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[Page S3980]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, now on another matter, as I have said
for weeks, our domestic challenges cannot take Congress's eye off the
ball of world affairs. So, as the Senate passed other major bills and
the Senate Republicans tried to advance police reform until Democrats
blocked us, our colleagues on the Armed Services Committee have worked
hard to assemble the next National Defense Authorization Act.
Every year, the NDAA allows us to speak clearly about the Senate's
priorities on matters of national defense. As China continues to treat
maritime arteries like its own backyard sandbox, the men and women of
the U.S. Seventh Fleet and the entire Indo-Pacific Command remain on
call to maintain order. As Russia doubles down on its support of brutal
dictators and attacks democratic regimes from dark corners of the web,
U.S. Cyber Command remains vigilant and our NATO relationships remain
vital. As tyrants, from Tehran to Pyongyang, pave over their citizens
in pursuit of power, we need our sharpest minds and best tools watching
their every move.
Our Armed Forces stand watch over our homeland, and they stand watch
over an entire international order that shares our peaceful values and
benefits our Nation.
Now our military has also risen to the unique task of helping respond
to the pandemic. Military medical facilities have added critical
capacity during the first surge of COVID-19, from Navy hospital ships
to soldiers from the 531st Hospital Center at Fort Campbell. National
Guard personnel have established and manned temporary testing
facilities across the country. DOD research facilities have joined the
race to develop treatments.
As our servicemembers confront challenges new and familiar, our job
is to advance an NDAA that supports them and their families. Chairman
Inhofe and Senator Reed led a productive, bipartisan process in
committee. I hope we will see a bipartisan amendment process out here
on the floor as well.
But already the bill will make major steps forward. It supports
servicemembers not only while they are at their duty stations but also
on the homefront.
This year's bill encourages expanded telemedicine capabilities in the
military healthcare system, and it will help retain highly trained
providers. It implements new quality standards for acquisitions of
military family housing and increases impact aid to school districts
that support large numbers of military children. It revises sexual
assault-prevention policies to destroy barriers to victims seeking
justice.
It includes further steps to ensure all these efforts are supported
by a more efficient and transparent administrative structure over at
the Pentagon. That means changes to compensation to attract top talent,
expanded access to cutting-edge software, and new checks on the
Department's planning process to increase accountability.
The U.S. military is the greatest fighting force the world has ever
seen. Our work in the coming days is meant to ensure that this remains
the case. Supporting servicemembers and their families is a critical
piece of this year's NDAA. Our men and women in uniform are simply the
best, and they deserve the best
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