Floor SpeechNeutral2026-07-14

NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

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On 2026-07-14, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) delivered a floor speech titled "NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT" in the Senate.

Full Text

NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3913] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, as the Senate and House are currently working on the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, it is important--very important--that Congress pass this bill. We need a very strong and capable military, and we need to hold the Pentagon accountable for taxpayer dollars. For 240 years, the No. 1 responsibility of the Federal Government has been national security. A nonnegotiable tenet of America's national security is ``peace through strength.'' In preventing war, a strong Department of War is also an instrument of peace. So, to achieve peace through strength, we must invest in our Nation's defense and modernize military capabilities to be best prepared for any threat. Our military ought to be strong enough to deter any aggressor. We have learned from our history that preventing conflicts is less costly and spares more lives. I support the $1.1 trillion authorization put forth by our Senate Armed Services Committee. The fiscal year 2027 Defense bill supports our servicemembers, boosts our national industrial defense base and allows for historic investment in our national security. This legislation also includes important provisions that I back to hold defense contractors accountable. This includes a requirement that contractors provide notification when the price of a product or service increases beyond a predetermined threshold. While our investments in defense increase, ensuring accountability and fiscal responsibility is very paramount. Companies that work for the government should not be ripping the taxpayers off. I am also pleased that a provision I worked on is included in the bill that reinforces the notion that Russia's aggression toward Ukraine is unacceptable. This provision prohibits funds being used to recognize Russia's control over any Ukrainian territory that has been forcibly seized by Russia. I have offered several amendments to this Defense bill to combat crime and support law enforcement, strengthen security provisions and cooperation in the Baltics, and condemn very strongly Russia's abduction of Ukrainian children, which has been in the amounts of tens of thousands of children. If the Defense bill is passed this year, it will be the 66th consecutive year that Congress has passed this important annual Defense legislation. So I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to pass a Defense bill that strengthens our national security and best supports our military readiness. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant executive clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

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NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3913] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, as the Senate and House are currently working on the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, it is important--very important--that Congress pass this bill. We need a very strong and capable military, and we need to hold the Pentagon accountable for taxpayer dollars. For 240 years, the No. 1 responsibility of the Federal Government has been national security. A nonnegotiable tenet of America's national security is ``peace through strength.'' In preventing war, a strong Department of War is also an instrument of peace. So, to achieve peace through strength, we must invest in our Nation's defense and modernize military capabilities to be best prepared for any threat. Our military ought to be strong enough to deter any aggressor. We have learned from our history that preventing conflicts is less costly and spares more lives. I support the $1.1 trillion authorization put forth by our Senate Armed Services Committee. The fiscal year 2027 Defense bill supports our servicemembers, boosts our national industrial defense base and allows for historic investment in our national security. This legislation also includes important provisions that I back to hold defense contractors accountable. This includes a requirement that contractors provide notification when the price of a product or service increases beyond a predetermined threshold. While our investments in defense increase, ensuring accountability and fiscal responsibility is very paramount. Companies that work for the government should not be ripping the taxpayers off. I am also pleased that a provision I worked on is included in the bill that reinforces the notion that Russia's aggression toward Ukraine is unacceptable. This provision prohibits funds being used to recognize Russia's control over any Ukrainian territory that has been forcibly seized by Russia. I have offered several amendments to this Defense bill to combat crime and support law enforcement, strengthen security provisions and cooperation in the Baltics, and condemn very strongly Russia's abduction of Ukrainian children, which has been in the amounts of tens of thousands of children. If the Defense bill is passed this year, it will be the 66th consecutive year that Congress has passed this important annual Defense legislation. So I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to pass a Defense bill that strengthens our national security and best supports our military readiness. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant executive clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________