Secure U.S. Bases Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, first, I want to thank the Senator from Alaska for his ``Alaskans of the Week'' each week. I have had the opportunity to preside a few times when he recognizes the Alaskan of the Week, and the stories are unbelievable. The story last week of what the young man from the great State of Florida did up in Alaska was just remarkable.

So I say to the Senator, thank you for what you do.

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Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I speak today in honor of the three victims of the tragic terrorist attack that took place at Naval Air Station Pensacola on December 6, 2019.

Airman Mohammed Sameh Haitham, known to friends and family as ``Mo,'' just 19 years old, from St. Petersburg, FL, was a great athlete who loved to make others laugh.

Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson of Enterprise, AL, a 23-year-old natural- born leader and selfless volunteer, who lifted others up, died a hero after giving first responders information on the shooter's location while he was mortally wounded.

Airman Apprentice Cameron Scott Walters of Richmond Hill, GA, was just 21 years old, with a contagious smile, whose dream was to serve his country.

Our sailors and law enforcement officials showed heroism and bravery in the face of evil, as they ran toward the shooter that day, saving lives, and our first responders came to the first aid of those in need.

Following this attack, I promised to do everything possible to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again. I called for a hard reset of the entire foreign national's training program and for all Saudi nationals training in the United States to be sent home until the U.S. Department of Defense completed a thorough review.

We now know that 21 of the foreign military students were withdrawn from the program and returned to Saudi Arabia after an investigation found that they were engaged in dangerous activities, including accessing anti-American jihadists websites and child pornography.

Withdrawing these students was a positive step, but there are still more than 850 military students from Saudi Arabia who remain in the United States at 38 military installations in 17 States, and there are thousands of additional foreign nationals from countries around the world training at U.S. military basis across our great Nation.

I am not calling for an end to these programs. Our alliances around the world, including our longstanding relationship with Saudi Arabia, are invaluable in defending American national securities and our interests abroad. These programs play an important role, but we cannot put the lives of our military men and women at risk.

We need to make sure that our men and women in uniform are safe at all times, especially when they are training right here in the United States.

Today, I am proud to join with my colleague Senator Joni Ernst to introduce the Secure U.S. Bases Act, to make sure these programs are operated with American interests first and that our men and women in uniform are protected.

The Secure U.S. Bases Act does three things. First, it creates a new visa category for foreign military students training on U.S. bases, with restrictions on their travel and actions while they are in our country. Individuals who receive the new visa will be prohibited from possessing, acquiring, or using firearms, except for uses specifically required by their training program, and they will be under the continual oversight of their commander.

Second, the bill changes the application process and vetting requirements for foreign military students.

The application to train on U.S. bases will now require an official endorsement letter from the chief of intelligence of their home country, additional personal information, an in-person interview, and an extensive background check that will include a review of social media activity. The U.S. Director of National Intelligence will also be responsible for the final decision on whether to admit an applicant into this program.

Finally, the Secretary of Defense must develop a method for classifying relative risks by country and consider the overall risk profile of each country when making determinations of an applicant's eligibility. If a program could be implemented in another country instead of the United States, the Department should consider that when appropriate.

This terrorist should have never been allowed into our country, let alone on any American military base with easy access to military men and women. The Secure U.S. Bases Act makes sure foreign military students training at U.S. bases are thoroughly vetted and monitored and that our troops are protected and never have to experience a tragedy like this again.

I had the opportunity to serve in the U.S. Navy and can't imagine our military men and women feeling unsafe on their post. It is a place where they train and serve, where their families live--some on base and some off--and where they deserve to feel safe and secure.

I hope all my colleagues join me in this effort and keep our U.S. bases secure.

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