Chairman Wicker Issues Statement on the NDAA

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today issued the following statement:

"Senator Schumer has chosen to block a bipartisan NDAA from advancing on the Senate floor. He has delayed a bill that prioritizes our military service members and ensures they are better prepared for the challenges ahead. The NDAA would have included another 86 amendments, split evenly between Republicans and Democrats. These amendments included bipartisan packages on crime and drugs, bipartisan provisions to ensure America stays ahead of China on chips and artificial intelligence, and bipartisan oversight measures for the State Department and intelligence community.

It is difficult to understand this action given that the objections to beginning debate on the bill center on what is not in the bill. We have voted dozens of times on military action in Iran, both on the Senate floor and in our committee. Rather than requesting specific votes on Iran on the NDAA, Democrats simply voted against starting the process altogether. Similarly, the committee has already voted on the defense budget topline. This bill is not the proper vehicle to settle disagreements over the adequate balance between defense and domestic spending.

I hope Senator Schumer will reconsider and allow the NDAA to come to the floor so that we can debate these topics and advance legislation containing over 1,100 individual ideas from every senator in this chamber."

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