National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, today, the Senate will continue making progress on the NDAA, one of the most important bills of the year and something that for more than six decades has passed with bipartisan support.

Yesterday, we adopted two important amendments to the NDAA, adding to the Senate's work on outcompeting the Chinese Government. Both amendments--one by Senators Cornyn and Casey and one by Senators Rounds and Tester--passed overwhelmingly, with 91 ``yes'' votes each. It is not often that 91 Senators can unite on a single measure, let alone two measures. So to see us unite on outcompeting the Chinese Government was an important demonstration that this issue remains broadly bipartisan and something we will continue working on throughout the year.

This morning, we will hold another vote on an amendment by Senators Warnock and Budd halting the harassment of our servicemembers by debt collectors. I hope this will also enjoy broad support.

Last night, we sent out a hotline with a number of additional amendments. I am hopeful we can lock in an agreement soon to begin voting on some of them.

Since last Wednesday, the Senate has voted on eight amendments here on the floor and adopted seven more by voice vote. This is how the process should work.

Finally, I will also keep working with the Republican leader, Chair Reed, and Ranking Member Wicker on a second managers' package that will have more accomplishments both sides can embrace, and I appreciate the cooperation and good faith of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

I have said repeatedly that the NDAA is an opportunity for the Senate to show we can work on the biggest issues facing our country through bipartisanship, cooperation, and honest debate. That is what we have seen play out so far this year on the floor--bipartisanship. The NDAA process in this Chamber is a welcome departure from the contentious, chaotic, and partisan race to the bottom we saw in the House.

As I have also said, if we continue embracing bipartisanship, we will finish our work on the NDAA before the start of the August State work period. We wish to finish the NDAA as soon as we can. There is no reason for delay. We aren't quite there yet--there is still some more work to be done--but we are close.

I thank my colleagues for their cooperation, and the Senate will continue working on the NDAA until the job is done.

(Mr. BENNET assumed the Chair.)

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