[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18041-18042]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION

  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, on the eve of Veterans Day and the 240th 
Birthday of the United States Marine Corps, I rise to speak about the 
fiscal year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, NDAA.
  This legislation has taken a circuitous route to get to where it is 
today. The President correctly vetoed the original bill as it was a 
flawed product. It was flawed in the sense that it unfairly exempted 
the defense budget from the same draconian budget caps on nondefense 
programs by utilizing the overseas contingency operations, OCO. While 
this approach would have funded the defense bill, it neglected our 
economic security and left unaddressed important national priorities 
including law enforcement, education, transportation and community 
development, and medical research. A strong economy and strong 
communities are the backbone of our national security, and we should 
not divide our country into two Americas--defense on one side and 
everyone else on the other. That is not the way Congress should be 
doing business, and that is why our military leaders, led by Secretary 
of Defense Carter, opposed the earlier versions of this year's NDAA.
  The bill, which we passed 91-3 today, comes after passage of the 
Bipartisan Budget Act, which provides balanced relief from cuts to 
ensure we have a strong defense and a strong economy. I supported this 
revised bill. While it was not a perfect bill, it is the result of a 
bipartisan compromise by the Congress. The fiscal year 2016 NDAA 
provides the men and women of our Armed Forces with the resources and 
equipment they need to defend our Nation and protect its interests.
  I commend Chairman McCain and Ranking Member Reed for their 
leadership on the Senate Armed Services Committee in creating and 
shepherding this vital legislation through this chamber. The 
outstanding and bipartisan efforts of committee members will allow the 
defense authorization bill to become law for the 54th consecutive year.
  I am proud to serve alongside Chairman Wicker as ranking member of 
the Seapower Subcommittee and want to thank him for leading the 
subcommittee which helps ensure that our Navy and Marine Corps forces 
are trained and equipped to conduct the vital missions they are tasked 
to complete. A strong and prepared Navy and Marines is absolutely 
essential to our national security strategies in the Asia-Pacific 
region, and this bill supports those efforts.
  This NDAA includes a number of provisions that reaffirm the 
importance of the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific; support the men and 
women who serve in our military and the Hawaii National Guard; invest 
in Hawaii's military bases, schools, and facilities and those that 
assess the ballistic missile capabilities of rouge nations and the 
current capacity to defend Hawaii against missile threats.
  Our support of the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific is critical. 
Maintenance of stability in this region cannot be underestimated. 
Continued engagement and partnership with our friends and allies in the 
region is invaluable. By extending the State Partnership Program, we 
not only hone the capabilities and readiness of our National Guard, but 
we gain the dual benefit of enhancing our partnerships and the capacity 
of regional neighbors.
  However, I do have some concerns with the final bill that I intend to 
work on going forward.
  While my colleagues and I continue to work to reduce redundancy and 
increase efficiencies with in our military, I would have serious 
concerns if across-the-board reductions to headquarters operations were 
made by the Department of Defense implementing this bill. In talking 
with military commanders, I know that cuts at command headquarters to 
include U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Marine Corps 
Forces, Pacific, U.S. Army Pacific and Pacific Air Forces, which are 
all based in Hawaii, would impact our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and 
marines.
  We need to ensure that any reductions are carefully thought out and 
take into account the assigned missions and right sizing of 
headquarters to adequately support the demands we place on our 
operational forces. I will

[[Page 18042]]

closely monitor the Pentagon's implementation of these provisions going 
forward.
  In addition, I want to ensure that the men and women of the 
Department who travel for extended periods of time on official business 
are reimbursed for food and lodging at appropriate levels. Last year 
the Department changed how these workers are reimbursed, and the bill 
passed today directs the Government Accountability Office, GAO, to 
review the issue and report back to Congress. I will be tracking the 
GAO report on this important issue, as well as the Department's 
implementation of their extended Temporary Travel Duty, TDY, policy.
  While the passage of this legislation is critical, it still contains 
misguided provisions I have long disagreed with and that negatively 
affect our security, as well as the men and women who defend this 
Nation. An area I strongly disagree with is in regard to the 
restrictions on transferring prisoners from Guantanamo Bay. These harm 
our security interests and continue to undermine our leadership on 
human rights. We need to work towards a solution to close this 
facility.
  Despite these concerns, this legislation is a product of a sincere 
bipartisan and bicameral effort to provide the men and women of our 
military the tools and resources it needs to defend our great Nation.

                          ____________________