On the recordJuly 12, 2023
I am proud to support the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act as passed out of the House Armed Services Committee. While this bill includes some provisions that are not in line with Democratic priorities, it does represent a truly bipartisan product that was overwhelmingly supported by our committee. I thank Chairmen Rogers and Lamborn for working with me during our markup process, particularly on critical areas such as restoring funding for critical National Nuclear Security Administration efforts on nonproliferation and National Missile Defense policy. Overall, I am proud of what is in this bill. It adds critical oversight to the nuclear weapons modernization enterprise, and while I firmly believe this world would be a better, safer place for our children without nuclear weapons--a view shared by many of us--the reality is that our nuclear deterrent is a key component of strategic stability so long as we have determined adversaries unwilling to engage in serious discussions of arms reduction. Given that sobering reality, I support the administration's nuclear modernization plans, but I continue to have serious concerns about requiring the U.S. Navy to develop a nuclear-capable sea-launched cruise missile, as this bill would require. I believe we need to better understand the impacts to both the Navy and NNSA before we direct a program of record.…
