Jim Inhofe: “first of all, I thank my colleagues for voting yes on the motion to proceed so we can start our work on what I consider…”

“first of all, I thank my colleagues for voting yes on the motion to proceed so we can start our work on what I consider to be the most significant bill of the year and we can do these things in earnest. I think this will be the 59th NDAA for 59 consecutive years. We are pretty sure it is going to go ahead and pass. As we start the process of considering amendments, I hope we can have an open amendment process. I know I speak on behalf of myself and Senator Reed. We have been wanting to do this for a long period of time. While we are debating this bill, I encourage my colleagues to come to the floor and share why the NDAA is important to their States and to national security. Here is one reason why. We are at a really crucial junction in our military. Our world keeps growing more unstable and less safe. Our military is, frankly, in a crisis. I think we are all aware of that. The NDAA is going to set the tone for our defense strategy not just this year but well into the future. It is a message to our servicemembers, their families, and the world. Are we going to show Russia and China that we mean business? Are we going to help our military continue to rebuild? Are we going to give our All-Volunteer Force the equipment, training, and housing they need to do their job? That is why this bill provides a total of $750 billion in defense spending. It is what we call the defense top line.…”