National Defense Authorization Act for FIscal Year 2016
Floor Speech
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Mr. Chairman, I rise today to join in this chorus of support for the fiscal year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act. I want to sincerely congratulate Chairman Thornberry in this, his inaugural bill as chairman of the Armed Services Committee, which passed with a small vote of 60-2.
While this bill sets DOD policy, it also reflects the House-passed budget figure for authorized spending at the Department of Defense. It represents the will of Congress that we ought to be spending more on national security, as nearly every corner of the world has become less safe under President Obama's continued foreign policy failures.
The fiscal year 2016 NDAA makes needed reforms to strengthen civilian retiree packages and begins to reform the way that we buy weapons and other systems at the Pentagon, which will save tax dollars for years to come.
I also want to thank the chairman and the committee for including some of my amendments to reestablish the EMP Commission, beginning an initial concept for development of a space-based missile defense system, and guaranteed assistance to the Kurdistan regional government.
As we know, President Obama has, unfortunately, issued a veto threat toward this bill. Mr. Chairman, the NDAA has been passed year after year for 53 straight years, under both Democrat and Republican administrations.
Among the provisions the President stands ready to reject are a joint formulary to ease troop transition from the Department of Defense to the VA; providing aid to Ukraine in the midst of Russian-backed attacks; providing full funding to the Department of Defense which he, himself, requested; a stronger missile defense and cyber capabilities; a greater accountability for political reconciliation in Iraq; greater protection of our troops from sexual assault; and better pay and benefits to those who serve us so that we may stand here and debate this bill today. These are among the provisions of this bill Mr. Obama opposes.
I want just to reiterate to my colleagues that this bill did pass out of the Armed Services Committee 60-2, and this list of accomplishments is too long. So I will just express congratulations again to Mr. Thornberry for his leadership under this massive undertaking. I urge adoption of the bill.
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