Mac Thornberry

Mr. THORNBERRY

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, I again want to express my admiration for the gentlewoman from New York and her advocacy for workers and businesses in her district. But I must oppose the amendment. The fundamental question before the House is: Are we going to inflict higher costs on the Department of Defense with a mandate that requires where the Department buys its forks and spoons and knives and plates and mugs? That is the question. If any of these suppliers provide the best price, that is where DOD is going to go buy them. So these amendments, both the last one and this one, only become relevant if the costs are higher and we are making DOD buy the higher-priced items anyway. Now, as I mentioned, there may be some justification for that when there is a vital national security concern. But when it comes to forks and plates, I don't think that exists. So the only way these amendments matter is if it forces DOD to pay more. And when it forces DOD to pay more for plates and bowls and forks and knives, then you are taking money away from bullets and fuel and guns and ships and the things that help keep America safe. Mr. Chairman, creating domestic jobs is not the primary mission of the Department of Defense. Our focus, the Department's focus and our focus in this bill when it comes to this Congress, is to protect the Nation and to support the men and women who risk their lives for us. We have got to give them everything they need to do their job. We should not do anything that would divert from that. So I, again, with all admiration for the gentlewoman from New York and the gentleman from West Virginia, I just say, if we are going to tell DOD where they have to buy their forks and knives and plates, where does it end? I have a manufacturer, I am sure, in my district that would love to supply the Department of Defense with something or another. We cannot go down this road. We must let the Department buy the best value. That is what I think all Members should support. Mr. Chair, I oppose the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chair, the men and women of NNSA are like the military: they are going to get the job done under whatever conditions are required. But this amendment affects their work environment, their health and safety, and whether we can attract and retain top-quality people. It is the people who would suffer under this; it is not the mission. I understand people are antinuclear, but it is the people who would suffer. As both gentlemen have said, we have a tremendous backlog. This just helps us catch up a little bit.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. THORNBERRY

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, the House is currently in the Committee of the Whole. Correct?

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I have been confused by the mace coming and going here.

Mr. THORNBERRY

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, pursuant to House Resolution 908, I offer amendments en bloc.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler).

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse) for the purpose of a colloquy.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for raising this issue. As the gentleman and I have discussed, there are significant hurdles to legislating land transfers of the Department of Defense. Among the issues that must be addressed are: What and where is the property in question? Who is the intended recipient? Are there multiple parties who are also interested in acquiring this property? Are there ongoing legal proceedings related to the property? Are there cleanup costs and liabilities associated with the property? Have the interested parties met with the Department of Defense, and if so, with whom? Does the Department support conveying the property, and do they have a continuing need for it? If supported, why can't the Department dispose of the property through its surplus/excess process? What are the proposed reuses of the property? Are there any earmark issues--no-cost conveyances to private entities or for economic development can be subject to points of order. Has CBO been consulted for any mandatory scoring implications? And, if outside committees have equities, have they been consulted for approval or concerns? I will be happy to continue working with the gentleman moving forward, but I would ask that he and any other Member looking at land transfers take these factors into account and give all relevant committees plenty of time and opportunity to vet their proposal.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Lance).

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik), who is the chair of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I have no further speakers on this en bloc package, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I also yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, pursuant to House Resolution 908, I offer amendments en bloc.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I have no speakers on this set of amendments en bloc. Mr. Chairman, I urge its adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. THORNBERRY

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that during further consideration of H.R. 5515 in the Committee of the Whole pursuant to House Resolution 908, the fourth set of amendments en bloc offered by myself pursuant to section 3 of House Resolution 905 be considered to have been adopted with the modification I have placed at the desk.

Mr. THORNBERRY

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. THORNBERRY

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Readiness.

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 H.R. 5515.

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to bring to the House floor H.R. 5515, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. This measure was reported favorably out of our committee by a vote of 60-1, and if signed into law, this would be the 58th consecutive year in which a National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law. I want to begin by thanking the members of the House Armed Services Committee, because each of them has contributed to the work product that we bring before the House today. I particularly want to express my appreciation to the ranking member, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith), for not only his cooperative approach to matters of national security, but for all of the input, all of the good humor, all of the partnership that he brings into making this truly a bipartisan bill which we bring before the House today. I also want to thank the staff of the committee on both sides of the aisle for incredible hours, incredible work, not only in the last few weeks, but throughout this process as we have conducted our hearings, our briefings, and traveled, done all sorts of work that contributed to this bill. Mr. Chairman, I also want to especially thank the legislative counsel. We have had hundreds of amendments considered in committee. We have had hundreds of amendments which have been drafted for floor consideration. That is a lot of work on a very few individuals who have had to make sure it was in the appropriate legislative language. I especially want to thank legislative counsel working with our staffs for getting this measure ready for floor consideration. Mr. Chairman, the best way to summarize this bill is that it takes the next steps: the next steps to rebuilding our military, the next steps to reforming the Pentagon, the next steps towards strengthening our country's national security. We are going to hear a lot more about the details in the moments and days to come. I just want to emphasize that no one bill can do everything that needs to be done on behalf of the men and women who serve our Nation, especially in repairing their equipment, in repairing their readiness, and in giving them the best equipment, support, and training our Nation can provide. No one bill can do all those things, but this bill takes important next steps building on what was done in the 2018 bill. Finally, Mr. Chairman, I just want to make this point: We live in a volatile and dangerous world. Our country has a number of tools at its disposal--diplomacy, economics and trade, soft power and influence, a variety of tools--but, in my view, the most important tool is our military strength. I believe our military strength enhances all of those other tools so that, when our military is strong, our diplomacy is more effective. When our military is strong, our economic tools and sanctions are more effective. When our military is strong, our soft power somehow becomes more persuasive. Just to take one example, there is a lot in the news these days, even today, about whether or not there will be some sort of a negotiated agreement with North Korea. I don't know how that will come out. What I do know is a strong military improves our negotiating position, and a strong military helps make sure we can defend this country if negotiations do not bear fruit. What we are trying to advance in this bill, along with the appropriations bill, which will come, is to put the United States in a stronger position, hopefully, to get a negotiated result with Iran, North Korea, a variety of other situations around the world, but, above all, to defend this country and to defend our way of life, to defend the American people by way of supporting the men and women who risk their lives for us. That, bottom line, is what this bill tries to do. It is what all of these thousands of pages and hundreds of amendments are designed to do. With the bipartisan support of this House, I believe it will be successful. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THORNBERRY

Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, May 21, 2018, I was unable to be in Washington and missed Roll Call votes No. 207, To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the disapproval of any course of education for purposes of the educational assistance programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs unless the educational institution providing the course permits individuals to attend or participate in courses pending payment by Department, and for other purposes; No. 208, To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a five-year extension to the homeless veterans reintegration programs and to provide clarification regarding eligibility for services under such programs; and No. 209, To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the executive director of a national network of State-based prescription monitoring programs under which Department of Veterans Affairs health care providers shall query such network, and for other purposes. Had I been present, I would have voted ``Yes'' on all three bills.