Motion to Go to Conference on S. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020

Floor Speech

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Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to instruct conferees at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, this motion to instruct conferees instructs the House conferees to agree to the Senate position to replace money transferred from out of the military construction projects under title X, section 2808.

Just to clarify, when the Senate passed its bill, we didn't know which specific projects we were talking about. The Senate has, in its bill, a provision to replace the full $3.6 billion that was then expected to be transferred out of military construction and used for border security.

Well, now we know what specific projects those are, so the only difference in the motion and this underlying Senate provision is to list the specific projects.

It is important to remember, Mr. Speaker, that the Senate passed its bill replacing the full $3.6 billion by a vote of 86-8. Three Republicans and five Democrats voted ``no'' on the whole measure, but, overwhelmingly, they supported the bill that includes a provision to replace this money.

Each of the projects that is listed in the motion to instruct has been specifically authorized and appropriated by the House and the Senate and signed into law by the President.

Now, it is true that the Secretary of Defense, Secretary Esper, has tried to minimize the effects on our military when this transfer was made. But it is still true, even with his efforts, that there was $544 million taken away from dependent schools, $13 million taken away from child dependent centers, $15.3 million from medical clinics, more money from fire stations, dining facilities, et cetera.

Despite his best efforts, our troops are affected by the transfer of this money.

Mr. Speaker, we are really good at fighting, arguing, and pointing fingers of blame about how this came to be, and I am sure we all have different opinions about that. But voting ``yes'' or ``no'' on this motion to instruct will not change that at all, will not change the transfer, will not change any of those underlying facts.

The only thing that we have an ability to influence with this motion to instruct is whether or not the troops have to suffer as a result of Washington dysfunction. It will make a difference to them.

I would suggest, Mr. Speaker, that the right thing to do for national security and, certainly, the right thing to do for our troops is for the House to instruct our conferees to agree with the Senate provision, the only difference being we would list the specific projects rather than the total amount. That way, we can ensure that, as we continue to argue about border security and a whole variety of other issues, our troops do not suffer as a result of that argument.
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Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time other than myself to close.

Earlier, the term was used that the President had stolen, or would steal this money. Actually, section 2808 authorizes any President, when a national emergency is declared, to transfer military construction funds to deal with that situation.

Now, again, we will debate about whether this was a true national emergency, and whether he should or should not have done it here. But the President did exactly what he has the authority to do. The only question is, what are--who is going to suffer because of that.

As the gentleman from Alabama pointed out, no President and no Member of Congress ought to have to choose between border security and supporting our troops. And yet, that is, unfortunately, the situation that, without adopting this motion to instruct, Members are put into.

The administration requested specifically, in the fiscal year 2020 budget request, that this $3.6 billion which was transferred out of military construction be put back into military construction so that these projects could be funded.

Now, you can have a 5-year authorization, but you have got to have the money that year in order to actually build them. And so that is what the Senate did in their provision. That is what this motion to instruct would instruct the House conferees to do, with more specificity.

Mr. Speaker, just so Members have a general idea, we are talking about a weapons maintenance shop in Alabama, central heat and power in the State of Alaska. Arizona has a ground transport equipment building. California has a C-130 simulator. Colorado, a space control facility; Florida, fire crash rescue station; Hawaii, security improvements for a gate; Indiana, construct a small arms range; Kentucky, Fort Campbell Middle School. Those are some of the specific projects, and I could go on. Louisiana has NORTHCOM, various air facility improvements; Maryland, a child development center at Joint Base Andrews; New Mexico, an MQ-9 ops facility.

Specific projects are listed in this motion to instruct, specific projects which FY20 money would then fund, if the conferees would agree to what the Senate has already agreed to and what the motion seeks to get the House to endorse.

Again, Mr. Speaker, bottom line, there is a lot of argument on border issues. There is a lot of dysfunction in Washington these days. But our troops and their families should not suffer the consequences of those arguments and that dysfunction.

This motion to instruct offers a path forward to at least ensure that they have some insulation from those differences, and I urge Members to adopt it.

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Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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