-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. JACKSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of one of the most important bills that comes before Congress, the NDAA.

The NDAA includes important wins for all Americans, and for my district included. It provides support for servicemembers and families at Sheppard Air Force Base while continuing to modernize Sheppard's fleet of fighter trainer aircraft. It supports work at Pantex in Amarillo, including accelerated funding to improve critical infrastructure at the plant.

This legislation also includes:

Resources needed to compete and win in any potential conflict.

Support for our allies, like Taiwan and Israel.

Investments in Future Vertical Lift.

Increased funding to improve our fleet of V-22s.

Critical oversight of the Military Health System.

The reinstatement of the Medical Officer of the Marine Corps, which reinforces our commitment to the absolute best medical care for our marines on the battlefield.

It also provides protections for any servicemember who has reservations about taking the COVID-19 vaccine.

As we consider amendments, I hope this bill remains focused on national security and can be passed in good faith, as we did almost unanimously in committee.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Rogers for his leadership on this year's NDAA.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. JACKSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Rogers for the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this amendment as it would irresponsibly cripple our nuclear deterrent.

As China, Russia, and Iran are rapidly advancing their military capability, the House Armed Services Committee has worked tirelessly to ensure that the U.S. military can compete and win in a future conflict.

We included an important prohibition on the reduction of ICBMs in this year's NDAA because military leadership has repeatedly told us that 400 is the bare minimum number of deployed ICBMs needed to deter both Russia and China. This number wasn't pulled out of thin air; it was provided to us by STRATCOM.

However, the reality is that even the current fleet of 400 ICBMs is not enough. That is why this year's NDAA takes active steps to invest in modernization of our nuclear weapons, our skilled workforce, and the infrastructure at our facilities like Pantex in Amarillo.

We need to listen to our military leadership and provide these strategic investments to modernize our triad.

This amendment runs counter to our national security objectives. For these reasons, I urge everyone to oppose this far-left amendment. To unilaterally disarm the United States with this would be a travesty.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source