releases: https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=682e0ab8-f55d-4e15-b750-874dabc1f4e1
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=682e0ab8-f55d-4e15-b750-874dabc1f4e1 | STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON PASSAGE OF THE FY 2014 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT | 2013-12-20 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Republican | House | AZ | John McCain | M000303 | www.mccain.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today released the following statement on the Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the Senate last night: “I am pleased that the Senate has finally passed the Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and urge President Obama to sign this important legislation into law as soon as possible. “As I remarked multiple times on the Senate floor, I have been deeply frustrated by Majority Leader Reid’s repeated delays in allowing the Senate to debate and pass the NDAA. The Armed Services Committee reported out the bill to the full Senate in June and the Senate could have taken up the bill at anytime thereafter. Our delay in acting on this bill is another indicator of the failed legislative process which has become the norm in Washington. The current fiscal year began three months ago, and the NDAA is but the first – and likely only – authorization bill that will be passed this year. That record alone demonstrates an abrogation of our Congressional responsibilities. Moreover, the Senate has failed to pass any new appropriations bills and is instead relying on a continuing appropriations resolution. This collective abrogation of responsibility has caused budgetary chaos in the rest of government, especially at the Department of Defense, and wasted untold billions of tax dollars. The disservice we, as a result, have visited on our men and women in uniform – and our taxpaying constituents – when we fail to authorize and appropriate in a timely way, is unacceptable and should serve as a source of shame and embarrassment. “Despite the flawed legislative process imposed by Leader Reid, which also limited our opportunity to publicly debate and amend this bill, Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin and Ranking Member Jim Inhofe should be congratulated for their diligence in constructing a strong bill and working so closely together to see it through. It contains many provisions that I particularly support, including those that: Strengthen sexual assault prevention programs, improve the military’s sexual assault response program and hold commanders and senior leaders accountable; Improve the handling of terrorist detainees and move toward finally closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Provide authorities for bonuses, special duty and incentive pay to service members; Provide security assistance funding authority to foreign nations – one of the most effective means of addressing the global terrorist threat; Provide authority to ensure adequate funding for the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons; Provide additional oversight for the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), Gerald R. Ford Class Aircraft Carrier, and dozens of major defense acquisition programs. Specifically, the bill prohibits funding for the next multi-ship buy of LCS until the Navy and the Department of Defense deliver to Congress certain reports and certifications, including that the ships will meet the requirements of combatant commanders; Provide for the transfer of 22 military aircraft to the Forest Service for battling major wildfires. “The failure to have an appropriate process by which Congress could fully debate and amend this vital legislation was a debacle that should not be repeated next year. I encourage Leader Reid to work with members of both parties next year to give this legislation the time and attention it deserves, so that Congress can meet our most basic responsibilities to our men and women in uniform.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |