Ben Sasse: “I rise to draw attention to one particularly important element of the National Defense Authorization Act, which sits…”

“I rise to draw attention to one particularly important element of the National Defense Authorization Act, which sits before this body. First, it is worth noting that--despite the bizarre dysfunction of the last couple of days around here--the NDAA is usually a time each year when the Senate looks like an actual deliberative body. We look like an actual legislature. Most of the typical bickering and made-for-TV sound bites get set aside this week or two every year as we focus on the first purpose of the Federal Government, which is to provide for the common defense. The NDAA reveals our shared commitment to the men and women in uniform who serve our country so well. This legislation aims to scrutinize and annually reprioritize among the many important tasks that are going on in the Pentagon and in the broader Department of Defense. If we are going to call on the men and women in the armed services who defend our freedoms to stand ready to defend us and to go into battle when necessary, we must equip them with the right tools to be able to get their job done. That is what this legislation is about each year, but it is not enough to simply be about defending against traditional enemies and traditional threats. We also need to use this annual occasion to pause and deeply look at new and emerging threats we face.…”