[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 209 (Thursday, December 10, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                  NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORITIZATION ACT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, now, in the meantime, yesterday, we 
began moving the conference report on the National Defense 
Authorization Act toward the floor.
  For the information of all Senators, we should expect the potential 
for a late night tonight and the possibility of votes tomorrow.
  Back in July, the Senate passed our version of this crucial annual 
bill. Now our colleagues on the conference committee have done their 
tough job and reconciled two different approaches so we do not leave 
our military in the lurch.
  On Tuesday, the House passed the conference report with overwhelming 
bipartisan support. Now it is the Senate's turn to make it an unbroken 
60-year streak of passing this legislation to keep our military strong 
and our homeland safe.
  This NDAA will unlock more than $740 billion for the training, tools, 
and cutting-edge equipment that our servicemembers and civilian 
employees need to defend American lives and American interests. It will 
give our troops the 3 percent pay raise they richly deserve. It will 
keep our forces ready to deter China and stand strong in the Indo-
Pacific, and it will secure President Trump's major progress at 
modernizing our capabilities, our technologies, and our strategic 
nuclear deterrent.
  This legislation will secure wins on priorities that all of us share. 
It does not contain every policy that either side would like to pass, 
but a huge number of crucial policies are included, and a lot of bad 
ideas were kept out. So I would encourage all our colleagues to vote to 
advance this must-pass bill.

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