Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him and Mr. Thornberry for their leadership in bringing this legislation to the floor in a strong bipartisan way. I am proud to support the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act that honors our values, strengthens our security, and advances our leadership in the world. I, again, salute Chairman Smith. I congratulate Ranking Member Thornberry for his service in the Congress. I know this legislation is named for him. That is pretty exciting for all of us. I don't know if it is for him, but it is exciting for the rest of us. I thank the members of the committee for their patriotic, persistent leadership on this legislation; it reflects the brilliance and the collaboration we can have. Nearly half the members contributed to parts of this bill. While we would have liked to have seen the House version of this legislation, we can all take pride that the NDAA, again, will strengthen our national security for years to come. I am particularly pleased with some of the issues in the bill that are supportive of our troops. This NDAA, Mr. Speaker, incorporates key Democratic priorities, including supporting our troops' financial security, authorizing a long-overdue pay raise and hazard duty pay, extending paid parental leave to civilian employees who had not been included, and providing long-overdue benefits to Vietnam-era veterans exposed to Agent Orange.…”