On the recordNovember 18, 2011
I rise to voice my support for the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, S. 1867. This is one of the most important bills the Senate considers each year, and this is the ninth Defense authorization bill I have been involved in drafting since being elected to the Senate. It sets funding levels and implements policies for the Department of Defense and provides pay raises for our men and women in uniform. After extended debate, this bill, which authorizes $662 billion for the Department of Defense and national security-related aspects of the Department of Energy, was passed unanimously out of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The committee was in a difficult situation this year, considering our Nation's fiscal crisis. As I have firmly believed all along, everything, including defense spending, must be on the table to address our fiscal circumstances. In the midst of intense budget negotiations, I am pleased we can offer and debate a bill that addresses the real need to reduce government spending in a responsible and calculated manner. As several of my colleagues have already stated on the Senate floor, the National Defense Authorization Act cuts a considerable amount from the defense budget, as requested by the President. It is $27 billion less than the administration requested and $43 billion less than the amount appropriated for 2011.…
