NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, as the Senate and House are currently
working on the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, it
is important--very important--that Congress pass this bill. We need a
very strong and capable military, and we need to hold the Pentagon
accountable for taxpayer dollars.
  For 240 years, the No. 1 responsibility of the Federal Government has
been national security. A nonnegotiable tenet of America's national
security is ``peace through strength.'' In preventing war, a strong
Department of War is also an instrument of peace.
  So, to achieve peace through strength, we must invest in our Nation's
defense and modernize military capabilities to be best prepared for any
threat. Our military ought to be strong enough to deter any aggressor.
We have learned from our history that preventing conflicts is less
costly and spares more lives.
  I support the $1.1 trillion authorization put forth by our Senate
Armed Services Committee. The fiscal year 2027 Defense bill supports
our servicemembers, boosts our national industrial defense base and
allows for historic investment in our national security.
  This legislation also includes important provisions that I back to
hold defense contractors accountable. This includes a requirement that
contractors provide notification when the price of a product or service
increases beyond a predetermined threshold.
  While our investments in defense increase, ensuring accountability
and fiscal responsibility is very paramount. Companies that work for
the government should not be ripping the taxpayers off.
  I am also pleased that a provision I worked on is included in the
bill that reinforces the notion that Russia's aggression toward Ukraine
is unacceptable. This provision prohibits funds being used to recognize
Russia's control over any Ukrainian territory that has been forcibly
seized by Russia.
  I have offered several amendments to this Defense bill to combat
crime and support law enforcement, strengthen security provisions and
cooperation in the Baltics, and condemn very strongly Russia's
abduction of Ukrainian children, which has been in the amounts of tens
of thousands of children.
  If the Defense bill is passed this year, it will be the 66th
consecutive year that Congress has passed this important annual Defense
legislation. So I look forward to working with my colleagues in the
Senate to pass a Defense bill that strengthens our national security
and best supports our military readiness.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant executive clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                     SWEARING IN OF DARLINE GRAHAM

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, before I begin my remarks this morning, I
want to offer a word of welcome to the new Senator from South Carolina.
  Later today, we will swear in Darline Graham to fill the seat of her
brother and our friend Lindsey Graham. I know Darline will carry on
Lindsey's tireless service for South Carolina, and I look forward to
serving with her.

                   NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, like many of us, I represent a State with a
rich heritage of military service, and South Dakota continues to punch
above its weight in our Armed Forces.
  Our National Guard is frequently called up for critical deployments
at home and around the world, and Ellsworth Air Force Base is a key
asset to our national defense. In fact, today Ellsworth is the largest
construction site in the Air Force as it prepares to host the first B-
21 bombers next year.
  During the recent State work period, I was glad to welcome Air Force
Secretary Troy Meink--a South Dakota native--to Ellsworth. We met with
the base leadership and some of the airmen stationed there, and we saw
the progress the base is making as it prepares for its important new
mission.
  Whether responding to a natural disaster at home or fighting our
enemies abroad, the men and women in America's Armed Forces stand ready
to answer the call.
  They are our most important national security asset, and we have an
obligation here in Congress to ensure that they have everything they
need for whatever the mission may be. I know Senators on both sides of
the aisle take that obligation seriously, and we must.
  As I have said so often before, if you don't get national security
right, the rest is just conversation.
  If we don't make national security a priority here, we run the risk
that Americans serving in uniform won't have what they need when they
need it.
  That is why the National Defense Authorization Act is one of the most
important bills that we do each year. It is the bill that helps ensure
our military is ready today and prepared for tomorrow, and I am proud
that our colleagues on the Armed Services Committee--with the
leadership of Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Reed--have reported
out a strong National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2027.
  For the 66th year in a row, the Armed Services Committee has produced
a bipartisan NDAA. And later today, we are going to have a vote to
proceed to this important bill.
  We have had regular reminders over the last few years that we live in
a dangerous world, that America still has enemies--enemies that want to
attack us, our allies, and our interests. We have seen too how quickly
warfare evolves in this day and age.
  This year's NDAA will not only help ensure that America can keep pace
with those challenges but also that we can outpace our adversaries.
  It puts a heavy emphasis on unmanned systems, especially drones and
counterdrone measures. It also continues shipbuilding efforts to
strengthen our naval fleet.
  As for our airpower, this year's bill will help ensure we maintain a
force of at least 1,800 fighters and supports the new B-21 long-range
strategic bomber.
  There is a lot I could talk about in this bill--from investing in our
nuclear deterrent to supporting munitions production--but I will
mention just two more important aspects of this year's bill.
  First, it builds on efforts in last year's NDAA to reform defense
acquisition. That includes allowing multiyear procurement contracts
that allow the Pentagon to do business more efficiently with greater
predictability and savings for taxpayers.
  I need to mention what this bill does for the men and women serving
our country and their families who serve alongside them. This year's
NDAA supports a 3.6 percent pay raise for our troops, and it invests in
a number of quality-of-life improvements for them and their families:
investments in education, housing, healthcare, and childcare.
  Our colleagues on the Armed Services Committee have put forward a
strong bill--a strong bill for our national security and for the men
and women who defend our Nation. It is my hope that we will be able to
pass this bill out of the Senate soon and begin the process of working
with our counterparts in the House and with the White House on a final
bill.
  Republicans are ready to go. The question is: How will Democrats vote
today? Are there enough Democrat Senators who support moving forward
with a bipartisan--bipartisan--defense bill?
  I see no reason that there shouldn't be. But then again, Democrats
have allowed the politics of obstruction to determine so many of their
actions for the last year and a half.
  I certainly hope that Democrats won't now put politics ahead of
support for our men and women in uniform, but that is up to them.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant executive clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection it is so ordered.