National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chairman, I am proud to support the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act as passed out of the House Armed Services Committee.

While this bill includes some provisions that are not in line with Democratic priorities, it does represent a truly bipartisan product that was overwhelmingly supported by our committee. I thank Chairmen Rogers and Lamborn for working with me during our markup process, particularly on critical areas such as restoring funding for critical National Nuclear Security Administration efforts on nonproliferation and National Missile Defense policy.

Overall, I am proud of what is in this bill. It adds critical oversight to the nuclear weapons modernization enterprise, and while I firmly believe this world would be a better, safer place for our children without nuclear weapons--a view shared by many of us--the reality is that our nuclear deterrent is a key component of strategic stability so long as we have determined adversaries unwilling to engage in serious discussions of arms reduction.

Given that sobering reality, I support the administration's nuclear modernization plans, but I continue to have serious concerns about requiring the U.S. Navy to develop a nuclear-capable sea-launched cruise missile, as this bill would require. I believe we need to better understand the impacts to both the Navy and NNSA before we direct a program of record.

Across space, missile defense, and hypersonic weapons, this bill advances key technologies and capabilities while also requiring more in-depth study on how these systems will contribute to a future conflict and impact strategic stability.

I want to particularly call out Chairman Rogers' noting the $40 billion of cuts to old weapons systems we don't need to make room for the new. That is politically tough to do, and it is incredibly important that we accomplish it.

While this bill largely represents continuity and bipartisanship, my ability to support it going further depends on what a small group of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle might try to add on to it. Targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion; reproductive and women's rights; and the LGBTQ+ community, in addition to cutting off our assistance to Ukraine, are areas that I cannot support in a bipartisan bill.

Over hours of politically motivated debate attacking these programs, the majority offered zero evidence that they actually hurt recruiting. Indeed, what evidence is available tells the opposite story. Good luck recruiting women if they can't get healthcare based on the whims of which base they are assigned. Good luck recruiting minorities if they think they won't be respected in the service.

Finally, I will take this opportunity to again thank our subcommittee staff, Ryan Tully, Whitney Verett, Peter Schirtzinger, Maria Vastola, and Zach Calderon; my personal staff, Caroline Jones; and our Navy fellow, Kurt Shulkitas.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source