[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13710]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, this week we will work toward passing 
one of the most important bills we consider each year, the National 
Defense Authorization Act. This is the legislation that authorizes the 
resources, the capabilities, and the pay and benefits that our men and 
women in uniform need to perform their missions. This bill is always 
important, but it is especially important in light of the many security 
threats we face around the globe.
  Consider Iran. We have seen the regime work aggressively to dominate 
its neighbors and to expand its sphere of influence across the Persian 
Gulf and the broader Middle East.
  Consider North Korea. We have watched Pyongyang become ever more 
determined to develop its nuclear weapons capabilities, as well as a 
means to deliver them.
  Consider Russia. We have witnessed the Kremlin continue its efforts 
to undermine NATO and the Western nations it views as threats to its 
own power.
  Consider China. We have looked on as the nation has grown in regional 
and economic strength, making clear its intent to displace U.S. 
influence so that it can dominate the Asia Pacific on its own.
  These are state actors, and the challenges they pose include the 
employment of asymmetric means like propaganda, coercion, cyber 
attacks, and espionage, but these are not the only threats to our 
Nation. Consider how groups like ISIL, Al Qaeda, and other affiliated 
terror organizations have continued to threaten the United States and 
other nations. Consider how they continue to plot to strike our 
homeland and those of our allies.
  Unfortunately, the Obama administration too often failed to mitigate 
these kinds of threats, instead pushing a foreign policy marked by a 
drawdown of our conventional military posture, a heavy reliance on 
international organizations, and overreliance on special operations 
forces to train and equip partner units in other nations. This drawdown 
and the harmful consequences of sequestration have inflicted upon our 
forces a genuine readiness crisis. Our force structure simply is not 
sufficient to address the challenges I mentioned in either a 
comprehensive or responsible way.
  We need to correct this. That means equipping our servicemembers with 
the resources and training necessary to sufficiently address these 
myriad threats. I was pleased that this spring's government funding 
bill made an important downpayment toward rebuilding our forces, but 
more work remains.
  Fortunately, we can add to that progress with this year's Defense 
authorization legislation. The bill before us will allow our Nation to 
start rebuilding our military and restoring combat readiness. It will 
aid in rooting out waste and bringing reform to the Pentagon. It will 
help improve our missile defense and help us better prepare for cyber 
threats, and it will go a long way toward reviving troop morale, 
authorizing a well-deserved pay raise to our men and women in uniform, 
along with continuing the benefits that they and their families rely 
on.
  As Senator McCain, the chairman of the committee put it, not only 
does this legislation ``[build] upon the sweeping reforms that Congress 
has passed in recent years'' but ``[b]y continuing important efforts to 
reorganize the Department of Defense, spur innovation in defense 
technology, and improve defense acquisitions and business operations, 
the NDAA seeks to strengthen accountability and streamline the process 
of getting our warfighters the equipment, training, and resources they 
need to succeed.''
  Senator Reed, the top Democrat on that committee, said that the NDAA 
``invests in much needed readiness to allow our fighting men and women 
to be properly trained and equipped for a wide range of threats.''
  ``I salute Chairman McCain's leadership,'' Senator Reed added, ``in 
maintaining the Committee's tradition of bipartisan cooperation and 
support of our Armed Forces.''
  Let me echo that sentiment. This good bill has already earned the 
bipartisan support of every single member of the Armed Services 
Committee--every single member, Democrat and Republican. They reported 
it out unanimously. I appreciate the committee's work on this year's 
Defense authorization bill, as well as the ceaseless efforts of 
Chairman McCain and Ranking Member Reed. With their continued 
leadership and a little hard work from both sides, we can pass the 
Defense authorization bill this week.

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