National Defense Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2017

Floor Speech

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Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, it is no secret we are living in a dangerous time. We face a variety of threats to our security at home and abroad. We all agree we need to make investments in a strong military to protect and defend our national security. We have also come together in agreement on the need to take on our national security challenges and our challenges here at home in a balanced way.

The bipartisan budget agreement that we passed into law last year was far from perfect, but it provided much needed certainty for our economy by preventing the ongoing threats of a government default or a government shutdown. It restored investment in both our national and our economic security, ensuring that every dollar of investment in defense was matched by a dollar of investment in a stronger economy and a stronger middle class.

A balanced approach has served us well. It was a necessary compromise grounded in fairness that should guide our bipartisan work going forward. I understand that the chairman would like to give the Defense Department $18 billion more than they currently have from the American taxpayer, but I also know the American people need stronger investments in the challenges they face each and every day just trying to get ahead.

If we are going to spend more on our military, then it is only fair that we also invest more in education, in job training, and workforce readiness to raise incomes and create a stronger economy for all. If we are going to spend more on the Pentagon, then it is only fair we also invest more in putting people to work and rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and transportation and water infrastructure.

I also know we have unfinished business in the Congress to bolster our vulnerable cyber security and to boost TSA security and to better support our law enforcement needs. We also have a responsibility to act on the public health crisis posed by Zika. We simply must do more and approve the necessary funding to prevent, protect, and respond to this serious and dangerous threat.

We need to provide relief to the people in Flint, MI, who are still suffering from the impacts of lead contamination.

I understand the military has asked for more helicopters and more fighter jets, but I also know that the American people need Washington to be stronger partners in the fights we are confronting in communities across our country today. That is why I am pleased to support Senator Reed's amendment to invest $18 billion to help our middle class, to keep our country safe, and to respond to the Zika virus, lead contamination, heroin, opioids, and the crisis that we are facing with drug abuse throughout our Nation.

As I have traveled in Wisconsin, it is clear that we face a heroin and opioid epidemic. I know that many of my colleagues in the Senate face that same crisis in their home States.

In Wisconsin, it is a big problem, and it demands a bold response from Washington. We are in the midst of a crisis that is touching far too many across our State. I have heard stories from family members who have tragically lost loved ones to addiction, and I have heard from people who are on the path of recovery.

At one of my community meetings in Pewaukee, a father came up to me to courageously share a story of tragically losing his youngest son to addiction right after Christmas a couple of years ago.

Recently, I heard from Leonard, from Colfax, WI, whose grandson Nathan was killed in a car accident when he was just 16 years old. The driver of the other car was under the influence of heroin at the time.

I have also heard from a mother from South Milwaukee whose son suffered from addiction for 20 years. While he is now in recovery, at one point she found him on their bathroom floor, unconscious from a heroin overdose.

Another mother from Mukwonago wrote to tell me that her own son's life was saved by paramedics who administered the drug naloxone during his overdose, allowing him to survive.

The message is clear. Families simply cannot afford to wait any longer for help from Washington. It should not be easier for Wisconsinites to get their hands on opioids or heroin than it is for them to get treatment for their addiction.

Today, as we consider increasing our spending for our military, let's not forget American law enforcement, first responders, health care providers, and citizens fighting on the frontlines to combat our opioid and heroin crisis. Let's not forget those struggling to get sober and to stay healthy.

As communities continue to confront this epidemic on a daily basis, Washington needs to step up and needs to be a strong partner with State, local, and nonprofit efforts.

The first place we can start is by making emergency investments for prevention, crisis intervention, treatment, and recovery efforts. I was proud to support bipartisan legislation that provides this funding because these resources are vital as we continue to respond to this national emergency. Unfortunately, this funding was blocked by congressional Republicans. This epidemic knows no political party, and it should be an issue that unites us all.

We must do more because fighting this nationwide epidemic is a shared responsibility. Everyone has a role to play in addressing this crisis, and Congress should be no exception. The communities we represent need the resources necessary to win this fight.

From talking to the people I work for in Wisconsin, I know that the opioid and heroin epidemic is a problem that neither law enforcement nor the health care system can tackle alone. The Federal Government cannot solve this problem by itself, just as we cannot expect State and local communities to address it by themselves.

Together we must continue our fight and rise to this challenge. Let's work together to help our communities recover from this epidemic and stay healthy.

The Senate will soon vote on the Reed amendment. This amendment would provide $1.1 billion to respond to the opioid and heroin crisis. The amendment would invest a total of $18 billion, equal to the amount of funding that my Republican colleague, Chairman McCain, is proposing to spend on the Department of Defense.

The vote is about fairness and priorities. I believe that, if we are going to provide more funding to the Pentagon, we should also invest in our middle class, ensure our security here at home, and step up to the plate and provide the resources Americans need to respond to the serious emergencies they face here at home.

I yield back the remainder of my time.

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