Adam Smith

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney).

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mostly, I would like to associate myself with Mr. Thornberry's remarks. I think that was the perfect statement of why it is so important to vote for this bill and why every Member of this body should vote for this bill. It contains incredibly important provisions, and the excuses for not doing those provisions just don't hold up. As Mr. Thornberry points out, every year near the end of the process, because we are the only bill that actually makes it through the process, people who have been working on issues for a long time are desperate to get them taken care of. We respect that, we honor that, and we are the last vehicle to find. Many times we are able to help, but not always. That is not a reason to not do the bill because of all the other issues, as Mr. Thornberry laid out, that we have not addressed. Then, as people want to find reasons to oppose the bill, they start saying things that aren't terribly accurate. I think Mr. Gaetz wins the award for that one this year in his remark on Afghanistan. Our bill says that if the President wants to go below 2,000 troops in Afghanistan--he said he is going to go to 2,300. So this bill doesn't have anything to do with what President Trump said he is going to draw down in Afghanistan. If he wants to go below 2,000 or a future President wants to go below 2,000, then he has to file a report. It doesn't say that he can't do it. He has to file a report. I actually agree with Mr. Gaetz on where we need to go in Afghanistan. And I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, this bill does nothing to prohibit the next President, President Biden, from completely drawing down in Afghanistan. That is a policy debate he will have. So anyone who comes to the floor and says they are voting against this bill because of that is really not telling the truth. That is not what this bill does. I also want to mention the top line because that is a favorite argument on our side to not vote for the bill. I will let you in on a little secret: the defense policy bill does not control how much money we spend at the Pentagon. I know that sounds a little odd, but it doesn't. The budget process does that. And when we don't have a budget process because of how much things have broken down, which has happened frequently, then the Appropriations Committee decides how much we spend. What we do is we decide how that gets spent and the oversight of it. A few years ago, Mr. Courtney pushed us to do two submarines a year, a great provision that saved a lot of money. We can control that. But if you think the Pentagon should spend more than it is spending, or less, then your beef is on the appropriations side. We could take the tables out in terms of the amount of money that we have in this bill, and it wouldn't change the amount of money that is spent at the Pentagon. So, again, if you have a reason to vote against the bill, that is great. But the top line, Afghanistan, those are not valid reasons. This is an important piece of legislation that has been unduly complicated by the fact that, of all people, the President is one of the people this year who, near the end of the process, said: I want to fix that. He wanted to fix something about section 230 having to do with social media platforms, and he went looking for the only possible vehicle. Let me just say to people on that issue, that section is not going to be addressed in this bill. You can not address section 230 and pass a defense bill; or you can not address section 230 and not pass a defense bill. There is no choice here where you can do both, Mr. Speaker. So please make the right choice. Please recognize all of the incredibly important bicameral, bipartisan provisions that are contained in this bill. This is one thing in a very tumultuous time that we ought to be able to agree on. There are enough provisions and good policy in here for everyone in this body. Mr. Speaker, I want to close by thanking everyone in this body. We have worked together in this process. I am now finishing up my 2 years as chairman. My caucus, in their infinite wisdom, has given me another 2 years to do the job, but these first 2 years I really enjoyed the process. Members keep coming up to me and saying: You have a terrible job, it must be difficult, you have all these people making all these demands. I love what I do. I am in a position with all the other team here to help people. We don't always succeed and we don't always get it done, but we have a chance. Every Member of the House and Senate, I think, have worked together, and we have produced an outstanding product. Let us reward ourselves for our work. Let us take care of the troops, as we are supposed to do, and pass this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities, and I thank him for his leadership.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker of the House.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 6395) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and request a conference with the Senate thereon.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 12 of rule XXII, I move that meetings of the conference between the House and Senate on H.R. 6395 may be closed to the public at such times as classified national security information may be discussed, provided that any sitting Member of Congress shall be entitled to attend any meeting of the conference.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor and recognize Cal Fung for his courageous service to our country during World War II. Cal Fung is a Chinese-American veteran who bravely accepted the call to protect and serve his nation. During World War II, Fung was a staff sergeant and general clerk. He served in five European battles and campaigns. Fung is a recipient of the World War II Victory Medal and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. He was also awarded the Good Conduct Medal. For far too long, our veterans of color, including Chinese-American veterans, did not receive the proper recognition they deserved for their service. Although we will never be able to thank him enough for his service to our nation, we remain grateful to Cal and the many veterans who have so selflessly answered the call to service. Madam Speaker, it is with great admiration that I honor Cal Fung and all Chinese-American veterans for their distinguished service to our country during World War II.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor and recognize William Chin for his courageous service to our country during World War II. William Chin is a Chinese-American veteran who bravely accepted the call to protect and serve his country. He joined the U.S. Army in December of 1943 and served in the 93rd Cavalry Reconnaissance squadron in the European theater. In recognition of Chin's service, he received the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. For far too long, our veterans of color, including Chinese-American veterans, did not receive the proper recognition they deserved for their service. Although we will never be able to thank him enough for his service to our nation, we remain grateful to Bill and the many veterans who have so selflessly answered the call to service. Madam Speaker, it is with great admiration that I honor William Chin and all Chinese-American veterans for their distinguished service to our country during World War II.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor and recognize Lip Mar for his courageous service to our country during World War II. Lip Mar is a Chinese-American veteran who bravely accepted the call to protect and serve his nation. Soon after his eighteenth birthday, Mar joined the military and served as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital, where he treated American soldiers fighting in the Pacific theater. For far too long, our veterans of color, including Chinese-American veterans, did not receive the proper recognition they deserved for their service. Although we will never be able to thank him enough for his service to our nation, we remain grateful to Lip and the many veterans who have so selflessly answered the call to service. Madam Speaker, it is with great admiration that I honor Lip Mar and all Chinese-American veterans for their distinguished service to our country during World War II.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor and recognize Thomas Lew for his courageous service to our country during World War II. Thomas Lew is a Chinese-American veteran who bravely accepted the call to serve and protect our nation. Lew served valiantly as an expert sharpshooter in the U.S. Army's amphibious tank unit from 1943 to 1946. He achieved the rank of sergeant and completed his foreign service in Luzon, Philippines. For far too long, our veterans of color, including Chinese-American veterans, did not receive the proper recognition they deserved. Although we will never be able to thank him enough for his service to our nation, we remain grateful to Thomas and the many veterans who have so selflessly answered the call to service. Madam Speaker, it is with great admiration that I honor Thomas Lew and all Chinese-American veterans for their distinguished service to our country during World War II.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Lem Howell on receiving the Charles A. Goldmark Distinguished Service Award. This award is presented to an individual or organization that has advanced the cause of equal justice. Lem graduated from Lafayette College, with honors, in 1958 and then received his law degree from New York University in 1964. He went on to practice law in the state of Washington. Lem is a true champion of justice and never stopped fighting for what was right. He won landmark cases that significantly advanced civil rights in the state of Washington, including ensuring equality of opportunity for people of color in education and employment. Throughout his truly legendary career he became one of the country's most prestigious civil rights lawyers and made a name as one of the best trial lawyers of his generation. He is also a co-founder of the Loren Miller Bar Association, a civil rights organization dedicated to fighting against discrimination and racism. Lem was a giant among men in the courtroom; his courage and devotion were unparalleled; and I am grateful for his work in advancing civil rights in Washington. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege and honor to congratulate Lem Howell on this well-deserved award and recognize his remarkable career.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to rise to congratulate Joyce E. Wipf, M.D. on receiving the 2020 Worthen Career Achievement Award, which recognizes her as an outstanding health professions trainee education champion whose lifetime contributions have profoundly advanced and impacted the educational mission of the Veterans Health Administration. Dr. Wipf is a first-generation college graduate who always wanted to be a teacher. She found ways to integrate her passion for teaching with her career in medicine. While completing her medical residency she began developing the Resident to Teacher curriculum to help second-year residents become better educators. Now, nearly 30 years later, Resident to Teacher programs continue to help residents in hospitals across the country. Dr. Wipf also led the effort to establish VA Puget Sound's Center of Excellence in Primary Care with the University of Washington School of Medicine and School of Nursing. The Center of Excellence takes an interdisciplinary approach to improving health care services for Veterans by creating a collaborative program that includes a range of fields and experience from internal medicine to social work and interns to fellows. Veterans who receive their medical care from the VA Puget Sound Health Care System are very lucky to have someone who has dedicated their career to improving health care services for our nation's veterans, while simultaneously preparing the next generation of health professionals. It is truly remarkable that Dr. Wipf has combined her passion for teaching and medicine so effectively. Madam Speaker, I congratulate Dr. Joyce Wipf on receiving the 2020 Worthen Career Achievement Award and thank her for improving health care for all Veterans.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to rise to congratulate Beth Ripley, M.D., Ph.D. on being the recipient of the 2020 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal in the Science and Environment category. Dr. Beth Ripley is an assistant professor of radiology at the University of Washington and the Director of the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) 3D Printing Network in Puget Sound. She saw potential in this emerging technology back in 2017, and through her innovative techniques, she has revolutionized health care at the VHA. Dr. Ripley prints 3D models of parts of people's bodies from kidneys to hip joints to hearts. These 3D models allow doctors to provide veterans with the best possible health care and have resulted in more efficient and effective surgeries by saving valuable time and minimizing the potential for mistakes. Doctors can also show models to their patients to give them a better understanding of the procedure they're going to undergo. In some cases, these models have even shown surgery wouldn't be the best course of action. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic Dr. Ripley made the impossible possible and began printing personal protective equipment for staff and veterans. She has even started 3D printing parts needed for life-saving ventilators. Dr. Ripley truly embodies what it means to be a civil servant and the Puget Sound VHA is incredibly lucky to have somebody with the passion and innovation she does. Madam Speaker, it is an honor to congratulate Dr. Beth Ripley on receiving this well-deserved award and I thank her for dedicating her career to improving health care for our veterans.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I along with Representative Thornberry, rise to recognize the United States aerospace industry. For more than 100 years, the American aerospace industry has moved, connected, secured, and inspired the modern world with countless technologies that play a role in our daily lives. The industry has made a tremendous impact, strengthening both America's economy and national security. The aerospace and defense industry's economic presence is felt in all 50 states, representing 1.8 percent of total U.S. Gross Domestic Product in 2019. And it's one of our country's best employers, supporting more than 2 million world-class workers in 2019 and providing them wages and benefits that are more than 40 percent higher than the national average. It also supports the U.S. National Defense Strategy by providing our military with the most advanced and effective platforms and systems in the world. In keeping with industry's strong commitment to our country and its citizens, our nation's aerospace companies have answered the call to help assist with the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Aerospace companies have used their unique skills and expertise to produce face shields, design and build portable ventilators, and deliver essential supplies to the front lines in effort to ensure our nation overcomes these unprecedented challenges. While the history of the aerospace industry is filled with contributions to the technological advancement of humankind, from the development of flight to putting the first person on the moon, the future is just as bright. The industry is inspiring young Americans from diverse backgrounds to study and pursue science, technology, engineering, and math, so they can help drive future innovations. Through groundbreaking technologies like urban air mobility and planning the next great space mission to Mars, the aerospace industry is working today to build a better, safer, and more successful tomorrow.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to rise to recognize Dale Bright on his many years of service as a laborer and then as the Political Director of Laborers Local Union 242 and congratulate him on his retirement. My staff and I were lucky to have the privilege of working with Dale on labor rights for several years. Dale has always been a champion of workers' rights and through his advocacy he has been able to improve the lives of countless workers in Washington. Dale has fought relentlessly to ensure everyone has access to a fair and equal workplace including living wages, good benefits, and more. He was instrumental in implementing Community Workforce Agreements and apprenticeship utilization throughout the region. This work has had a profound impact on historically marginalized communities. These programs have proved to be incredibly successful and helped many people start union careers. Dale continually demonstrated time and again that he is a community builder and passionate leader. Dale encouraged and helped facilitate civic engagement and voter registration among members of the Laborers Local Union 242. His leadership, knowledge, and personal efforts greatly contributed to one of the strongest labor unions in the country. The thoughtfulness, work ethic, and enthusiasm Dale brought to the Laborers as Political Director will be deeply missed by all. Madam Speaker, I thank Dale Bright for his dedicated service to the Laborers 242 where he never stopped working to advance the rights of workers, and I wish him a happy retirement.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to rise to honor Dr. Bruce Amundson on the incredible work he has done while serving on the Board of the Washington Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility (WPSR) and congratulate him on his retirement. Dr. Amundson was a member of the chapter for 40 years and served as president in 2014. As president he brought a much-needed resurgence of energy to the chapter. Through tireless effort and countless hours working with staff, contacting members, recruiting partners, and securing financial support, Bruce succeeded in bringing the chapter back to life, with a revitalized purpose for the health-based advocacy community. Under Bruce's leadership he grew the chapter to nearly 1,000 members, making it one of the most productive and successful in the country. Bruce was vital in bringing a voice to the most critical public health issues of our time including nuclear proliferation, climate change, and more. Bruce was integral in helping establish the largest anti-nuclear coalition of its kind in the country, the Washington Against Nuclear Weapons Coalition. His dedication to community health advocacy was unmatched and his expertise, passion, and efforts will be deeply missed by the entire community. The state of Washington is lucky to have had such a thoughtful voice working for the greater good. Madam Speaker, I thank Dr. Amundson for his dedicated service to the Washington Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility where he never stopped working to bring the most pressing public health issues of our time to light, and I wish him a happy retirement.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mercy Housing Northwest's Gardner House in Seattle, Washington for receiving the 2020 Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award from the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition. The Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Award recognizes excellence in the affordable housing industry and projects that have demonstrated the most impactful use of the Low- Income Housing Tax Credit. The Gardner House provides 95 new affordable homes and quality services for families, formerly homeless individuals, and people with disabilities in the Mount Baker neighborhood. It was developed with the use of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, which is an enormously important tool to increase the development of affordable housing for families in Washington state and across the country. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten our economy, jobs, and our constituents' ability to afford rent. Projects such as the Gardner House help to ease the burden of rent and provide critical services when it is needed most. It provides resources for residents and people in the community at risk for homelessness and much-needed family-sized housing and services near transit and schools. This includes educational services for children, out-of-school activities, and community development. In addition, two units are designed to be licensed in-home childcare units to provide affordable, convenient childcare for residents. The Gardner House is a great example of the use of public and private funding to benefit the community and increase the desperately needed supply of affordable housing. I applaud Mercy Housing Northwest, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation, the City of Seattle, and everyone that made the development of Gardner House in Seattle possible and congratulate them on this much-deserved award.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor and recognize Eugene ``Gene'' Moy for his courageous service to our country during World War II and celebrate him being awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Gene Moy is a Chinese American veteran who accepted the call to serve his country without hesitation. Gene served in the Pacific on New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, and the Philippines. However, like so many minorities, Chinese American veterans did not receive the recognition they deserved for their service. Gene, who the Chinese American Citizens Alliance said is the oldest living Chinese American World War II veteran, recently turned 103 years old and was finally awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, an honor he should have received long ago. He had planned on traveling to Washington DC to attend a ceremony to receive his medal. Unfortunately, the global health crisis has caused the ceremony to be postponed. Madam Speaker, it is with great admiration and gratitude that I recognize Gene Moy on being awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and honor all Chinese American veterans for their distinguished service to our country during World War II.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Kent Christensen, who retired at the end of July after 34 years of exceptional service to the Congress at the Congressional Budget Office. Kent began his Congressional career in CBO's Budget Analysis Division in 1986 where he worked as a principal analyst in the Defense, International Affairs, and Veterans' Affairs Cost Estimates Unit. During his time at CBO, Kent was recognized as an exceptionally thoughtful and knowledgeable analyst. As one of the longest tenured members of CBO's Budget Analysis Division, he accrued extensive knowledge of the programs and accounts in his portfolio and a broad understanding of many other federal programs and the federal budget process in general. Kent was a valued colleague, passing along his knowledge to new and experienced analysts alike and encouraging a supportive environment where analysts respect each other and work well together. Kent has also earned the respect of his counterparts on the staffs of the Armed Services, Budget, and Appropriations committees thanks to his thoroughness, meticulous attention to detail, and incredible memory. He worked closely with the staff of the Armed Services Committees for more than three decades, particularly on annual proposals of the National Defense Authorization Act. His acumen when estimating the budgetary effects of and providing technical feedback on legislative proposals has helped ensure enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act each year. With his departure, the Congressional Budget Office loses a great asset. Over the past 34 years, CBO--and by extension, the Congress itself--has been fortunate to enjoy the dedication and insight that Kent has brought to his work. I know my colleagues join me in extending our thanks and appreciation to Kent for his service to our nation and our very best wishes for a happy and productive retirement. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to congratulate Kent Christensen on his well-earned retirement from the Congressional Budget Office and recognize his outstanding work on the National Defense Authorization Act.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, on behalf of myself and Mr. Thornberry, as the chair and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, it is our honor to pay tribute to an accomplished leader and senior executive of the Department of Defense, Mr. Robert R. Hood. Mr. Hood has served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs from August 2017 to July 2020. As he prepares to leave this position, we commend him for his outstanding leadership, advice and sound professional judgement on numerous critical issues of enduring importance to the Department of Defense, Congress, and this Nation. Robert Hood has served our Nation for more than 18 years serving in various capacities within the Federal Government. His service to our nation includes roles as a Professional Staff Member for the House Committee on Science, Senior Legislative Assistant, Senior Policy Advisor, and Assistant to the Speaker of the House of Representatives for Policy. Mr. Hood also served five years as the Director of Congressional Affairs for the National Nuclear Security Administration, a semi-autonomous agency within the Department of Energy. Mr. Hood previously served in the White House as a Special Assistant to President George W. Bush in the Office of Legislative Affairs, overseeing coordination with the Senate, including the Armed Services, Homeland Security, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence Committees. Before working on the White House staff, Mr. Hood served at the Pentagon as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs where he was responsible for promoting the policies, strategies, and budget of the Department of Defense to the United States Congress. Mr. Hood also served as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) for Budget and Appropriations Affairs, working closely with the Appropriations Committees of the Congress. For the past three years as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, Mr. Hood deftly managed and guided the Department's congressional relations, ensuring the preparation of key senior leaders for Senate confirmations, Congressional hearings and briefings, while simultaneously developing and leading a highly skilled and focused legislative affairs team. His leadership, knowledge, and personal efforts greatly contributed to one of the most successful legislative years in DoD history, culminating with the establishment of the U.S. Space Force, signed into law on December 20, 2019 as part of the FY 2020 NDAA. Mr. Hood provided significant contributions and leadership during the development and execution of the Secretary of Defense (SD)'s Congressional Engagement Strategy, ensuring an integrated legislative program directly aligned with the National Defense Strategy. This comprehensive plan supported the department's priorities, aligned tangible legislative objectives to the congressional calendar, and guided the execution of over 4,000 congressional engagements within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and oversight and alignment of over 10,000 congressional engagements across the Department during his three-year tenure. The strategic execution of these engagements directly led to the attainment of DoD legislative priorities in the Fiscal Years 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 National Defense Authorization and Appropriations Acts (NDAAs). On behalf of the House, we thank Robert R. Hood, his wife Jennifer, and children Evan, Caroline, Megan, Emma for their contributions and dedication to this great Nation. We join our colleagues in wishing him future success as he leaves the Department of Defense.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Clerk be authorized to make technical corrections in the engrossment of H.R. 6395, including corrections in spelling, punctuation, section and title numbering, cross-referencing, conforming amendments to the table of contents and short titles, and the insertion of appropriate headings.

Mr. SMITH of Washington

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of my point of order.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, legislatively, this is a terrible idea, to introduce a 13-page sanctions bill at the last possible second and expect us to vote on it without knowing the true impacts of it. I absolutely agree that we should have tools to hold the Chinese, the Russians, anyone accountable who does any of the things that the gentleman said. Within current law, there are a ton of tools to do precisely that. Putting in law brand-new sanctions legislation without thinking about it is a bad idea. And if this was so crucial and so important, why are we seeing it just at this last second? There was somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,000 ideas submitted to be added to the defense bill all along the process. We would have had time to work on it and think about it and actually craft a decent piece of legislation. This clearly does not have that objective in mind or they would have introduced it a long time ago. This is a bad way to make law. Mr. Speaker, I urge us to vote ``no'' and not to jeopardize all the incredible work that Members on both sides of the aisle did in this bill. There are a ton of Members, Republicans and Democrats alike; those 2,000 provisions are roughly equal between Republicans and Democrats. We have an incredibly bipartisan piece of legislation before us in which individual Members decided something is important, worked the issue, and got us a product that we could support. Mr. Speaker, this puts us in the very risky position of passing really bad legislation at the last second for no good reason, and I would urge Members to vote ``no.'' Now, let me be clear. We absolutely need to hold accountable Russia, China, whoever wants to interfere with our process of developing a vaccine or cyber hack us in any other way, and there are an enormous number of tools to do so. I do want to point out and just simply make an urgent plea. One of the gentleman's arguments was that China hid the true risk of the virus from the American people, and, yes, that is terrible that China did that. It is not actually their job to warn the American people. It is the President's job to warn the American people. And talk about someone who has done a horrible job of warning us of the true dangers of the virus. It was just, I think, last week, maybe a week and a half ago, when the President said 99 percent of the cases will be completely harmless. That is wrong. The President said again, just a couple days ago, it is just going to magically disappear. He cannot even bring himself to tell us to wear a mask. Some people don't like mandates. Okay. That is fine. Let's have the leader of our country tell us what we ought to do to protect ourselves. He is the one who is not warning the American people of the true danger of this virus, because, sadly, we would kind of listen to him. We are not going to listen to the Chinese. We don't trust them, for all the reasons they said. So, Mr. Speaker, I would implore Members on the other side of the aisle, ask our President to do what they are now asking the Chinese to do. The least that he ought to do for the American people is to warn us of the danger we face. This is incredibly frustrating. I want my kids back in school. I want my constituents back to work. If we took the virus seriously, if we did the work necessary to contain it, we could do it. The President wants to stand up and say: Meh. It is not a problem. Nothing to worry about it. It is all good. We are paying an enormous price for that. So, yes, let's hold Russia and China accountable. Let's also hold our President and the executive branch accountable for the spectacular failure in leadership that we are living and, yes, dying with today in this country. Let's also oppose this motion to recommit as bad legislation that isn't going to make any difference whatsoever, and let's pass the defense bill. This is an excellent piece of legislation, a bipartisan piece of legislation that we have all worked on and produced an excellent product. Mr. Speaker, I ask Members to please vote ``yes.'' Please pass this bill, keep the legislative process going forward. And don't forget, what we are doing here is providing for the national security, providing for the Department of Defense, providing for the men and women whom we are asking to put their lives on the line for the defense of this country, giving them the support they need and they deserve. Mr. Speaker, I ask Members to vote down the motion to recommit and vote for the national defense authorization act. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.