Mike Levin: “I urge the adoption of this conference report for the Defense Department. Every year since 1961 there has been a Defense…”

“I urge the adoption of this conference report for the Defense Department. Every year since 1961 there has been a Defense authorization bill enacted. This year conferees and staff have worked extraordinarily hard, with bipartisan cooperation, and we are proud to be keeping up our four-and-one-half decades-long tradition with this conference report. The great men and women of our Armed Forces are making the most difficult sacrifices. They are putting their lives on the line, they are giving up precious time spent with their loved ones, they are driven by love of country and by the call of duty. Our priorities on this bill are threefold: Care, readiness, and management. First, care will guarantee our troops have the best health care and support, both on the battlefield and once they return home. Second, readiness will ensure our Armed Forces succeed, both in ongoing operations and taking on new challenges in future missions. And, third, management will provide oversight for defense contracts, operations and processes, to ensure efficiency and maximize results.”