Political Quotes

“every year, the Senate considers sweeping legislation to authorize operations of the Department of Defense and certain functions of the Department of Energy. The fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act provides a roadmap for spending for national defense, spending which reflects over half of the annual Federal budget. Its importance is enormous, and its consideration important. Regrettably, the Senate in recent years has reduced consideration of the NDAA to a perfunctory exercise occupying a couple of weeks of debate, and little consideration of amendments. While I support much of what is included in this authorizing package, I cannot support its passage. I am most concerned that the FY21 NDAA includes authorization for testing of nuclear devices. Where our President fails to lead in global diplomacy and common decency, he seems enthralled with an approach favored by autocrats and dictators: demonstrations of military might over strategic partnerships and alliances. I am concerned that, under this administration, we are inexorably trending toward a new nuclear arms race, where demonstrations of power have taken the place of treaties that made the use of history's most dangerous weapons less likely. Coupled with authorization to build a new nuclear warhead, the Senate's fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act goes beyond the nuclear modernization plan set in action by the Obama administration in concert with ratifying New START.…”