Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I rise in support of the Defense appropriations bill being considered by the Senate. With this important measure, we are greatly enhancing our national defense by providing the actual funds our warfighters need to maintain a decisive advantage over our adversaries.

As home to one-third of our strategic ground-based nuclear arsenal, Montana plays a critical role in deterring aggression, enabling diplomacy, and maintaining a posture of peace through strength.

While serving in the U.S. Senate, I have visited Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, MT, several times. I have toured the missile fields and the silos. I have had the honor of sitting down and speaking with the men and women who maintain this important nuclear deterrent. Their hard work and their professionalism are unmatched. We owe it to them to support their work and give them the tools they need to be successful.

It is so important that we advance the deployment and the development of the next ground-based strategic deterrent. This bill achieves that goal by replacing Montana's current Minuteman Missile, as well as the UH-1N replacement helicopter that services our missile fields. It also recognizes the important work Montana's university researchers and small businesses do in support of our Nation's military readiness.

Montanans are quite proud of the critical role our State plays in defending this great Nation. This bill strengthens and enhances that role.

As a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, I am pleased to note that it makes substantial investments in emerging technologies, such as hypersonics, directed energy, artificial intelligence, and cyber security. In particular, we are providing additional funding for new cyber units within the National Guard that will be available to the States under title 32 authority.

I worked with my colleagues here in the Senate to secure these additional funds because I believe the National Guard will play an increasingly important role in defending our Nation against government- backed cyber attacks from nations like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. These nations target critical civilian networks like schools, hospitals, or private businesses, where the military's authority is limited. Only the National Guard has the unique ability to provide assistance on request by a State's Governor.

These new units will fill a critical need and increase the effectiveness of our military's existing cyber defense forces. They will also bring in new skill sets and new perspectives from citizen soldiers who work in cyber-related professions.

In closing, I wish to urge my colleagues to support the measure before us today to empower our servicemen and our servicewomen and ensure that our Nation's military capabilities are unmatched by our adversaries.

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