Conference Report on H.R. William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. BROWN of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith for his exemplary leadership, Representative Thornberry for his career service to our men and women in uniform, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their hard work on this year's National Defense Authorization Act.

This bill strengthens our military, makes our country safer, and provides for our servicemembers and their families.

National security isn't simply defined by the planes and ships we buy, but in the values we promote within the military and for our Nation.

This legislation is a significant step forward for diversity, inclusion, and justice in our Armed Forces, core American values that our military must promote.

Today's military is the most diverse in our history, with people of color making up more than 40 percent of Active-Duty servicemembers. And as our country reckons with systemic racism, so, too, does our military.

By affirming our founding values, this NDAA enhances military readiness and taps into the diverse talents and skills of our country.

We elevate the chief diversity officer to report directly to the Secretary of Defense and service secretaries.

We provide for better accountability, transparency, and reporting on our diversity efforts.

We ensure equity in promotion boards by removing pictures and other identifying information that could bias these processes. Officers will instead be judged solely on what matters: their performance.

We foster new leaders in our military to reflect the diversity of our country and support their career development, from Junior ROTC to service academies and historically Black colleges and universities, to our elite units.

We correct racial inequities in our military justice system by appointing a deputy inspector general to investigate racial disparities.

And after years of delay, we finally rename bases and property honoring the Confederacy.

With support from Congress, barrier-breaking leaders in our military, and the American people, we will lead with our values.

Mr. Speaker, for a more equitable country and military, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

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