On the recordSeptember 22, 2021
As Congress prepares to consider the National Defense Authorization Act, our Nation continues to face national security threats abroad. I am proud that this legislation protects our military from the administration's reckless spending cuts that would have made Americans less safe. It also provides a 2.7 percent pay raise for our Nation's servicemembers and protects their right to personal expression. This bill would allow our troops to make their own choice on whether to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. It would prohibit them from being dishonorably discharged for making their own healthcare decisions. Furthermore, this legislation would increase security on our southern border. It acknowledges the record number of illegal crossings which is truly a national security crisis. With the threat of global terrorism on the rise, now is not the time to allow our borders to be more vulnerable. President Reagan once said that we maintain peace through our strength and that weakness only invites aggression. Now is the time for a strong United States military. Now is the time for that peace through strength. And now is the time to pass the National Defense Authorization Act and to continue to protect each and every American. ____________________
