[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 167 (Thursday, October 9, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7087-S7088]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS ACT, 2026--Motion to Proceed
Mr. THUNE. I move to proceed to calendar No. 168, H.R. 5371.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 168, H.R. 5371, a bill
making continuing appropriations and extensions for fiscal
year 2026, and for other purposes.
Cloture Motion
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under
rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
Cloture Motion
We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the
provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate,
do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the motion to
proceed to Calendar No. 168, H.R. 5371, a bill making
continuing appropriations and extensions for fiscal year
2026, and for other purposes.
John Thune, Eric Schmitt, Jim Justice, James E. Risch,
Tom Cotton, Steve Daines, Ted Budd, John R. Curtis,
John Boozman, Mike Rounds, Kevin Cramer, Bernie Moreno,
Ron Johnson, John Barrasso, Markwayne Mullin, James
Lankford, Tim Sheehy.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Mississippi.
National Defense Authorization Act
Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I am delighted that this body has passed
the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act with such an overwhelming
vote.
At the outset, let me thank the dozens of staff members who have made
this possible--and I know that my friend and colleague the ranking
member will also express his appreciation to a very hard-working and
capable and intelligent list.
But let me name my staff, specifically, and it is going to take a
while to thank them all: Adam Barker, Kristina Belcourt, Levi Brunt,
Cody Emerson, ``Marty'' Fromuth, Megan Galindo, Isaac Jalkanen, Lauren
Johnson, Katie Karam, Greg Lilly, Eric Lofgren, Katie Magnus, Jonathan
Moore, Katie Romaine, Mike Tokar, Eric Trager, Adam Trull, Mike Urena,
Dave Vasquez, Terry Miller, Emily Yetter, Dan Hillenbrand, Beth Spivey,
Ryan Bates, Jonathan Bowen, Leah Brewer, Luke Chaney, Mike Gerhart,
Anna Given, Meredith Gravatte, Madeline Guenther, Brad Patout, Rick
Berger, Brendan Gavin, and John Keast.
And it is possible that I have left some out, but I really do owe a
debt of gratitude--and so does my friend Senator Reed--to both staffs
on both sides of the aisle for all of the technical work and advice in
making this work.
I would remind those listening that this bill passed a committee 26
to 1. That was an overwhelming positive and speedy passage. It is
designed to send a clear message.
We agree that we are not where we need to be, and this bill helps us
close the gap, and it does so by focusing on two themes: rebuilding but
also reforming. And we really need the ``reform'' part. This bill
includes $924.7 billion as a top line. This is an increase, and it is
needed. It recognizes the urgent need to rebuild our military systems,
technologies, and hardware.
We also adopted the most significant acquisition reform proposal in
decades. And let me give Members one example
[[Page S7088]]
of this. In just a single provision of the bill that we have now
passed, we repeal 86 outdated or unnecessary acquisition policies.
American innovators are developing the technologies that can dominate
the battlefields of the 21st century. The FoRGED proposal in this
National Defense Authorization Act taps into that talent.
This bill was Member-driven, both in the committee and on the floor.
Our committee approved 985 items that were led by individual Senators
in this body.
Our September substitute amendment contained 49 amendments--20 from
Republicans, 20 from Democrats, and 9 that were bipartisan. The second
managers' package was included today, including another 47 amendments--
again, bipartisan.
And today we took 14 rollcall votes, and because we are so united and
joined together to make a strong voice for national defense, we took 9
voice votes. I don't know when we have done that, but I think it sends
a strong message, and I hope it does. Altogether, 1,098 Member items.
This is what collaborative, bipartisan legislation looks like. And in
highly charged partisan times, this ought to be refreshing news to the
American people.
My friend Jack Reed is a veteran of military service, and he is a
veteran of this Congress and is a capable partner who works shoulder to
shoulder with me on the Armed Services Committee. I want to thank him
from the bottom of my heart for his cooperation and diligence in
actually getting this bill brought to the floor.
The fact that we were able to finish about 9 o'clock tonight is a
testament to that because earlier today, we really did not know around
noon if we would be able to come to a consensus. So much negotiation
and so much give-and-take has taken place so that we could get on the
floor and make a strong statement and send a strong message.
It amplifies the voices of Senators in this body as we begin to
conference with our House colleagues.
We are not where we need to be. This doesn't get us everywhere we
need to be, but it moves us along the way toward reform and an increase
in a realization that we live in the most dangerous world that we have
seen in decades.
So I yield the floor with gratitude and thanks to my friend.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
Mr. REED. Mr. President, first, I would like to commend Chairman
Wicker whose leadership was absolutely essential to reaching this
moment. He, too, is a veteran. He, too, understands the needs of our
men and women in uniform, and he also recognizes and has contributed
significantly with his floor staff, which has set a new standard for
acquisitions.
We have to get it through the conference, but I am sure we will.
The hallmark of the Senate Armed Services Committee has long been
bipartisanship, and I am glad we have continued this tradition for the
65th consecutive year.
I would also like to thank my colleagues on the Armed Services
Committee. We were able to adopt, as the chairman indicated, hundreds
of amendments during the committee markup, and I am glad that with
bipartisan cooperation this evening, we adopted dozens more.
This is strong, forward-looking legislation that we can all be very
proud of.
I am confident we will provide the Department of Defense and our
military men and women with the resources they need to meet and
overcome the national security threats that we face in a very, very
challenging world.
I, too, would like to take this opportunity to recognize the
phenomenal staff that made this bill possible. I want to specifically
recognize the director of the Democratic staff Elizabeth King and the
director of the Republican staff John Keast. They have led their
staffs, and they have worked together with the utmost professionalism.
And I would also like to take the time to thank the staffers on the
Democratic side, since the chairman has rightfully identified his staff
members: Jody Bennett, Carolyn Chuhta, Jon Clark, Jenny Davis, Jonathan
Epstein, Jorie Feldman, Kevin Gates, Creighton Greene, Gary Leeling,
Maggie McNamara Cooper, Mike Noblet, Chad Johnson, John Quirk, Andy
Scott, Cole Stevens, Meredith Werner, Isabelle Picciotti, Brittany
Amador, Sofia Kamali, and Noah Sisk.
Also let me thank the floor staff and leadership staff. You have been
a part of this process the last several weeks, and you have done a
remarkable job. We thank you for that very, very much.
Mr. President, this is a good moment. Now on to the next moment.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
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