[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 192 (Monday, December 12, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1252]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]







JAMES M. INHOFE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. SUZANNE BONAMICI

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 8, 2022

  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H. Res. 1512, 
James M. lnhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2023. This bill contains many important provisions that should become 
law, but unfortunately those policies are outweighed by the staggering 
increase in military spending. Accordingly, I cannot support the bill 
as a whole.
  I am grateful for the inclusion of robust policies to protect our 
ocean, especially provisions from my legislation, the BLUE GLOBE Act. 
These provisions will direct existing ocean-focused interagency 
committees to coordinate overlapping data collection, align 
supercomputing and data storage efforts, develop cross-agency 
databases, and support consistent archiving practices. The legislation 
will also better assess the value of the Blue Economy, develop a study 
on workforce shortages related to careers in oceanic and atmospheric 
data collection, and identify actions the federal government can take 
to promote diversity in STEM education. Further, it directs the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create, 
maintain, and regularly update a publicly available website that 
provides information about all resiliency grant programs. H.R. 7776 
also prevents illegal fishing and forced labor, enhances marine mammal 
conservation, including of whales in the Puget Sound, and eliminates 
shark fin sales.
  I also strongly support the pay increase for our troops, increased 
funding for research conducted at Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities, an increased military housing allowance, and providing 
reimbursement for members of the Armed Forces for childcare costs 
related to permanent base changes. Additionally, I commend Chairman 
Smith for his ongoing advocacy for additional funding for the Ukraine 
Security Assistance Initiative, which provides support and assistance 
to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in their response to Russian aggression.
  I cannot ignore, however, the unprecedented amount of military 
spending this legislation authorizes while too many Oregonians and 
Americans continue to struggle economically. This bill costs $847.3 
billion, which far exceeds the President's budget request of $773 
billion. In our current economy, supporting more than 74 billion 
additional dollars, primarily for weapons, is unjustifiable when our 
communities desperately need food and housing security, access to high-
quality childcare, affordable health care, and support for small 
businesses. We must not accept the notion that annual increases in 
defense spending are inevitable and can be rationalized as modest when 
Americans continue to struggle.
  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.

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