increasing 
treatment and benefits for veterans by expanding the types of diseases 
that are presumed connected with exposure to Agent Orange. I also 
strongly support the pay increase for our troops, the removal of names 
and symbols associated with the racist legacy of the Confederacy, and 
the bolstering of paid parental leave policies across the federal 
government. I commend Chairman Smith for his ongoing work to advance 
legislation that improves the military's prevention of sexual assault 
and support for survivors, takes encouraging steps to address climate 
change, and prevents the misuse of taxpayer money on a wasteful border 
wall. In response to authoritarian tactics by federal agents in 
Portland, Oregon, and elsewhere, the Chairman and House Conferees also 
achieved bipartisan support for a policy I championed requiring that 
any federal forces responding to a protest or civil disturbance by 
clearly identifiable.
  I cannot ignore, however, the unprecedented amount of military 
spending that this legislation would authorize. Amid a national crisis 
precipitated by a global pandemic, voting to allow billions of dollars 
to be spent on weapons is unjustifiable when our communities 
desperately need food and housing security, access to childcare, 
affordable health care, and small business support. We must not accept 
the notion that annual increases in defense spending are somehow 
inevitable and can be rationalized as modest when adding just one 
percent costs billions of dollars that should instead be invested 
domestically in schools or infrastructure.
  I do not take this vote lightly and my commitment to providing for 
our servicemembers remains steadfast. It is a complex and challenging 
task to responsibly fund our national defense, but I am confident that 
we can maintain adequate security while reining in the immense and 
ever-increasing sums that endlessly pour into the military-industrial 
complex. I look forward to continued engagement with my colleagues as 
we address these difficult issues.

                              {time}  1400

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
  Pursuant to the order of the House of Thursday, December 3, 2020, the 
previous question is ordered.
  The question is on the adoption of the conference report.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3 of House Resolution 
965, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this question 
are postponed.

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