National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027

Floor Speech

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Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment that would prohibit international students from attending our United States military academies, including the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis where I have the privilege of representing.

Mr. Chair, this shortsighted, isolationist amendment would have a serious negative impact on U.S. foreign partnerships with allied and friendly forces. For decades, foreign military officers have attended the United States military service academies with strong bipartisan support. This program actually makes our military and our national security stronger.

Thousands of these officers have gone on to serve as reliable military partners to their U.S. counterparts and strengthen diplomatic and military ties.

Let's be clear: American students benefit just as much. They benefit from this program by gaining experience working with officers from allied nations in a controlled environment before entering a coalition operation.

In fact, U.S. officers are more confident in partnering with international counterparts who graduated from the academies, as they share a common education in military strategy and doctrine.

International students also only occupy a very limited number of positions. Only 1 percent of midshipmen are international students.

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Ms. ELFRETH. This means these students do not impact the opportunities for qualified American counterparts. Again, the countries sending these international students foot the entire bill. This is not on U.S. taxpayers.

As Russia and China actively educate foreign military officers to expand their influence, the U.S. needs to maintain this program so that partner nations don't seek an education elsewhere.

Fundamentally, this amendment is misguided. It is xenophobic, and it does not understand the utility and value of educating international students. Every future allied chief of defense who trained in the U.S. is a strategic asset that would be nearly impossible to replicate through diplomacy alone. That is the true intent and value of the program.

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Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this amendment.

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Ms. ELFRETH. Madam Chair, this amendment prohibits the use of funds for Ukraine security assistance.

This amendment would halt all U.S. aid for Ukraine, a democratic ally, in its existential fight for freedom and sovereignty against Russia.

After Russia's full-scale invasion just 4 years ago, Ukraine has far exceeded global expectations by withstanding Russia's initial invasion, integrated Western weapons systems, and becoming a leading innovator in military technology.

Ukraine is fighting an effective war, and they are degrading the combat power of a major strategic competitor without the deployment of U.S. troops. Russia is losing eight soldiers for every Ukrainian casualty, a dramatic loss on the battlefield for a military that was previously ranked one of the strongest in the world just a few years ago.

Madam Chair, we cannot abandon our ally at this time and give Russia and Mr. Putin exactly what they want. Russia has consistently tried to diminish Western military support to Ukraine because our assistance directly affects the battlefield and Russia's long-term military strength.

When we abandon Ukraine, we abandon our global allies. It would put the U.S. on an island standing alone in abandoning Ukraine as our NATO and European allies have stepped up to answer this call pledging billions in support for Ukraine.

Support for Ukraine must transcend party lines because this is not a conflict between Democrats and Republicans. It is a conflict between Democratic freedoms and autocracy. That is why I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment and reaffirm our bipartisan support for Ukraine at this critical juncture in the war.

Madam Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers), who is the chair of the House Armed Services Committee.

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Ms. ELFRETH. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith), my colleague and member of the House Armed Services Committee.

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Ms. ELFRETH. Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson).

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

America has always stood on the side of freedom against dictators: Hitler, Stalin, Castro, Assad, Maduro, Khamenei, and Putin. As a supporter myself of Senator Barry Goldwater, he was right when he said: ``Why not victory?''

War Criminal Putin is losing his murderous invasion of Ukraine. He underestimated the resolve of Ukrainians and energized NATO with the admission of Sweden and Finland, as President Donald Trump has achieved 5 percent member defense spending.

President Donald Trump knows that appeasement endangers American families. President Donald Trump courageously tried to stop Putin sending Javelin missiles to Ukraine, placing American troops in Poland, and stopping the corrupt Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

As the Senate works to advance Senator Lindsey Graham's bipartisan sanctions legislation to decimate the Putin war machine, the House should send a strong signal that America will stand for peace through strength.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``no.''

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Ms. ELFRETH. Madam Chair, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.
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Ms. ELFRETH. Madam Chair, I share with this group every time I am at a townhall or in the grocery store and people ask me how this body, how this Congress works together, I point to our remarkable bipartisan support of Ukraine as an example of something we can do well and do together.

That very idea is being challenged by this amendment today. I am so grateful to the chair of the committee, to Mr. Wilson for standing up for what is right.

We cannot be isolationists in this world anymore. We know where that leads us. Our support, our commitment, our words to our democratic ally in Ukraine is essential, not just to their survival but to the future of a free Europe.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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