On the recordMarch 27, 2017
Today I rise to commemorate the past and future of the United States Navy, the strongest and the best Navy in the world. On this day, March 27, President George Washington signed an ``Act to Provide a Naval Armament'' authorizing the construction of six frigates, which includes the USS Constitution, the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat. The passage of the Naval Act of 1794 was, in part, a response to threats to American merchant ships from the Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean. 223 years later, the men and women of the U.S. Navy continue to protecting the goods and information we transport via ships and undersea cables to our overseas trading partners. This includes securing the resources and services we import to fuel our industries. Paraphrasing Admiral Jonathan Greenert: the mandate of the Navy in modern times is to be in the right place, at the right time, ready and able to respond. The 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review signed by then-Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel--may I add a Nebraskan--states that in order to support this mission, we need to ``continue to build a future Fleet that is able to deliver the required presence and capabilities and address the most important warfighting scenarios.'' In that light, I look forward to the commissioning of the USS Omaha this fall, and to congratulating the crew of the newest addition to the United States naval fleet.…
