[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 198 (Monday, November 15, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8070-S8071]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Business Before the Senate

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I thank my colleague from Tennessee for 
yielding, and in a few minutes, I intend to take the first procedural 
step to begin consideration of the annual Defense policy bill. With 
cooperation, the Senate can and should move through this important 
legislation that we attend to each year.
  This year, we will amend the Defense bill to include the U.S. 
Innovation and Competition Act, the historic manufacturing and 
innovation bill that the Senate passed earlier this year on a strong 
bipartisan basis and which will help tackle our Nation's supply chain 
crisis. Our supply chain crisis needs attending to, and we cannot wait. 
Members from both sides of the aisle have expressed interest in getting 
this done.
  Passing USICA would be an essential far-reaching step that Congress 
could take to help fight inflation, help increase American workers' 
wages, and relieve strained supply chains, particularly with regard to 
the current devastating chip shortage that is hurting the auto 
industry, the tech industry, and so many other industries. We cannot 
allow us to become dependent on foreign chips, especially when we do--
we do the groundbreaking technology.
  We are also working with the Speaker and our colleagues in the House 
and Republican colleagues in the Senate to find a path forward to get 
this important legislation over the finish line before the end of the 
year.
  It is also my intention to have an amendment vote on the bipartisan 
legislation, repealing the 2002 Iraq war AUMF. This measure was 
reported on a bipartisan basis out of the Foreign Relations Committee 
earlier this year,

[[Page S8071]]

and the NDAA is the logical place to have that vote on the Senate 
floor.
  The Iraq war has been over for nearly a decade. An authorization 
passed in 2002 is no longer necessary in 2021. In no way will repealing 
this measure impact our ability to keep Americans safe nor impact our 
relationship with Iraq.
  We will have other votes on amendments on the Defense bill as well. I 
look forward to working with our colleagues on the other side of the 
aisle to move this important process forward.
  So now I am going to move cloture on the NDAA.
  I have some words to say about my dear colleague, Senator Leahy, and 
some words to say on Build Back Better, but I will come at a later 
moment because I know my friend from Tennessee is waiting to do those 
things tonight.

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