{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=5E0D4A56-659A-413E-8D22-18C22AAB45C9", "Barrasso: Lets Pass the 60th NDAA", "2020-07-02", "2020", "2020-07", "Republican", "House", "WY", "John Barrasso", "B001261", "www.barrasso.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The NDAA supports our brave service men and women, and it sets policies to defend our nation. The investments made through this bill safeguard our country from foreign threats and there are many. This is why the NDAA has over the years become must-pass legislation.\r\nClick here to watch Sen. Barrasso's remarks.\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) spoke on the Senate floor about the need to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the coming year.\r\nExcerpts of Senator Barrasso's remarks:\r\nTo the issue today on the floor of the United States Senate. We're considering critical national security legislation.\r\nThe National Defense Authorization Act, NDAA, lays out America's defense priorities for the coming year.\r\nThe NDAA supports our brave service men and women, and it sets policies to defend our nation.\r\nThe investments made through this bill safeguard our country from foreign threats and there are many.\r\nThis is why the NDAA has over the years become must-pass legislation.\r\nIn fact, the defense policy bill has passed every year for decades.\r\nThe Senate continues this proud tradition in taking up this the 60th annual National Defense Authorization Act.\r\nThis legislation is bipartisan to its core.\r\nIt reflects equal input from Republicans and Democrats.\r\nThe Senate Armed Services Committee adopted 229 bipartisan amendments before approving the legislation this month by a vote in committee of 25 to 2.\r\nThe NDAA will ensure a smart, strong, strategic defense for our nation, and it will maintain America's dominance in a dangerous world.\r\nThe bill supports $741 billion in fiscal year 2021 defense funding, and that's in line with the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019.\r\nIt implements the National Defense Strategy to promote a strong military deterrent and to strive for a lasting peace.\r\nWith the world distracted, China has become emboldened.\r\nThe Chinese military has stepped up its aggression against its neighbors and in the South China Sea.\r\nRussia also poses a growing threat.  China and Russia will not put their ambitions on hold for coronavirus or anything else.\r\nThey won't wait for us or for them to recover from the coronavirus crisis and resolve our domestic disputes.\r\nAmerica must keep China and Russia both in check.\r\nThe NDAA promotes a winning strategy.\r\nIt modernizes our nuclear defenses.\r\nIt maintains our high-tech edge over China and Russia.\r\nThe NDAA honors our commitment to our dedicated men and women in uniform.\r\nIt delivers a well-earned pay raise for our troops  as well as high-quality housing, health care, childcare services for military families at home as well as abroad.\r\nThe NDAA ensures our force is ready to fight and to win. That means to fight and to win today's wars as well as the wars of the future.\r\nIt provides state-of-the-art equipment and tools our troops need to defend America all around the world.\r\nThe NDAA will help spur innovation.\r\nIt invests in new technologies  artificial intelligence, hypersonic weapons, biotechnologies, cybersecurity.\r\nThe bill modernizes our Pentagon's financial management system.\r\nIt provides for greater accountability and transparency at the Defense Department. This works to protect taxpayer money.\r\nThe NDAA also includes innovative legislation that promotes a cleaner environment.\r\nNow, in saying that, I mean that my bipartisan bill with Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Tom Carper of Delaware, we have included as part of the NDAA.\r\nThe Environment and Public Works Committee approved legislation unanimously. It's called the USE IT Act, it's included in the NDAA. USE IT is short for Utilizing Significant Emissions with Innovative Technologies.\r\nThat's why I am saying that we're doing more to clean the environment.\r\nThe USE IT Act will help researchers find commercial uses for captured carbon dioxide emissions.\r\nIt supports the use of carbon capture technology including direct air capture.\r\nThis groundbreaking research is already happening in my home state of Wyoming.\r\nIt's taking place at the Integrated Test Center outside of Gillette.\r\nThe USE IT Act will further this important work. It will apply our nation's brightest minds to take carbon from the air, trap it and transform it into valuable commercial products.\r\nCaptured carbon can be used to extract oil from wells, wells that would not otherwise be profitable.\r\nIt is also used to make building materials and carbon fibers.\r\nIt can also be used for medical purposes. The goal of the legislation is to innovate our way to a cleaner environment without onerous over-regulation.\r\nI want to thank the Armed Services Chairman Jim Inhofe for bringing the USE IT Act one step closer to becoming law.\r\nFor the past four years, Congress has been able to pass the NDAA with strong top-line defense funding.\r\nThe Bipartisan Budget Act sets overall defense funding levels for fiscal year 2021.\r\nLonger-term funding is necessary, but it's uncertain. Democrats have opposed stronger defense funding in the past  especially during the Obama-Biden administration.\r\nThis history suggests that if Democrats win the election, they will slow our nation's critical defense investments.\r\nThe NDAA strengthens America's hand to stand up to foreign aggressorsto stand up against those people who are against American values.\r\nOur NDAA will protect American leadership in the world. It will enhance our standing with adversaries and allies alike.\r\nAbove all, it sends a clear message to our enemies: You cannot defeat the United States  so don't even try.\r\nEvery senator should support this smart, strong, strategic approach to America's defense.\r\nLet's honor this proud tradition.\r\nLet's support our troops.\r\nLet us once again pass the NDAAthis for the 60th time.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=5E0D4A56-659A-413E-8D22-18C22AAB45C9"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1655641719698906, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}