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Floor Speech

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Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, we are living in a time of growing global unrest. China is accelerating its military buildup in the Indo- Pacific. While I remain hopeful that President Trump can help broker peace between Presidents Putin and Zelenskyy, Russia's brutal war against Ukraine grinds on. That is why it is more important than ever that we invest in our servicemembers, protect defense spectrum, drive innovation, and strengthen our missile defense systems.

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I am proud to report that this year's National Defense Authorization Act meets this moment. It includes key provisions I secured to modernize our nuclear deterrent and strengthen our national defense.

As chair of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, I fought to upgrade the National Nuclear Security Administration's infrastructure. The bill establishes an annual independent assessment of NNSA's progress toward modernization goals, ensuring our nuclear deterrent remains both effective and up to date.

It requires the deployment of at least 400 intercontinental ballistic missiles across no fewer than 450 launch facilities, maintaining a force structure capable of deterring any nuclear-capable adversary.

It authorizes more than $4 billion for the Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Program, and it requires that it be fielded no later than September 30, 2033.

It accelerates the sea-launched nuclear cruise missile program. And it expands experimentation and prototyping authority to all combatant commands, including U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base in my home State of Nebraska.

This is exactly the kind of strategic deterrence that makes our adversaries think twice and say: Not today.

This year's NDAA also safeguards critical defense spectrum. Some in Washington have suggested that the Pentagon is sitting on spectrum bands that could be better used for commercial wireless. That portrayal is both inaccurate, and it is dangerous. The reality is these frequencies are not idle. They are the backbone of America's missile defense and intelligence systems. And we should not be allowing Federal Agencies to sell critical communication channels needed to carry out the Trump administration's priorities, including the Golden Dome missile defense shield. That is why this year's defense bill prohibits any modifications to defense systems in these spectrums bands unless top Pentagon leaders themselves deem it absolutely necessary.

Earlier this summer, I led the effort to secure--for the first time in law--a carve-out that prevents the Federal Communications Commission from auctioning or reallocating these bands for the next decade. The NDAA provision is consistent with these protections, ensuring that we strike the right balance: unleashing America's wireless innovation, while never compromising our national security.

We are also preparing for the threats that we cannot yet see. I secured provisions to assess the readiness of the National Disaster Medical System, to modernize our roadmaps for cloud migration and artificial intelligence, and to ensure that our intelligence community has the meteorological and environmental services that it needs.

But all of these priorities mean little without investing in the brave men and women who carry them out. That is why I fought to authorize $19 million above the President's budget request to help recover and identify the remains of our fallen servicemembers from past wars and conflicts. The U.S. military leaves no one behind.

And through this bill, we are directing the Pentagon to explore whether local communities can play a more active role in helping develop the Department's healthcare facilities, similar to my CHIP IN for Veterans Act. This is the very least we can do for the troops and the families who have sacrificed so much for the freedoms that we hold dear.

Beyond the details, we must keep sight of the bigger picture. Our adversaries--nations that hate America--well, they are sharing weapons and resources and a common goal. They want to weaken American power and dismantle our influence across the globe.

The character of war has evolved rapidly. Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, hypersonic weapons, next-generation aircraft, and space-based capabilities, they are all reshaping the battlefield. At the same time, we live in a political environment that is too often partisan and divided.

Yet on this issue, I believe most of my colleagues agree that we must confront these threats head-on, and that means rebuilding the arsenal of democracy.

To do so, we need serious reform at the Pentagon. This year's NDAA delivers: modernizing the budget process, cutting redtape, improving efficiency, and unleashing innovation. This is not partisan. This is not political. This is necessity.

Our servicemembers must have the resources they need to carry out their missions and return home to their loved ones. This bill strengthens our military, and it sends a very clear message: America is prepared to meet the moment.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it without delay.

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