[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 189 (Tuesday, December 6, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6975-S6976]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   National Defense Authorization Act

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I know the Senator from Kentucky and the 
Senator from Michigan are trying to work through some differences on a 
potential unanimous consent request, but I have asked them if I might 
make a few remarks if they are not quite ready yet, and they have 
graciously allowed me to do so.
  What I want to talk about is--it is December 6. It is 19 days until 
Christmas, and the 117th Congress is quickly coming to a close, but 
there is a lot of work that needs to be done in the meantime--first, 
the National Defense Authorization Act, which I hope will be the next 
order of business.
  You know, when people ask me, ``What are your priorities when it 
comes to representing the State of Texas in the U.S. Senate?'' I say: 
Well, it is clear there is one priority, and that is the strength and 
security and safety of our Nation and our way of life--to preserve and 
protect the peace and to protect the freedom of all Americans.
  The way we do that is through the National Defense Authorization Act. 
It is, I believe, the most important piece of legislation that we 
consider each year, among other important pieces of legislation. This 
is how we support our troops, how we support our military families in 
an all-volunteer military, how we maintain our military bases, how we 
modernize our weapons systems and airframes and invest in the next 
generation of weapons.
  I believe what Ronald Reagan said--that we maintain peace through 
strength--and when we don't make our national defense a priority, when 
we neglect the most important responsibilities we have here, it sends 
the wrong message to our adversaries and those who would take advantage 
of a power vacuum left by an America that refuses to lead.
  The National Defense Authorization Act is how we strengthen our 
relationships with old allies and forge strong partnerships with new 
ones. For example, as a result of the invasion of

[[Page S6976]]

Ukraine by Vladimir Putin, now Finland and Sweden have said they want 
to become part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which is 
certainly not what Mr. Putin contemplated when he said he was invading 
Ukraine because he didn't want a potential NATO member on his border. 
Well, as a result of his blundering invasion and wrongful invasion of 
Ukraine, he is now going to have Finland as a NATO partner on his 
border with some, I believe, roughly, 800 miles of common border.
  We know that this is an increasingly challenging global threat 
landscape, and we have to do everything we can to make sure our troops 
have the training and the equipment and the resources needed to counter 
adversaries of today and tomorrow.
  Given the state of the world, preserving our military readiness has 
never been more important. China and Russia have, obviously, grown more 
aggressive in their efforts to disrupt the global order. North Korea 
continues to threaten the United States and our allies with its nuclear 
capabilities. Iran, which is the largest state sponsor of terrorism, 
continues to threaten democracies in the Middle East, including our 
ally in Israel, and to threaten not only regional conflict but 
something worse.
  This is a fragile time for global peace and security, and a strong 
National Defense Authorization Act is the principal way that we supply 
our military with the resources and certainty needed for our commanders 
to plan for the future.
  But this legislation is about much more than maintaining a strong 
national defense. It is about empowering and supporting the men and 
women behind it. America's servicemembers are volunteers, and they have 
made a commitment not everyone is willing to make in joining the ranks 
of America's heroes who have defended our country throughout our 
Nation's history. They make sacrifices each and every day in order to 
keep our families safe and our Nation at peace, and we owe it to them 
to give them the support that they need. That includes not only the 
training, technology, and equipment they need to do their jobs but also 
the pay and benefits that their families depend on.

  In short, a strong National Defense Authorization Act is critical to 
the success of our servicemembers, their families, American security, 
and, indeed, world peace. We simply can't neglect this important 
responsibility or delay it any longer. I think the majority leader, the 
Senator from New York, has already delayed it to the point that here we 
are, backed up against Christmas, with no time to spare. Congress needs 
to pass this annual Defense authorization bill ASAP--as soon as 
possible. I hear the House is planning to take up the Defense 
Authorization Act this week, and I hope that the Senate will follow in 
short order.
  For the past 61 years in a row--61 years--Congress has managed to 
overcome partisan differences and pass this legislation. I hope that 
will continue this year, but I am becoming more and more concerned 
given the crunch that we are experiencing here 19 days before 
Christmas.