[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 199 (Monday, December 4, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S5700]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   National Defense Authorization Act

  Madam President, now, on NDAA, Democrats have committed to working 
with Republicans to pass the annual Defense authorization bill through 
Congress before the end of the year.
  Four months ago, the Senate passed our own version of the NDAA with 
strong bipartisan support. Our bipartisan NDAA made a critical 
downpayment to rein in the Chinese Government on fentanyl trafficking, 
the purchase of U.S. farmlands, outbound investments, and more.
  We also passed critical parts of AUKUS, one of the most important 
tools we have for outcompeting the Chinese Government. We must include 
all of AUKUS in the final agreement.
  But, right now, a number of House Republicans--who like to talk a big 
game on China--are actually sabotaging some of the best tough-on-
Chinese-Government accomplishments we have passed in the NDAA. Instead 
of standing up to the Chinese government, House Republicans seem to be 
doing their bidding.
  For one, House Republican leadership is dangerously close to killing 
a bipartisan measure to disrupt elicit opioid supply chains--many of 
which began in China--and punish those who facilitate fentanyl 
trafficking. This measure, the FEND Act, was adopted with strong 
bipartisan support in the Senate. It has been championed by the 
leadership of both the Banking and Armed Services Committees.
  Holding the Chinese Government accountable for the fentanyl crisis is 
the definition of a legislative layup, but House Republicans are trying 
to kill this bill if they don't get their way on unrelated measures. 
Instead of making the layup, they are throwing up an air ball.
  Incredibly, there is more. Earlier this summer, the Senate 
overwhelmingly passed a measure limiting the free flow of U.S. 
investment into China for sensitive advanced technologies like 
semiconductors, AI, and more. It would codify elements of an Executive 
order that President Biden issued in August on outbound investments.
  What is more commonsense than stopping U.S. dollars from helping 
Chinese companies beat us on chips and AI and quantum computing?
  Yet, once again, House Republicans, with the apparent blessing of 
their leadership, are blocking the bipartisan measure.
  So House Republicans will talk a good game on fighting the Chinese 
Government but oppose measures to hold that government accountable for 
the fentanyl crisis, which is so afflicting America. House Republicans 
will howl that President Biden is not tough enough on China but refuse 
to codify restrictions on outbound investments that President Biden 
already issued.
  There are only two words to describe House Republicans' record when 
it comes to China: cynical and hypocritical. We have a chance--a 
chance--to pass real, bipartisan reforms to help us outcompete the 
Chinese Government, but House Republicans are going out of their way--
out of their way--to kill these wins.
  Finally, on UAPs, while it is not related to China, House Republicans 
are also attempting to kill another commonsense, bipartisan measure 
passed by the Senate, which I was proud to cosponsor with Senator 
Rounds as the lead sponsor, to increase transparency around what the 
government does and does not know about unidentified aerial phenomena.
  Unidentified aerial phenomena generate intense curiosity for many 
Americans, and the risk for confusion and misinformation is high if the 
government isn't willing to be transparent.
  The measure I championed with Senator Rounds would create a board, 
just like we did with the JFK assassination records, to work through 
the declassification of many government records on UAPs. This model has 
been a terrific success for decades. It should be used again with UAPs, 
but, once again, House Republicans are ready to kill this bipartisan 
provision.
  Now, we are going to get the NDAA done this year, just like we have 
for more than six decades, but there is still some more work to do.