Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Chairman Gregory Meeks, Congresswoman Jackie Speier and Congressman Donald Norcross held a bill enrollment ceremony for H.R. 7776, the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. Below are the Speaker’s remarks:
Speaker Pelosi. Good afternoon. Today, the Congress sends to the President a strong bipartisan, bicameral National Defense Authorization bill.
Let us salute all those who worked so tirelessly to assemble this vital legislation, larger than most of the bills that we sign. Chairman Adam Smith, the Chair of the Armed Services Committee. Ranking Member Mike Rogers, who worked very cooperatively, in a bipartisan way, to get this done. The entire Armed Services Committee, some of whom are with us today: Chairs of subcommittees, Jackie Speier of California, Donald Norcross of New Jersey. And the entire Armed Services Committee, as I mentioned. Thanks to the leadership of Chairman Gregory Meeks, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Chairman Adam Schiff, the NDAA also authorizes vital funding for the State Department and Intelligence Community.
This legislative package fulfills our Constitutional obligation to protect and to provide for the common defense, to protect and defend our Constitution. The NDAA will ensure that Americans are safe and America is secure. Honoring our brave servicemen and women, investing in our technological advantages, and growing them, and bolstering our global leadership. It is a remarkable piece of legislation.
Inspired by President Zelenskyy’s moving words in the House Chamber, the Congress remains committed to defending liberty and Democracy, here and around the world. As I mentioned earlier, in December – earlier events today – in December of 1941, my father, Congressman Thomas D’Alesandro Jr., had the privilege of witnessing Winston Churchill’s historic address as a Member of Congress here. As Sir Winston told his allies that day, and I quote, ‘We are doing the noblest work in the world – not only defending our hearth and homes, but the cause of freedom in every land.’ This remains our sacred mission today. And with this year’s NDAA, we take another strong step to honor that charge.
Now, it’s with great pride that I sign the legislation, so that we can send it to the President.
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Now usually, we would hold up the bill.
[Laughter]
Who wrote this – understand that there are parchment paper for these bills.
We will just hold this part. It was really important that the bill that we will be hopefully passing later today and signing that soon. The omnibus bill will fund many of the provisions that are in this bill, so they go hand-in-hand. But this a remarkable bill. I congratulated not only Chairman Smith, but Ranking Member Rogers, for their brave work on this beautiful piece of legislation. And I thank my colleagues for making it so.
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And so much of what is in here addresses the needs of members – servicemembers’ families, whether it’s housing, health, the list goes on and on. So it measures strength not only in our procurement, but in our supporting our men and women in uniform in a very strong way, including a raise. Thank you.
Now Members, I would like you, if you wish – to get this going – if you want to take a photo, visually or whatever in front of the flag.
This is the flag that President Zelenskyy gave me last night, as a gift from the troops in the field. He had been with them and then came to see us, and they gave him this flag to give to the Congress to thank us and the American people and the President for what we had done. Many Members have asked to have a picture taken with it individually, so we invite them to come by this afternoon to do so. We already had it framed. We’re just looking for where it’s going to be heading next. But can you imagine? The soldiers signed it and gave it to him to bring to us.
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