On the recordDecember 7, 2023
I am pleased and honored to join my colleague from Rhode Island, the distinguished chairman of the Armed Services Committee, in urging adoption of this important step in getting our National Defense Authorization Act passed and signed into law. It is routine now and profound at the same time. It is routine because, as the chair said, this is the 63rd time that this House and this Senate will have come together on a bipartisan basis to join hands and try to move our national defense forward. It is profound because it has become routine, because no matter what other things we are discussing and differing about and expressing our deeply held views, this is something that we feel must be done every year, regardless of the other things that divide us. So the fact that it has become routine does make this a profound step, and I am honored to be part of that great list of persons who have been part of this. Senator Reed is absolutely correct to thank our counterparts in the House, Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith, and our staff.…
