Congressman Lamborn Speaks on House Floor in Support of FY23 NDAA

I rise today to speak in support of H.R. 7900, the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.

As the Strategic Forces Subcommittee Ranking Member, I'm particularly proud of the work put forward by this Subcommittee led by Chairman Jim Cooper. I'll miss working with my good friend from Tennessee.

Among the many excellent provisions put forward by the Strategic Forces Subcommittee is one I am very pleased with that directs the establishment and funding of a National Hypersonic Initiative to bring an all-of-government approach to catching-up to China and Russia in hypersonics.

The Strategic Forces Subcommittee mark also directed an asymmetric hypersonic defeat strategy and provides additional funds for directed energy technologies to defeat these hypersonic systems. The bill also provides funds to complete a 16th Patriot Battalion, accelerates the Guam Defense System, and seeks to reinvigorate an East Coast Missile Defense Site.

I'm particularly proud that Chairman Cooper and I were able to find a compromise and fund the nuclear sea launched cruise missile. I understand that our Senate counterparts, Senators King and Fischer, did so as well, and I look forward to reconciling our provisions in conference to continue research and development of this critical capability. I think that the four of us are proving that funding a safe, secure, reliable, and modern nuclear deterrent need not be a partisan exercise.

We also have made valuable progress in the space domain, including requiring the Department of Defense to make publicly available a strategy to defend and protect our on-orbit satellites. I'm also glad to be directing the Space Force to establish requirements for defense and resilience of space systems as China and Russia become more aggressive.

In a bill this size Mr. Speaker, with more amendments offered than any other single bill in the history of Congress, a person can always find something to disagree with. But, if you truly value and support our nation's defense, and if you truly understand the threats that we face, you will look at the major advances this bill makes for our security, and you will support this bill.

With that I yield back.

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