U.S. Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement Tuesday after voting for the National Defense Authorization Act.
“I am pleased this bill stays within the current budget caps because the greatest long-term security threat to our nation is the inability to get our fiscal house in order,” said Senator Corker. “As this legislation advances, I hope we continue to make prudent fiscal decisions that allow us to provide our men and women in uniform – including the tens of thousands who call Tennessee home – the tools they need to defend our nation from a variety of threats at home and abroad.
"By setting priorities and investing responsibly, we can maintain a strong national defense at a time when U.S. leadership around the world matters more than ever.”
U.S. Senator David Perdue, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after voting to support the military’s national defense priorities in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017.
“We are in the midst of a global security crisis, and our brave women and men in uniform deserve our full support," said Senator Perdue. "The legislation we passed today provides our military with the tools they need to combat terrorism, address Russian and Chinese aggression, and protect the homeland. There are only six reasons why the 13 colonies got together in the first place, and one of those was to provide for the national defense.
“While providing for our national defense is a core responsibility of the federal government, we must also strive to set smarter priorities and to achieve greater accountability within our defense budget. Our country is more than $19 trillion in debt and we must scrutinize every dollar we spend. I will keep advocating for the Pentagon, and every sector of the federal government, to adopt business measures to help safeguard taxpayer dollars.”
Senator Perdue introduced several amendments to support the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, encourage support for U.S. military efforts to combat drug trafficking at our southern border and throughout the Western Hemisphere, increase fiscal accountability at the Pentagon, expose Iranian and North Korean cooperation on nuclear proliferation, and require the Obama Administration to make public information on released Guantanamo detainees.
Watch Senator Perdue's recent speech on the Senate floor here.
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander on Tuesday released the following statement on his vote to support the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act that establishes the nation’s military spending priorities.
“This important bill ensures that our service men and women in uniform, who sacrifice so much to protect and defend the United States, receive the support and resources they need,” Senator Alexander said. “The National Defense Authorization Act not only authorizes pay raises for troops at Fort Campbell and the Naval Support Activity Mid-South in Millington, but also supports national security programs in Oak Ridge and helps improve health care for service members and their families.
“This legislation also helps keep Americans safe by prohibiting the transfer of detainees at Guantanamo Bay to the United States. Bringing dangerous terrorists onto American soil is not only the wrong thing to do, but goes against the wishes of the American people.”
On May 12, the National Defense Authorization Act passed out of the Senate Armed Services Committee with significant bipartisan support. Today, the Senate passed the legislation by a vote of 85 to 13.
The Senate legislation authorizes $602 billion in funding for the Department of Defense and Department of Energy, which includes the following priorities:
A 1.6-percent pay increase for members of the military, including troops at Fort Campbell and the Naval Support Activity Mid-South in Millington, and reauthorizes more than 30 bonuses and special payments for service men and women.
$19.2 billion for Department of Energy national security programs, which support work in Oak Ridge.
Funding for the nation’s nuclear stockpile, a replacement strategic missile submarine, defense-related environmental cleanup, and nuclear energy programs at the Department of Energy.
Eliminates $3 billion in excessive and unnecessary spending and reinvests those savings in the military.
A prohibition on transferring detainees at Guantanamo Bay to the United States.
Provides advanced equipment to ensure the men and women of the armed forces have the tools they need to protect American interests abroad and work with our allies to defeat ISIL, al Qaeda, and other violent extremist organizations.
The bill seeks to reform and modernize the military health system to improve access to care, expand choices of health plans and modernize TRICARE, the Department of Defense health program for military service members, retirees and their dependents.
Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 277-147. The House and Senate will now work to produce a conference report to send to the president’s desk.