{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-opens-national-defense-bill-conference", "Wicker Opens National Defense Bill Conference", "2023-11-29", "2023", "2023-11", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Roger F. Wicker", "W000437", "www.wicker.senate.gov", "wicker", "https://www.wicker.senate.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013 U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today delivered opening remarks at the \u201cPass the Gavel\u201d ceremony to formally begin conference proceedings on the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).\n\nIn his opening remarks, Wicker highlighted several of his priorities for the annual defense bill, which include procuring new platforms and munitions for service members, deterring adversaries, and refocusing the Department of Defense on its primary mission of warfighting.\n\n\u201cOur weaponry is not where it should be. Our ships and airplanes \u2013 and particularly our submarines \u2013 are not where they ought to be,\u201d Wicker said. \u201cWe are also concerned about the wokeness that seems to pervade the Department of Defense and military at this time, taking effort and attention away from most of what we need to be doing.\u201d\n\nRead Senator Wicker\u2019s remarks as delivered in full below.\n\nThank you, Chairman Rogers, and thank you all. I agree with much of what has been said by my three teammates in this process already.\n\nMy Chairman, Chairman Reed, mentioned China, Russia, Iran \u2013 I would also mention North Korea \u2013 these adversaries of the United States are in it together.\n\nIt\u2019s not just supposition on anyone\u2019s part. The teamwork that they have been engaged in is public and open. And the Ranking Member Mr. Smith is correct: they have in common that they wish us ill.\n\nI join with the distinguished House Chairman in saying that Republican members on this side are not at all satisfied with how this administration has carried out the national defense responsibilities of the federal government.\n\nOur weaponry is not where it should be. Our ships and airplanes \u2013 and particularly our submarines \u2013 are not where they ought to be.\n\nWe are also concerned about the wokeness that seems to pervade the Department of Defense and military at this time, taking effort and attention away from most of what we need to be doing.\n\nClearly, Representative Smith is correct that our main goal should be the personnel in uniform who step forward to protect and swear an oath to the Constitution, who in a time of volunteerism, put themselves in harm\u2019s way.\n\nSo, it\u2019s been a learning experience for me. I would point out that it has been a bipartisan process. Much negotiation took place.\n\nAnd here\u2019s where I would thank the staff on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Hill for the incredible amount of work and the late nights and long hours after members are able to adjourn and go home. Our hats are off to all the staff members.\n\nThe result is that we the passed the bill in the Senate Armed Services Committee by a vote of 24-1 after amendments were added in the Chairman\u2019s package. After 120 amendments were considered on the floor \u2013 most of them added \u2013 the NDAA passed the Senate by 86-11.\n\nSo, this has been a bipartisan effort, though clearly there have been differences we have had to accommodate. Chairman Rogers is correct: I am not at all satisfied about some of the things we had to agree to, and neither are our Democratic friends.\n\nThat said, I want to say a personal word of thanks to this negotiating team and say I look forward to hearing the discussion of others in the Senate and this House so that this NDAA can move to the full House and Senate and get it done before we leave here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"]], "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.wicker.senate.gov/2023/11/wicker-opens-national-defense-bill-conference"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.6765940710902214, "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"}