Mac Thornberry

Mr. THORNBERRY

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THORNBERRY. I continue to reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire of the Chair whether the gentleman from Washington, the chairman, has any further speakers other than himself.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, it seems to me that the current House leadership seems rather consumed by Presidential tweets. As a matter of fact, just a few moments ago, the Speaker of the House, herself, was one of those Members who had to be reminded that it is a violation of the rules of the House to disparage the character of the President. I guess we could do this every day. The President could tweet, and we would have a sense of Congress to comment on it, and the President would tweet. But generally, Mr. Speaker, I think there is a higher and better purpose for this House to work on the problems that confront the American people. As I mentioned a few moments ago, this is a messaging bill. It changes no law. It changes no policy. It could also be done down in the House radio-television correspondents' gallery. Somebody could give a speech, and there could be a press conference. It would have the same effect as having this resolution on the floor. I don't have the time to correct all of the misstatements in the resolution or that have been made on the floor today. I will say this, Mr. Speaker: If we are going to do messaging, then my primary message is that every individual who serves our Nation in the military is entitled to respect and our appreciation--every single individual--and I am among those who are very impressed, by the way, by the transgender individuals who testified in front of our Military Personnel Subcommittee just a few weeks ago. But on the substance of this issue, I believe the principle for the Department of Defense is that any eligible individual who can meet the high standards for military service without special accommodation should be permitted to serve. Any eligible individual who can meet the standard without special accommodation should be permitted to serve. I think that is the standard. That is not exactly what we have been talking about today, but that is the standard, and it should be the standard. There may be some differences about what a special accommodation is, about various medical diagnoses and conditions. I understand that. But the standard is, if you meet the standard without special accommodation you should be permitted to serve. And those who serve deserve our respect and our appreciation. That is the point. But that is not really the point of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THORNBERRY

Mr. THORNBERRY. Madam Chair, I appreciate the gentleman for yielding. Madam Chair, this resolution is misguided, and let me take a few moments to illustrate some of the reasons. Number 1, as the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. McCaul, has described, this is a misuse of the War Powers Resolution. It conflates two different sections. It has definitional problems. I am not going to repeat all the arguments he has used. My point is that, if we use that powerful law, it should be clear, direct, and applicable. To misuse it in this way actually weakens the authority of Congress, the exact opposite of what the chairman of the committee was talking about. Secondly, the message coming from this resolution is, Iran, you can do whatever you want to. Now, it is clear we do not have troops in the fight against the Houthis. We do, however, want other countries to join in trying to constrain Iran's aggression in various parts of the world. But with this resolution, we are saying, Okay, you are on your own. We are not going to assist you in any way. And that message reverberates throughout the Middle East. It will have lasting consequences. Third, if anything, this resolution will make our military more cautious when targeting ISIS and al-Qaida. Now there is a section in here that says, Well, it doesn't really apply when you are going against terrorists. But Yemen is a messy place. You have individuals commingled in the same location. Sometimes the same individual can have multiple loyalties. Our military will be overly cautious in interpreting this resolution. They will be less likely to target ISIS and al-Qaida. Mr. Chairman, don't forget. It wasn't very long ago the most serious threats coming to our homeland, to Americans emanated from Yemen. This adds danger to the world. Fourth, I think this resolution makes a humanitarian situation worse. As long as rockets are fired from Yemen into Riyadh, there will be a military response. Now, the U.S. has been assisting the Saudis in targeting, so that it is narrower; so that they are only targeting military targets and minimizing civilian casualties. And yet, this resolution says, No, you can't offer that sort of help. So what is the result? It is going to, unfortunately, be less specific targeting, and I am afraid that the humanitarian situation will only grow worse. Fifth, and finally, if this passes and signs into law, it will not help the people of Yemen one iota. There are lots of things we just heard from the author of the resolution, why he does not approve of some of the actions going on with Saudi Arabia. This does not help any of that. It is an attempt to make us feel better, that we have at least done something. And yet, the result is, we reduce our influence in the Middle East; we encourage and enhance the position of Iran; and we lead to a more dangerous world for us. That is quite an afternoon's work.

Mr. THORNBERRY

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, December 19, 2018, I was unable to be in Washington and missed roll call votes No. 436 ``Concurring in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1222--Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act of.'', No. 437 ``Concurring in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 6615--Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization Act of 2018.'', No. 438 ``To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the expansion of activities related to Alzheimer's disease, cognitive decline, and brain health under the Alzheimer's Disease and Healthy Aging Program, and for other purposes.'', No. 439 ``To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide grants to improve health care in rural areas.'', No. 440 ``To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a security vulnerability disclosure policy, to establish a bug bounty program for the Department of Homeland Security, to amend title 41, United States Code, to provide for Federal acquisition supply chain security, and for other purposes.'', No. 441 ``To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide for an integrated planning process, to promote green infrastructure, and for other purposes.'', No. 442 ``Concurring in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 6227--National Quantum Initiative Act.'', No. 443 ``To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain facilities, easements, and rights-of-way to the Kennewick Irrigation District, and for other purposes.'', No. 444 ``To expand recreational fishing opportunities through enhanced marine fishery conservation and management, and for other purposes.'', and No. 445 ``To reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act.''. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on all ten bills.

Mr. THORNBERRY

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, our nation is blessed with many hardworking professionals who work in the defense and intelligence communities, keeping our people safe and safeguarding American national security. Often they cannot talk about what they do, even among their family and close friends. And yet, some of the best and brightest in our country commit their lives to this dedicated service. One of those individuals has unfortunately been taken away from us too soon, but her passing enables the public to get a glimpse of the critical roles she has played as an outstanding leader in our intelligence community. Melissa Drisko most recently served as Deputy Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. The daughter of a U.S. Army Officer, she graduated from University of Virginia on an ROTC scholarship and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy in 1981. Her assignments in the Navy included watch officer, intelligence officer, Soviet submarine analyst, and aid to the Director of Naval Intelligence, where she met her beloved husband, Phil Kosmacki. She went on to work at the Department of State and as Flag Aide to the Director of Naval Intelligence. Following her Naval service, Melissa continued her distinguished career as a civilian with leadership positions in several agencies including Office of Naval Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence. For the past 14 years, Melissa served at the Defense Intelligence Agency, culminating in her position as Deputy Director. The Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant General Ashley called Ms. Drisko ``brilliant, determined, and among the finest intelligence officers of her generation.'' A quiet and visionary leader, she encouraged others to speak their mind, always with an eye to the greater good. Melissa was known for her intelligence, her inquisitive mind, and her integrity. Those closest to her also recognized her kindness, her quick sense of humor, and her way of being fully present in any given situation, qualities that were woven throughout her life. While she was serving the nation as a national security professional, the center of her life was her family, as a spouse to her husband, Phil, and as a mom to their children, Alison, Rachel, and Jackson. Like most of her colleagues in the Intelligence Community, Melissa served humbly and selflessly, directing accolades away from herself to those with whom she worked. She knew that she was part of a team, and she made that team better. The focus of that team and the professional calling of Melissa's life were to protect her fellow citizens and defend the United States of America. That is among the highest calling to which any of us can devote our lives. Melissa passed away on November 14 after a two-year battle with cancer, which she faced with characteristic strength and dignity. Day after day, year after year, Melissa Drisko served her country, setting a standard of excellence that made our country safer and stronger. May we all draw inspiration from this full, meaningful life well lived. And may we all use her passing to give thanks for the service of such an outstanding and dedicated professional.

Mr. THORNBERRY

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 1051 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115-232), I hereby appoint Dr. Eric Schmidt as the individual to serve as a member of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence.

Mr. THORNBERRY

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, September 5, 2018, I was unable to be on Capitol Hill and missed roll call votes No. 384, ``Democrat Motion to Recommit on H.R. 1635'' and No. 385, passage of H.R. 1635, ``Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act.'' Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on No. 384 and ``yes'' on No. 385.

Mr. THORNBERRY

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1027, I call up the conference report on the bill (H.R. 5515) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2019 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, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on the conference report to accompany H.R. 5515.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes. Mr. Speaker, first, I want to express my appreciation to the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, Mr. Smith, not only for his work on this conference, but also for his work throughout the process of bringing this bill to fruition. However strongly he and I may disagree on some particular issues, it is always clear that he seeks, first and foremost, to do the right thing for our military personnel and our country's national security, and I very much appreciate the opportunity to work with him. Second, I want to thank all the members of the conference committee and of the House Armed Services Committee. Each of them has contributed to this final product, although I suspect none of them is pleased with everything that is or is not in it. It is the result of a negotiation between House and Senate Members with a variety of interests. Taken as a whole, however, I think all Members who participated, whether in committee, in conference, or here on the floor, can be proud of the result. Third, I want to thank our staff, both committee staff and personal staff. They worked long and hard to get this done and get it done earlier than we have in many years. I especially want to thank the committee staff director Jen Stewart, as well Paul Arcangeli and my personal chief of staff, Josh Martin, for all of their work. Mr. Speaker, next, I want to express particular appreciation to a group of folks who often do not get publicly recognized in order to do this conference report and do it on the timeframe we have had available. Those working in legislative counsel have had to work extraordinarily hard, and I am grateful to each of them. Some of those in legislative counsel who have worked on this product include Hadley Ross, Sherry Chriss, Tony Sciascia, Noah Wofsy, Ken Cox, Brendan Gallagher, and Mat Eckstein. There are others who will be named shortly. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Rules Committee and that staff for helping us work through a procedural issue in the last couple of days. Mr. Speaker, this bill takes a major step forward in rebuilding our military, reforming the Pentagon, and better preparing this country to deal with the national security challenges that lay before us. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, this bill continues to make readiness a key focus, for if we send our men and women out on missions, then they deserve to have the best equipment, the best training, and the best support that this country can provide. It advances implementation of the new National Defense Strategy, so we can be better prepared against threats from peer or near-peer adversaries, such as Russia and China. In fact, there are many, many provisions in this bill, Mr. Speaker, directly related to countering the aggressive actions we have seen from each of those countries. One section of this conference report is the first update to our foreign investment laws in many years. I commend Chairman Hensarling, Chairman Royce, and, of course, Speaker Ryan for negotiating a strong CFIUS bill, which helps protect our Nation's security. This conference report also prohibits the Federal Government from buying products or services from Chinese telecommunications companies, such as ZTE and Huawei. And, importantly, it prohibits the Federal Government from doing business with any company that buys their products or services. A more complete summary of the provisions has been provided to all Members, but the top priority of this bill and of our committee remains the men and women who volunteer to serve our Nation in the military. This bill authorizes the largest pay increase in 9 years. It provides additional assistance for spouses seeking employment; it makes transition assistance more tailored to the individual; and it prohibits the closure of military healthcare facilities; all of that and more focused on our people, who are our most valuable asset. Mr. Speaker, speaking of patriotic Americans serving our country, one provision on which the House receded to the Senate was the title of the bill. We happily agreed to name this legislation after Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. We do so not just because of his current position but in recognition and in tribute to a lifetime of patriotic service to our Nation. Navy pilot, prisoner of war, Member of the House, Member of the Senate, Presidential nominee, whatever his job, whatever his role, John McCain has carried it out with passion and intensity and with a love for our country that knows no bounds. History will find Senator John McCain to be one of the giants of our time. While battling cancer at home in Arizona, he has helped guide this year's NDAA throughout the process. Now, that does not mean that he agrees with every one of the outcomes in this conference report. I know from firsthand experience that he can be a fierce advocate and a tough negotiator.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself an additional 1 minute. Mr. Speaker, Senator Inhofe has done a great job on Senator McCain's behalf, and this conference report bears Senator McCain's unmistakable stamp. He has, once again, made a strong, positive difference for the men and women in uniform and for the national security of the United States of America. We certainly wish him and his family the best in his current fight. We thank him, and we attempt to honor him and his outstanding record of service to our Nation with this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), who is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Readiness.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner), the distinguished chair of the Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers), the chair of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman), the chair of the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler), distinguished chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik), distinguished chair of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr), a distinguished subcommittee chair from the Committee on Financial Services.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Pittenger), a leader on CFIUS reform.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I inform the Chair that at this point I have no additional speakers other than myself to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.