Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015--Continued
Floor Speech
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Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I want to thank the Senator from Alaska. I also want to thank Lieutenant Colonel and Senator Ernst for her service to our Nation. Senator Ernst is the first female combat veteran to ever serve in the Senate. It is an honor to serve with her, and I thank her for her service to our country both as a soldier as well as a Senator.
As I speak today, my friends from across the aisle have already--not once, not twice, but three times--blocked consideration of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2017, which will deny our troops the proper funding and support they deserve. I am proud to be standing here with some of my freshmen colleagues, imploring my friends on the other side of the aisle to stop the political games and get back to work, and that starts with funding our military.
We shouldn't be playing these petty political games on legislation that is and should be historically bipartisan. In fact, this bill, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, passed the House of Representatives in June on a bipartisan vote of 282 to 138, and that included 48 Democrats. That is a very strong bipartisan vote. Over on the Senate side--as a member of the Committee on Appropriations, I recall it clearly--it passed our committee 30 to 0. That is called running up the score--30 to 0 out of the Committee on Appropriations on May 26. Not one Democrat opposed this bill in committee. I ask my colleagues: What in the world has changed? Why did we go from 30 to 0 in the committee and now we are seeing a filibuster here on the floor of the Senate?
Just so we are all clear, when Senate Democrats vote no, here is what they are saying no to: 1.2 million military Active-Duty servicemembers and 800,000 reservists. They are saying no to 10,000 troops engaged in combat in Afghanistan and the additional military in harm's way in Iraq, Syria, and other places throughout the world.
We are seeing ISIS expanding into places like Libya. They are attacking Western targets like Paris, Brussels, and the homeland here, in places like San Bernardino and Orlando. We need to make sure our military forces have the tools they need to win. As Senator Marco Rubio once said: It is either we win or they win. There is no middle ground here. Let us give them the tools they need to win. I can tell you one thing: Our enemies are not waiting around for Senate Democrats to fund our military to make it a fair fight.
This bill provides money to replace the munitions and other consumable items being used to defend America against the likes of ISIS, Al Qaeda, and the Taliban. Passing this also gives confidence to our Eastern European allies.
Back in my home State of Montana, we have a rich legacy of service. I am the son of a U.S. marine. My dad served in the 50th Rifle Company in Billings, MT. In fact, our Nation's ``peace through strength'' strategy can be seen clearly at Montana's Malmstrom Air Force Base. You see, up in Montana, we have one-third of the Nation's intercontinental ballistic missiles. We play a critical role in meeting our Nation's security and military needs. In fact, I have the utmost faith--and always do--in the 1,200 defenders at Malmstrom that provide security for the missiles that silently sit across Montana. I know these airmen will not fail our Nation, but Washington, DC is failing them. Senate Democrats are failing them, and that is unacceptable.
At Malmstrom, the motto on the commander's coin says this: ``Scaring the hell out of America's enemies since 1962.'' And they do so because this body chose duty over politics.
So how can Democrats continue to stand here and say no to our military when so much is at stake, when the House passed a bipartisan bill, when this body passed a bill by a unanimous vote of 30 to 0 out of committee? We must say yes to our military who fight for us every day and say no to petty politics in Washington, DC. We must stand up for the rights and the freedoms we enjoy. Senate Democrats, stop saying no. Let us debate the DOD appropriations bill.
Finally, I urge my Senate colleagues across the aisle to have the courage to vote against the wishes of their leaders and help us move this legislation forward.
Again, I am proud to stand here with some of my Senate freshmen colleagues and the distinguished Senator from North Carolina, Thom Tillis. I know Senator Tillis has some real concerns about what is going on here on the Senate floor.
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Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, it is certainly an honor to think that we are standing here as Senators with two distinguished veterans: Lieutenant Colonel Ernst and Senator Sullivan, who served in the U.S. Marines. In fact, tonight I will be at the Iwo Jima memorial, at a parade, with my daughter, honoring my dad, a marine, and honoring the men and women who served and wore the great uniform of the U.S. military.
There is one group who is cheering right now, and that is our enemies. They are cheering the fact that this body cannot get a defense appropriations bill passed. Maybe we should tie congressional pay to this bill. You know what. We could ask the minority leader: Let's put congressional pay in here. Maybe that will get the body to act, to move forward, if we say: If we are not going to fund our military, let's not fund this body right here. If we can't pass the Defense appropriations bill, we shouldn't get a paycheck here in Washington, DC.
We ought to stand with the men and women who depend on the appropriations. What this body is saying no to--this filibuster is saying no to military personnel; it is saying no operations; it is saying no to the procuring we need to take the fight to the enemy; and it is saying no to research and development, testing and evaluation to make sure our men and women who wear the uniform of the U.S. military have the very best tools they need to defeat a very real enemy.
I thank my freshmen colleagues for coming to the floor today. I thank Senator Sullivan for leading this effort as we are discussing why we need to stop the filibuster and pass the Defense appropriations bill.
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