Bill That Sets Policy, Authorizes Defense Funding Set for Senate Vote on Tuesday
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor urging Democrats to support the National Defense Authorization Act:
“We live in an incredibly dangerous world. The number of threats facing our nation is just staggering.
“That’s one reason both parties came together to pass the national defense authorization bill through both chambers of Congress by large bipartisan margins.
“In the Senate, 71 to 25.
“In the House, 269 to 151.
“A bipartisan committee then worked to merge both chambers’ bills into one.
“Republicans on the committee supported that unified defense bill.
“Democrats on the committee supported that unified defense bill.
“The House already passed the unified legislation, and we’ll vote on it here tomorrow.
“Americans have every reason to expect that Democrats will vote again to support — not block — America’s national defense authorization bill.
“And yet. At a time when the United States faces numerous conventional, cyber, and terror threats, the Obama Administration is goading Democrats into opposing the very legislation that sets out defense policy and authorizes funds for our military.
“Democrats just voted to pass America’s national defense bill this summer. Now they might filibuster it? This is part of a pattern that should be worrying to all of us. Just consider what we’ve seen already.
“The Senate passed a bipartisan veterans funding bill out of the appropriations committee. Democrats voted for and praised the bill at the time. Then they filibustered it.
“The Senate passed a bipartisan defense funding bill out of the appropriations committee. Democrats voted for and praised the bill at the time. Then they filibustered it — repeatedly.
“This has to stop.
“These are serious times. It’s time for Democrats to prove they can be serious as well.”
Related Issues: National Security, Veterans, NDAA, Senate Democrats
Next Previous
