[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17413]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, today we are going to continue work on the 
Defense bill. It is really an important measure, and that is an 
understatement. It safeguards this Nation. It ensures our troops have 
the resources and training they need. It provides for military families 
who support our fighting men and women. This is a serious bill, and it 
deserves serious debate--not to be bogged down by unrelated political 
issues.
  For example, this legislation encompasses a lot of issues, including 
a pay raise for members of our Armed Forces. It authorizes dozens of 
special pay rates and bonuses, such as bonus payments for 
servicemembers who see combat or who are stationed overseas.
  This important legislation also includes robust and far-reaching 
provisions to combat the scourge of sexual assault in the military, 
including changes that would ensure perpetrators are punished and 
victims are protected. Senators Levin, Gillibrand, McCaskill, and 
others have done exceptionally good work to confront this problem. As 
we build on their work, there are additional amendments concerning 
military sexual assault the Senate needs to consider.
  The Senate must also consider amendments relating to the Guantanamo 
Bay detention center. Everyone is aware that we cannot complete this 
bill until we vote on the sexual assault and Guantanamo provisions.
  I know this bill has a lot of provisions people would like to change. 
Frankly, we won't be able to change a lot of it. The committee did 
really good work in coming up with the bill. The two issues I have just 
talked about, though, must have votes. I would accept the language in 
the Defense bill as it relates to Guantanamo; I think it is a 
significant improvement. But my Republican colleagues want to have an 
opportunity to change that, and I understand that. That is why I said 
that should be the first measure we vote on. I have said that more than 
once, and I say it again.
  The matter dealing with sexual assault is a controversial matter, and 
we have to have a vote on that. We have to do that. That is why I said 
that is the second most important issue we deal with in this bill.
  Why couldn't we get these two important issues out of the way? I am 
speaking only for myself. If we have votes on those two measures, I 
think the bill would be ready to go to conference. I know people don't 
like to hear that, but I think that is, in fact, the case.
  The time, effort, and wisdom led by Senator Levin to come up with a 
bill, working with the new ranking member Senator Inhofe has been a 
labor of love for both of them. But these two issues need to be 
resolved on the Senate floor. I ask that it be done.
  I asked last night by unanimous consent to get these things done, but 
there was objection from my Republican colleagues. So if we can't vote 
even on these amendments to these two crucial issues--and I know there 
are other issues, but no one can in any way disparage what I have just 
said, that these are two very important issues. Everyone, I think, 
agrees they have to be considered before we can complete the work on 
this underlying legislation. So if we can't get these two votes done, 
how are we going to address any of the other issues we need to work on?
  Maybe I shouldn't be optimistic, but I can be hopeful that we will be 
able to schedule votes on these amendments soon. In the meantime, 
Senators should not wait to debate these issues. Let's take just these 
two issues until we schedule votes on these amendments. Senators should 
come to the floor to speak on the issues now. There is a limited time 
to complete this bill before the Thanksgiving holiday, and Senators 
should use that time wisely to engage in meaningful debate.
  I am totally aware of the number of Senators who wish to offer 
amendments on other issues as well, both defense-related and otherwise. 
So Senators should file their amendments, and I hope we can figure out 
a way to have a robust amendment process. However, we cannot allow this 
important legislation to be sidetracked by debates on amendments 
unrelated to our Nation's defense.
  Our Nation's defense is a relative term and some people have 
different ideas as to what that should mean. But the United States has 
passed this bill for more than half a century. This is a sign of 
respect for this institution and for the people this legislation 
represents--our Nation's Armed Forces. So let's give this bill the 
respect it deserves.

                          ____________________