On the recordDecember 15, 2022
First of all, I want to thank the chairman for all the hard work. People don't realize that this is, in my opinion, the most significant vote of the year. It has been one we have been through for a long period of time, and it is necessary, and I like the way it turned out. It is really good. I am pleased that the Senate is voting today for the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. I have said it before, and I am not the only one saying it: The world is more dangerous than I have ever seen it before in my lifetime. Typically, there is bipartisan agreement on this fact, and that is why this bill has gotten done for 61 years in a row. It is almost always bipartisan, and for this year's bill, that is definitely the case. We have worked together for a long period of time. I have worked closely with my friend Chairman Jack Reed, and both of us made sure that that would be the case. The Armed Services Committee agreed, almost unanimously, to boost President Biden's inadequate defense budget by $45 billion. This additional funding will address record-high inflation rates and ensure that we are able to implement the little blue book that we talk about all the time. It has worked very successfully in the past. It will be working successfully long after I am gone too. So additional funding will address record high inflation rates, and we are ensured that we will be able implement the little blue book the way we have done it in the past. We need to prioritize defense.…





