Joe Donnelly: “I wish to begin my comments on this year's National Defense Authorization Act, S. 1376, by thanking all of the members…”

“I wish to begin my comments on this year's National Defense Authorization Act, S. 1376, by thanking all of the members of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee. I would especially like to thank the subcommittee's chairman, Senator Sessions, for the close working relationship we share. I want my colleagues to note that Senator Sessions and his staff worked closely with me and my staff in developing the elements of the bill pertaining to the Strategic Forces Subcommittee. This bipartisan effort has proved fruitful as all of our provisions were adopted unanimously by the full committee during the markup of this bill. The annual National Defense Authorization Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation Congress passes every year, and this year will mark what I hope will be the passing of a defense authorization act for the 54th year in a row. I would like to give my colleagues a brief overview of the provisions in what we will call the NDAA, which we are considering today, as they relate to the Strategic Forces Subcommittee. The jurisdiction of the subcommittee includes missile defense, strategic forces, space programs, the defense-funded portions of the Department of Energy, nonproliferation, and the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.…”