[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 125 (Thursday, July 20, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3439-S3440]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



        National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, currently, the Senate is considering one of 
the most important pieces of legislation that we consider each year, 
and that is the National Defense Authorization Act.
  It is a bill that authorizes funding for our men and women in uniform 
and our defense needs--from planes, ships, and submarines to weapons, 
logistics, and communications technology.
  The United States has long had a reputation for military strength, 
and part of that reputation has rested on the strength of our 
equipment, but in recent years, our technological advantage has eroded 
to the point where there is reason to be concerned whether we would win 
a war against a major power like China. While we have made some 
progress to reverse this trend, we have a lot more work to do to ensure 
our military retains our technological edge, and I am glad that this 
year's NDAA makes progress toward this goal.
  Today, I want to talk about one critical aspect of America's defense 
capabilities in particular, and that is long-range strike, specifically 
our bombers.
  Long-range strategic bombers have played a critical role for the 
United States in a number of conflicts, but today's bomber force is 
desperately in need of an update. Our bomber inventory is roughly one-
third the size that it was in 1989, and it is the oldest in Air Force 
history. Experts warn that, in a conflict, the current U.S. bomber 
force would be insufficient against an adversary like China. 
Fortunately, this is one problem that we have made a concerted effort 
to address.
  Congress, the Pentagon, and successive administrations have been at 
work developing a next-generation strategic bomber for a number of 
years, and we finally have it. That is the B-21 Raider. It is a sixth-
generation, long-range strategic bomber, and it will take its first 
flight later this year.
  This is something that, as I said earlier, our Nation has a vital 
interest in making sure it is completed and that we get that important 
military asset as part of our defense arsenal as we look at the threats 
that we face around the globe today.
  The Air Force calls the Raider the future backbone of its bomber 
force, and Secretary of Defense Austin says it is ``deterrence the 
American way.''
  The B-21 is an example of what American ingenuity can achieve. It 
will be able to penetrate hostile air defenses and reach targets 
anywhere in the world, which 90 percent of our current bomber force 
can't do, all while launching from the United States and deploying 
stealth technologies that you have to see--or should I say--not see to 
believe. This is a remarkable capability. Its systems will be able to 
evolve with a changing threat environment and incorporate new 
technologies within the airframe, and it will be able to work alongside 
the technologies of tomorrow, such as unmanned aircraft and artificial 
intelligence.
  The specter of the B-21 has already caused a stir in China, and I am 
certain that it will cause our adversaries to think twice about 
aggression.
  I am proud that when the B-21 enters service in the next few years, 
South Dakota's Ellsworth Air Force Base will be Main Operating Base 1--
home to both the formal training unit and the first operational 
squadron. The men and women of Ellsworth are working hard to prepare 
for this important new mission, and I am working to ensure they have 
everything they need to successfully carry it out.
  Last year, I worked to ensure that Congress provided not only for the 
development and initial production of the B-21 but for support 
facilities at Ellsworth that will be needed for the aircraft, including 
a radio frequency facility and a weapons generation facility.
  I was also able to secure language in last year's NDAA to create a 
pilot program to evaluate dynamic airspace concepts. Dynamic airspace 
will allow airspace boundaries to evolve as military exercises 
progress, enabling larger volumes of airspace for realistic training 
for aircraft like the B-21.
  I am pleased to report that this year's NDAA authorizes full funding 
for the next steps of the B-21 mission, including continued bomber 
development and procurement as well as continued investment in the 
required support facilities at Ellsworth.
  In looking at Ellsworth today, it is hard to imagine that its future 
was in jeopardy not that long ago. Shortly after I came to the Senate, 
the Department of Defense's Base Realignment

[[Page S3440]]

and Closure Commission recommended Ellsworth for closure. So one of my 
first priorities as a U.S. Senator was just keeping Ellsworth open, and 
I will say the odds were not in our favor. But thanks to an all-hands 
effort by our congressional delegation and State and community leaders, 
we proved to the BRAC commission that Ellsworth was too valuable of an 
asset to lose. Then we got right to work in building up the base so 
that we would never again find ourselves in the same position.
  Today, Ellsworth is home not only to the B-21 bomber--the current 
workhorse of long-range strike--but also the Air Force Financial 
Services Center; the 89th Attack Squadron, which remotely controls MQ-9 
Reapers; the Powder River Training Complex, which is the largest 
training airspace in the continental United States; and, soon, the B-21 
bomber.
  Once slated for closure, Ellsworth is set to be a critical part of 
our Nation's defense long into the future, and I will continue to do 
everything I can to support both the base's mission and the men and 
women who make it happen.
  As I have noted, the B-21 represents a substantial advance in our 
Nation's long-range strike capabilities, and it will help ensure that 
we are more prepared to meet the threats of the 21st century.
  But as critical as it is, long-range strike is just one aspect of our 
Nation's defense, and we will have a lot of work to do to strengthen 
our Nation's readiness across the board. We need more B-21-type efforts 
to leverage the best of our technological advancements to upgrade other 
aspects of our Nation's defense, and we need them quickly. The war in 
Ukraine, as well as war games addressing the defense of Taiwan, have 
made clear the cost of a major conflict, and if we hope to avoid such 
conflicts and deter future attacks against our country or our allies, 
we need to make restoring our readiness a top priority.
  As we move forward, I will continue to do everything I can to support 
not only our airmen at Ellsworth and the B-21 mission but the critical 
work of upgrading our Nation's military capabilities.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Lujan). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.