SASC Chairman John McCain Statement on National Defense Authorization Act Conference Agreement

Statement

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after the completion of the conference on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016, which authorizes funding for the Department of Defense and the national security programs of the Department of Energy:

"I thank each of my colleagues -- Senator Jack Reed, Rep. Mac Thornberry, and Rep. Adam Smith -- for their hard work in a thoughtful and productive conference process. I can think of no better partners in upholding the Armed Services Committees' proud tradition of bipartisan cooperation in support of the brave men and women of our Armed Forces.

"Rising to the challenge of a more dangerous world requires bold reform to our national defense. On acquisition policy, defense management, military retirement, reform is what the NDAA delivers. The bill identifies $11 billion in excessive and unnecessary spending and reinvests those savings in providing critical military capabilities for our warfighters, meeting unfunded priorities of our service chiefs and combatant commanders, and supporting critical national security priorities. Taken together, these provisions and many others make this year's NDAA one of the most significant pieces of defense reform legislation in recent memory."

Source