[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 211 (Monday, December 15, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8706-S8707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   National Defense Authorization Act

  Mr. REED. Madam President, we are about to consider the 2026 National 
Defense Authorization Act. I rise to express my support for this 
legislation, and I am very pleased that we will, I think very shortly, 
be voting on final passage of this bill.
  First, I would like to acknowledge Chairman Wicker whose leadership 
has been crucial for the success of this bill. The hallmark of the 
Senate Armed Services Committee has long been bipartisanship, and I am 
glad we have continued that tradition for the 65th consecutive year.

  I would also like to thank my colleagues on the Armed Services 
Committee who helped produce this bill. We were able to adopt hundreds 
of amendments during the committee markup and dozens more through the 
floor process and floor debate.
  I appreciate our colleagues in the House who worked with us these 
past months to produce a strong bipartisan bill.
  This is a forward-looking Defense bill, and I believe we can all 
support it. I am confident it 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 we face.
  This year's Defense bill addresses strategic competition with China 
and Russia and confronts threats posed by Iran, North Korea, violent 
extremists, and also national phenomena like climate change. It 
authorizes significant investments in artificial intelligence, unmanned 
systems, and hypersonics, and it modernizes our ships, our aircraft, 
and our combat vehicles.
  Most importantly, this NDAA delivers key wins for our servicemembers 
and their families. It authorizes a 3.8-percent pay raise and provides 
improved housing, barracks, additional childcare assistance, and 
expanded programs to address traumatic brain injuries because we 
understand that the key asset that we have that provides our military 
superiority is the men and women in the uniform of the United States.
  This bill reaffirms America's global role by extending the Ukraine 
Security Assistance Initiative and committing the Department of Defense 
to continue to support Ukraine. They are fighting our fight, and we 
must help them.
  It strengthens our alliances in Asia by fully funding the Pacific 
Deterrence Initiative and providing new authorities for cooperation 
with Taiwan.
  Importantly, the bill prohibits reductions in our force posture in 
Europe and the Indo-Pacific. To remain a force for peace and stability 
in these areas, we must have effective force levels, and this 
legislation provides for that.
  And importantly, this NDAA compels the Secretary of Defense to follow 
the law and submit to Congress a number of reports that he has 
deliberately withheld. Specifically, the bill cuts off portions of the 
Secretary of Defense budget until he submits the execute orders and 
unedited videos of the boat strikes related to ongoing operations in 
South and Central America.
  The bill asserts congressional authority over several other areas the 
Secretary has been negligent in. These provisions are a ratification of 
our constitutional duty to raise an army, to supervise an army, and to 
ensure that the laws of the United States are followed scrupulously.
  Overall, this is a very strong bill that represents compromise on 
both sides, and I would urge my colleagues to vote for it.
  Finally, I would like to take an opportunity to recognize the 
phenomenal

[[Page S8707]]

staff who have 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 worked together with utmost professionalism.
  I would also like to thank the members of the Armed Services 
Committee staff that have helped me directly: 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 the leadership staff. You have 
been part of this process for the last several months, and you have 
done a remarkable job. We thank you for that very, very much.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.