Marsha Blackburn: “I want to begin by saying thank you to my colleague from Florida who is doing so much good work on the Armed Services…”

“I want to begin by saying thank you to my colleague from Florida who is doing so much good work on the Armed Services Committee, and I also thank Chairman Inhofe and other members of the committee who have made it a priority to be certain that our men and women in uniform are well cared for and their families are protected and that we are thinking toward the future as we look at this year's NDAA. As we have gone through this year's NDAA drafting process with a unique frame of reference, the effects of the COVID pandemic have made our national security, our supply chain, our reach and development vulnerabilities national news. I think they have shifted somewhat the focus that the American people have had, and I can't remember a time when I have had so many Tennesseans contacting my office asking questions about our critical infrastructure supply chain: How are we protecting ourselves and how do we look at what is transpiring in our Nation and globally to consider how we best protect ourselves and defend this Nation? The fallout from the pandemic has highlighted the need for our Armed Forces to reassert themselves globally. The proposed 2021 NDAA that we are gathered on the floor this morning to discuss and to show our support for this legislation and for its funding will do some critical things. The newly created Pacific Deterrence Initiative will enhance U.S.…”