[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8154]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on another important matter, the issue 
before us today, there are an array of threats facing our country. As 
the chairman of the Armed Services Committee recently observed, 
``[I]nstead of one great power rival, the United States now faces a 
series of trans-regional, cross-functional, multi-domain, and long-term 
strategic competitions.''
  There are the conventional military challenges, such as adversaries 
who have been developing and modernizing their missiles, airframes, 
ships, and ground forces; there are the asymmetric threats, such as 
cyber warfare, propaganda, and espionage; and there are nations, such 
as China, Iran, and Russia, which represent both conventional and 
asymmetric threats at the very same time.
  If we are going to keep Americans safe, we have to prepare for all of 
these challenges. We have to modernize our defenses, keep up with 
technological advances, and recognize threats. Passing the National 
Defense Authorization Act before us would put our country on the path 
to doing these things. It is a reform bill that will encourage defense 
innovation. It is a forward-looking bill that will upgrade our missile 
defenses and modernize our military equipment. It is a responsible bill 
that will ensure that America's men and women in uniform receive more 
of the resources they need to confront the challenges of today and the 
threats of tomorrow.
  As I have said before, we should use the remaining months of the 
Obama administration to prepare the next administration, whether 
Republican or Democratic, for the variety of challenges it will 
inherit. These are complex challenges without simple answers. Passing a 
pro-reform, pro-innovation, pro-modernization defense bill such as this 
one will leave us better equipped to solve them. It will leave us 
better equipped to keep Americans and our allies safe in the face of 
ever-evolving security challenges.

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