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William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021

Floor Speech

By: Adam Smith

Date: July 20, 2020

Location: Washington, DC

Issues: Defense Government Budget and Spending

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1053, I call up the bill (H.R. 6395) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for military activities of the Department of Defense and for military construction, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. 6395.

Mr. Speaker, we have before us today the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. It is an important piece of legislation that we have done every year for 59 consecutive years. We are going for 60 this year.

It is incredibly important that the United States Congress, the House and the Senate, exercise our oversight over the Department of Defense and our national security budget and priorities, and this bill reflects that.

I want to start by thanking a lot of people who have done an enormous amount of work to make this possible. We started in committee a couple of weeks ago. We had over 650 amendments submitted to the original mark of the chairman and the subcommittee marks. We processed those amendments and actually adopted 475 amendments in committee.

I want to thank our staff more than I possibly can for the incredible amount of work that they did to go through all of those amendments, to work with Members, to work with various interested parties to get us to that product. I am very pleased that we were able to get that done, and we passed the bill out of the Armed Services Committee unanimously, 56- 0, with broad support.

At this point, I want to thank the ranking member of the committee, Mr. Thornberry, for his incredible leadership during this process. He has been a terrific partner, both when he was chairman of the committee and now that he is the ranking member of the committee.

As all of you know, this will be his last NDAA, as he is retiring from Congress. I want to once again thank him for his great work and his great leadership and really emphasize a point that I have made many, many times.

The Armed Services Committee works in a bipartisan way and produces a legislative product in a manner that I think should be an example for all of Congress. That does not happen by accident. It happens because of leadership.

When Mr. Thornberry became chairman of the committee and I was ranking member, Mac showed that leadership from the very start. He understood the priority of getting the bill done and of working in a bipartisan way to do that. Because of that leadership, that example has been set for the committee, and we have been able to continue to accomplish that.

I also want to thank the Rules Committee. That is not an easy job in the best of times, and, as we all know, these are not the best of times. 752 amendments were submitted to be added to this bill this year. The Rules Committee had to sift through and process all of those amendments to produce before you the rule that we all just approved today.

I thank their staff for doing that incredible work and do want to pause just one moment to thank the staff for the work they did in light of COVID-19. We all know that things cannot be run the way they normally are. We had to make adjustments. The staff in particular had to make those adjustments just getting our committee hearing room set up so that we could accommodate a social-distancing markup. It took an enormous amount of time and technological know-how. The staff did a fabulous job to get us to this point.

I guess what I am saying is it is no accident that we are here. A lot of work went to get us to the point to have what I think is an excellent product.

Again, we can't forget the central premise behind this product, and that is to support our national security policy and to make sure that the men and women who serve in our military, whom we assign with the task of implementing that policy, have the tools and training and equipment that they need to perform whatever tasks we ask them to do.

We can and should have a robust debate about what those jobs should be, what our national security priorities are, what we should fund, what we should do. But something we should never disagree on is the idea that whatever that is that we decide, the troops, the men and women who are charged with implementing it, are well equipped, protected, and supported in carrying out that mission. And that is what we attempt to do.

This year's bill had agreement from last year's budget agreement on our top-line budget of $741 billion. I think that was a good agreement that we reached on the defense and nondefense discretionary budget.

And I will say, going forward, this is one of the greatest challenges that we are going to face. We had a difficult budget environment before COVID-19. It is even more difficult now. We are going to have to make some very difficult choices in the decade ahead about what to fund, not just to meet our national security priorities, but to meet all of our priorities within that budget context.

I do want to thank the Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, for his leadership in this regard. The Pentagon has gone to great lengths to do a bottom-up review, to really take a hard look at where they are spending money and to find savings, sometimes in the tens of billions of dollars. That type of effort is going to have to be ongoing, going forward, if we are going to be able to have a rational national security policy.

I also want to commend a number of the Members in our committee who have worked to really focus on diversity in this year's bill. I believe, in addition to the COVID-19 challenge that we face, the reckoning that we have as a country for the historic racism, discrimination, and bigotry that we have wrestled with, it is enormously important that we address that. This is society-wide, but within the Department of Defense there are issues to work on there as well.

We fund, to the tune of $17 million, aggressive efforts to increase the relationship between the Department of Defense and historically Black colleges and universities, to create and grow the pipeline of diversity into the Department of Defense, jobs both civilian and Active Duty.

We also have now created a chair of diversity within DOD, whose job it is to look and make sure that we are, in fact, hiring and promoting people in a way that is equitable, and we have also set aside a special inspector general to examine that question.

Also, thanks to the leadership of Congressman Anthony Brown and Congresswoman Jackie Speier, amongst others, we are looking at how the UCMJ is implemented. Is it being implemented in a way that is fair and unbiased.

These are all efforts to create the diversity that we need within our Armed Forces and the diversity we need within our society.

Overall, I am very, very pleased with this product. And more than anything, I am pleased with the people who worked together to put it together in a bipartisan way.

There are a lot of diverse opinions, not just Republican and Democrat, but within each party. As Mr. Thornberry will attest, we are not all the same within our own parties. Even with that diversity, we were able to work together and produce what I think is an excellent product that we should all be proud to support.

Committee on House Administration, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 7, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Smith: I am writing to you concerning R.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. There are certain provisions in the legislation that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on House Administration.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill, I am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on House Administration does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction. I request that you urge the Speaker to name members of this committee to any conference committee which is named to consider such provisions.

Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R. 6395 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Zoe Lofgren, Chairperson. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Zoe Lofgren, Chairperson, Committee on House Administration, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairperson Lofgren: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Committee on House Administration has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on House Administration is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 7, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Smith: I am writing to you concerning H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. There are certain provisions in the legislation that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Agriculture.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill, I am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on Agriculture does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction. I request that you urge the Speaker to name members of the Committee on Agriculture to any conference committee which is named to consider such provisions.

Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R. 6395 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Collin C. Peterson, Chairman. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Collin C. Peterson, Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Committee on Agriculture has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on Agriculture is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Smith: I am writing to you concerning H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. There are certain provisions in the legislation that fall within the rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Appropriations.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill, I am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on Appropriations does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its rule X jurisdiction. I request that you urge the Speaker to name members of this committee to any conference committee which is named to consider such provisions.

Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R. 6395 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Nita M. Lowey, Chairwoman. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Nita Lowey, Chairwoman, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Ms. Chairwoman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Committee on Appropriations has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on Appropriations is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ Committee on the Budget, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 7, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill, I am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on the Budget does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction. I request that you urge the Speaker to name members of this committee to any conference committee which is named to consider such provisions.

Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R. 6395 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, John Yarmuth, Chairman. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. John Yarmuth, Chairman, Committee on the Budget, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Committee on the Budget has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on the Budget is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Smith: I write concerning H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. There are certain provisions in the legislation that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Energy and Commerce (Committee).

In recognition of the desire to expedite consideration of H.R. 6395, the Committee agrees to waive this Committee's right to sequential referral. The Committee takes this action with the mutual understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as this bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining concerns within our jurisdiction. I also request that you support my request to name members of the Committee to any conference committee to consider such provisions.

Finally, I would appreciate the inclusion of this letter in the committee report on H.R. 6395 and into the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the measure. Sincerely, Frank Pallone, Jr., Chairman. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Frank Pallone, Jr., Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Committee on Energy and Commerce has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on Energy and Commerce is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 7, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Smith: I am writing to you concerning the bill H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. There are certain provisions in the legislation which fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Education and Labor.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill, I am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill the Committee on Education and Labor does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction. I request that you urge the Speaker to name members of this committee to any conference committee which is named to consider such provisions.

Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R. 6395 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott, Chairman. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Bobby Scott, Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Committee on Education and Labor has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on Education and Labor is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 7, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill, I am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on Foreign Affairs does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction. I request that you urge the Speaker to name members of this committee to any conference committee which is named to consider such provisions.

Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R. 6395 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Eliot L. Engel, Chairman. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Eliot L. Engel, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Committee on Foreign Affairs has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on Foreign Affairs is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ Committee on Financial Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you concerning the bill H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. There are certain provisions in the legislation which fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Financial Services.

In the interest of permitting your Committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of H.R. 6395, I am willing to waive this Committee's right to sequential referral and forego formal consideration of H.R. 6395 at this time. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on Financial Services does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in H.R. 6395 which fall within the Committee's Rule X jurisdiction. I also do so under the mutual understanding that the Committee on Financial Services will be appropriately consulted and involved as this or similar legislation moves forward. The Committee reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving H.R. 6395, and I request that you urge the Speaker to name members of this committee to any conference committee which is named to consider such provisions.

Please place this letter into the Committee report on H.R. 6395 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House Floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter between our respective committees. Sincerely, Maxine Waters, Chairwoman. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Maxine Waters, Chairwoman, Committee on Financial Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Ms. Chairwoman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Committee on Financial Services has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on Financial Services is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 7, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill, I am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on Homeland Security does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction. I request that you urge the Speaker to name members of this committee to any conference committee which is named to consider such provisions.

Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R. 6395 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Committee on Homeland Security has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on Homeland Security is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, House of Representatives, July 8, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Smith: I write in response to your staff's request, and concerning H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. Certain provisions in the legislation fall within the jurisdiction of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (the ``Committee''), as established by Rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives for the 116th Congress.

In the interest of expediting floor consideration of this important bill, I am willing to waive the Committee's right to request a sequential referral. By doing so, the Committee docs not waive any future claim over subjects addressed in the bill which fall within the Committee's jurisdiction. I also request that you urge the Speaker to name members of the Committee to any conference committee on the bill.

Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R. 6395 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Adam B. Schiff, Chairman. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Adam B. Schiff, Chairman, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 7, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC,

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill, I am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Judiciary Committee does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction. I request that you urge the Speaker to name members of this committee to any conference committee which is named to consider such provisions.

Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R. 6395 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Jerrold Nadler, Chairman. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Jerrold Nadler, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Committee on the Judiciary has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on the Judiciary is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ Committee on Natural Resources,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 7, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill, I am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on Natural Resources does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction. I request that you urge the Speaker to name members of this committee to any conference committee which is named to consider such provisions.

Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R. 6395 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Raul M. Grijalva, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Raul M. Grijalva, Chair, Committee on Natural Resources, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chair: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Committee on Natural Resources has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on Natural Resources is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you concerning H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. There are certain provisions in the legislation which fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

In the interest of permitting your Committee to proceed expeditiously on this bill, I am willing to waive this Committee's right to sequential referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on Oversight and Reform does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction. I request that you urge the Speaker to name Members of this Committee to any conference committee which is named to consider such provisions.

Please place this letter into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective Committees. Sincerely, Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman, Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Ms. Chairwoman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Committee on Oversight and Reform has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on Oversight and Reform is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ Committee on Small Business, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 7, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill, I am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on Small Business does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction. I request that you urge the Speaker to name members of this committee to any conference committee which is named to consider such provisions.

Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R. 6395 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Nydia M. Velazquez, Chairwoman. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Nydia M. Velazquez, Chairwoman, Committee on Small Business, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Ms. Chairwoman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Committee on Small Business has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on Small Business is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 7, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill, I am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction. I request that you urge the Speaker to name members of this committee to any conference committee which is named to consider such provisions.

Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R. 6395 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Chairwoman. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Eddie Bernice Johnson, Chairwoman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Ms. Chairwoman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 7, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Smith: I write to you concerning H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. There are certain provisions in this legislation that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration, I am willing to waive this Committee's right to a sequential referral. I do so with the mutual understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction. I also request that you urge the Speaker to name members of this Committee to any conference committee which is named to consider such provisions.

Please place a copy of this letter and your response acknowledging our jurisdictional interest into the committee report on H.R. 6395 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter between our respective committees. Sincerely, Peter A. DeFazio, Chair. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Peter DeFazio, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 7, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill, I am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction. I request that you urge the Speaker to name members of this committee to any conference committee which is named to consider such provisions.

Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R. 6395 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Mark Takano, Chairman. ____ Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 8, 2020. Hon. Mark Takano, Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. I agree that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs has valid jurisdictional claims to certain provisions in this important legislation, and I am most appreciative of your decision not to request a referral in the interest of expediting consideration of the bill. I agree that by foregoing a sequential referral, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs is not waiving its jurisdiction. Further, this exchange of letters will be included in the committee report on the bill. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman.

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Speier), the chair of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Again, I urge Members to support this bill. I want to emphasize a point that a number of folks have made about the process, which sounds a little bland and a little bit dry, but that is actually how we produce such an excellent product, and I think it is a good model for how Congress should function.

We debate issues. We take amendments from a wide and diverse group of people, and in so doing, the product gets better. We get the ideas, the benefit of the talents and the experience of everybody in Congress.

We work it out where we can. We debate where we can't. Then, we vote, and we move the process forward.

I think it is really, really important that the institution continues to function in that way. A number of institutions in our country, many that we have taken for granted for a long time, are under an enormous amount of pressure. It is very important to have coherent stability in the institutions of government.

That is something that I know Mr. Thornberry prioritized during his service on the committee. It is something we all prioritize, to show people, as Mac pointed out, the system works--yes, the men and women who serve in our military, clearly, but everybody.

It is a good thing when we get together and have these debates and create a legislative product, and I urge Members to support this product.

In closing, I want to emphasize one point that has come up a number of times, and that is the importance of alliances and partnerships to our national security and to what the Department of Defense does. This bill has a number of provisions to strengthen that: support for NATO; support for our relationship with South Korea; support for the creation of an Indo-Pacific defense initiative, which is building upon the idea that we did with the European Defense Initiative. The goal there is to build the partnerships necessary to maintain our national security interests globally and, hopefully, without having to rely on the military.

I know a number of my colleagues on this side of the aisle are concerned about how the U.S. has used its military over the years, and I don't disagree with that. The military should not be the first or primary tool of U.S. foreign policy and national security. But if that is to be the case, we need to build the partner capacity of allies throughout Europe and Asia.

That is what this bill, I believe, reflects, that desire to give us peace by deterring our adversaries through a system of interlocking alliances. I think that is incredibly important.

Before I close, I do want to address the issues. Concerns have been raised about some of the amendments.

One particular concern is that there are some amendments that aren't necessarily within our jurisdiction. As the one bill that passes every year, this is not an unusual occurrence. I will point out that even when the Republicans were in the majority, we frequently had amendments that were outside the jurisdiction of our committee, including in the lands area.

Who can forget the lesser prairie chicken and the years after years that we fought over that? That, too, is part of this process, and I hope, however that comes out, it will not, in any way, undermine the incredible bipartisan work that has been done on the bill and, gosh, the nearly 1,500 provisions that will be reflected in that bill once we get done here.

I think whatever disagreements there may be on a few amendments coming forward, the best thing that we can do for this institution, for this committee, for the way the legislative process is supposed to work, and, as all of us have said, most importantly, for the men and women who are serving in our military, we show them that we support the defense bill. We support them. We support what they do.

We have worked together to produce an excellent product that is worthy of the support of every Member of this body. I urge everyone to vote ``yes.''

Again, I thank everyone who was involved in the process.

Lastly, I want to close by joining my colleagues in recognizing the life of John Lewis. He brought honor to this country. He lived a life that made us all feel better about where we live.

I think the thing that I will always remember about John is, gosh, he lived a very tough life. He took on tough fights, but he did it with joy. You never saw John Lewis get really down. He always had this joy about him, even in the face of some unbelievable injustice.

He did not hate his enemies. He didn't attack them. He stood up for what was right.

I hope we can all learn from that lesson and build upon it, bringing this country together and deal with the challenges that we face now as he dealt with the challenges that he faced during his life.

Mr. Speaker, I fear this debate is going to come down to a difference of opinion on tax. My staff and I have looked at this very, very carefully. This does not restrict us from what we are currently doing, and it is the position of this sponsor and myself that we need to make sure our stockpile is safe and usable, and we have an adequate deterrent. We do not need to do live nuclear testing.

Mr. Speaker, the reason we are concerned about this is because the Senate has actually put $10 million into their version of this defense bill to do precisely that. So, there are some who apparently think this would be a good idea.

We want to make it clear: We don't think it is a good idea to do live nuclear testing. Keep doing what you are doing. That is fine. Collect your stockpile. We don't need to be setting off nuclear weapons again.

In this regard, what Russia and China are doing is beside the point. It is not in our best interest to do this. If they think it is in their best interests to do live testing, I would disagree with that.

This doesn't help protect us. It endangers people unnecessarily.

I know we are going to get into a debate over the actual language here, but be clear on what this amendment does.

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, this amendment allows us to continue doing what we are already doing to preserve and protect our nuclear deterrent. It simply says: You can't go setting off nuclear weapons again. It doesn't work. It doesn't help. And it is extraordinarily dangerous.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the amendment.

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me associate myself with Ms. Jayapal's remarks. I completely agree with everything she said.

I have an enormous amount of respect for Mr. Thornberry, but I disagree with the premise of part of what he said. Part of what he said is absolutely right. We should exercise our independent judgment and not simply rubber-stamp what the Pentagon asks us for, but I don't see how having them give us even more of what they want somehow better enables us to exercise our independent judgment.

It is the Pentagon who is sending us what ``their priorities are.'' I think we should be absolutely skeptical of whatever they sent us. But to say, ``Look, you get to ask for $740 billion, and then you can ask for even more,'' that somehow that makes it easier for us to exercise independent judgment, independent of what the Pentagon wants, sort of stands logic on its head.

Make no mistake about it, there is one and only one reason for this law. It is because there are some who believe that no matter what you spend on the Pentagon and defense spending, you could always spend more. They are trying to push us down that road toward more, which is wrong because it is a waste. But it is also wrong because it is bad for national security.

We need to make choices, not imagine that the budget is unlimited. That is what this does, and it should go away.

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1053, I offer amendments en bloc.

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Craig).

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal), who is a member of the Armed Services Committee.

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer).

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Haaland), a member of the Committee on Armed Services.

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Malinowski).

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney).

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this amendment, which contains my bill to crack down on terrorism financing and the illicit use of anonymous shell companies, called the Corporate Transparency Act.

This is one of the most pressing national security problems we face in our country because anonymous shell companies are the vehicles of choice for money launderers, criminals, and terrorists. Unfortunately, the United States is the world's capital of anonymous shell companies.

Madam Speaker, my bill would correct this by requiring companies to disclose their true beneficial owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN. This information would only be available to law enforcement and financial institutions so they can comply with know-your-customer rules that were strengthened after 9/11.

Madam Speaker, I have been working on this bill for over 10 years, and it would plug a huge hole in our national security defense. It would also be the single most important anticorruption reform in decades.

Madam Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Waters for her steadfast support, as well as Congressman Cleaver and my Republican partners, Congressmen King and Blaine Luetkemeyer.

Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote.

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Cunningham).

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui).

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the en bloc package, as well as the NDAA upon final passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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