Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Madam Chair, in recent years, China has increased the size, scope, and complexity of its drills around Taiwan. As Admiral Paparo has said: These are not exercises. They are rehearsals for a forced reunification.

President Trump understands that supporting Taiwan's self-defense now is the surest way to deter CCP aggression. I agree. That is why the President and the Pentagon requested $1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative in FY26. This bill fully funds President Trump's budget request. To do otherwise would put peace and security in Taiwan at risk. Therefore, I oppose this amendment and urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chair, pursuant to House Resolution 682, I offer amendments en bloc.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chair, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), my friend and the chairman of the Financial Services Committee.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chair, I agree with Chairman Hill that our committees have a lot of ground to cover on authorities to strengthen the defense industrial base.

Mr. Messmer's amendment is a good attempt to break through some of the bureaucracy that has hampered those efforts. I commit to Chairman Hill that we will work with him and his committee on the defense industrial base matters that arise in the conference on the NDAA.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Self).

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chair, I support this bipartisan en bloc amendment that was worked in advance with the minority.

I also want to take a minute to completely foot-stomp what my friend, the ranking member, just said about the staff, not only the House Armed Services staff on both sides of the aisle, who have just done incredible work, but the floor staff here and the Rules Committee staff in moving what is the biggest bill that this Congress has to move each year in such an expeditious fashion. They are all to be commended, and I thank them all.

Mr. Chair, I can't overstate how much I appreciate the ranking member and his partnership and leadership in this process. He is, as you can tell, a thought leader in this area, but also just a great partner in advancing this very important piece of legislation.

This is a good bill. It is a very important bill. It reforms the Pentagon's broken acquisition system; continues historic improvements in the quality of life of our servicemembers and their families; builds a ready, capable, and lethal fighting force necessary to deter global threats; and enacts President Trump's Peace Through Strength agenda.

The House will work its will on the amendments before us today, but I urge all Members to support final passage of the bill. It is critical we get this bill to conference and, ultimately, to the President's desk.

The threats we face today are more complex and precarious than at any point in the last 80 years. The Department needs the authorities that this NDAA provides to stay ahead of these threats. I urge all Members to support this en bloc amendment and the underlying bill.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

The motion was agreed to.

Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Rogers of Alabama) having assumed the chair, Mr. Smucker, Acting Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3838) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2026 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes, had come to no resolution thereon.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source