McConnell Urges Cooperation on National Defense Authorization Act
‘Those who mean us harm will not wait for America’s domestic challenges to fade away… I hope and expect this body will be able to put partisanship aside and honor the bipartisan tradition that has defined this crucial bill for decades.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the National Defense Authorization Act:
“The Senate does not have the luxury of letting these disagreements prevent needed bipartisan progress on other fronts.
“While the House has been missing in action on the longest Spring Break in human history, the Senate has been conducting the people’s business alone.
“We’ve confirmed nominees. We’ve conducted critical oversight. We’ve passed historic legislation for our National Parks and public lands.
“And we’ve kept a close watch on the bad actors abroad who would love nothing more than to take advantage of a distracted and divided United States.
“Today, months of focused work from our colleagues on the Armed Services Committee will let the Senate start to move towards this year’s National Defense Authorization Act.
“Thanks to Chairman Inhofe and the committee, for a 60th straight year, the Senate has an opportunity to lay out our priorities for the U.S. military with a united voice.
“Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Reed guided a collaborative, bipartisan process. The committee considered 391 amendments and reported out their final bill on a nearly unanimous basis.
“The result is legislation that honors the unique sacrifices of our men and women in uniform -- from authorizing a pay raise for active duty personnel to ensuring high-quality housing, health, and childcare services for families stationed at home and abroad.
“Their product will help ensure our military continues to attract the next generation of warfighters and leaders, and that those men and women will have cutting-edge equipment and tools to face off with competitors and defend our security and our interests around the world.
“In just the last several weeks, China has grown even bolder in its supposed “enforcement” of disputed waters and picked deadly fights with the world’s largest democracy in the Himalayas. “Russia has deployed aircraft to within eyesight of U.S. airspace and has kept testing the free world’s tolerance for cyber attacks.
“North Korea has threatened, quote, “a new round of the Korean War.” Iran continues to flout international agreements and fuel instability throughout its region. And terrorists prey on this instability to advance their own extreme violence.
“Clearly, those who mean us harm will not wait for America’s domestic challenges to fade away, and they certainly will not wait for the United States Senate to quit bickering.
“So, notwithstanding all our other differences, I hope and expect this body will be able to put partisanship aside and honor the bipartisan tradition that has defined this crucial bill for decades.”
Related Issues: NDAA
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