Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017

Floor Speech

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Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the fiscal year 2017 Defense Appropriations bill.

In a world that is more dangerous and more complex than ever before, it is critically important that we ensure our military remains the best trained, the best equipped, and the best supported on the planet. This bill takes the next step toward fulfilling these necessary goals.

After years of budget cuts and sequestration, we are at a point now where we can no longer ask our military to keep meeting the needs of our Nation without providing the right amount of resources.

Mr. Chairman, if we are unable to provide our troops with proper funding, I fear that very soon we will find ourselves at risk of sending our men and women in uniform into conflict without the training, equipment, or support that they need. Our brave solders, sailors, airmen, and marines deserve better. And this Defense bill does better by helping our military return to full spectrum readiness in order to properly meet the challenges our Nation is facing on all fronts and across the globe.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do what is right by America by doing what is right for the men and women who sacrifice so much to ensure the freedoms that we enjoy today.

Vote ``yes'' on the bill. Vote ``yes'' for a strong American military. Vote ``yes'' to send a message to all our enemies that the American military is as strong as ever and that the United States remains steadfast and capable of defending herself and her allies against those who wish to do us harm.

I thank Chairman Frelinghuysen and Ranking Member Visclosky for their tireless work on behalf of our Congress and on behalf of the American public.

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