Political Quotes

“I thank the ranking member for yielding and for his leadership. Mr. Chair, as we consider H.R. 2500, the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, it is important to remember that this bill is about ensuring the men and women in our Armed Forces and their families that they have what they need to defend our great Nation. We have done well in some respects, but we have come up regrettably short in other areas vital to our military. I am proud of the bipartisan work the Readiness Subcommittee completed under the leadership of my friend, Chairman Garamendi. We funded all MILCON projects on the unfunded requirements lists, prohibited nondisclosure agreements in privatized military family housing, directed development of a tenants' bill of rights, directed TRANSCOM to do a business case analysis before awarding a global household goods contract, and took major steps to address fluorinated firefighting foams. This bill comes to the floor as we emerge from a dangerous readiness crisis. We have made big strides to rebuild readiness while also modernizing for near-peer competitors, but we cannot move backward now. Secretary Mattis and General Dunford said we needed 3 to 5 percent real growth to keep our competitive edge against Russia and China. By not supporting the $750 billion request, we are not maintaining that edge.…”