Jim Banks: “I thank the ranking member for yielding time to me today and for his many years of service. America and the world are…”

“I thank the ranking member for yielding time to me today and for his many years of service. America and the world are safer today because of Mac Thornberry's service in the United States House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Smith, the chairman of the committee, as well, for ensuring that this year's NDAA is bipartisan once again. Mr. Speaker, I want to rise most of all in support of the aptly named Mac Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act. While the bill doesn't include everything I want it to and there are certainly items that I wish would be removed, overall, it ensures that our Nation is protected, and it supports our men and women in uniform. So many in the Trump administration have warned us for years that China is our Nation's long-term strategic competitor, and countering China is a key focus of the fiscal year 2021 NDAA. Having just been a part of the Future of Defense Task Force and the China Task Force, I am more motivated than ever before to stop the Chinese Communist Party's egregious affronts on the U.S. Government, its citizens, and our military. I appreciate the inclusion of many important recommendations from both of those task force reports in this year's NDAA. This NDAA establishes the Pacific Deterrence Initiative to strengthen U.S. posture and capability in the Indo-Pacific region, and it works better with allies to deter against Chinese malign behavior.…”