WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor about the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, which authorizes the budget for the Department of Defense and related programs. The Senate is considering the NDAA this week.

In his speech, Wicker noted the progress that the nation’s military has made in recent years to recover from the effects of sequestration under the previous administration.

“What we've done, not only at the authorization level but also at the appropriation level, is send a strong signal around the world to our allies that we are back to emphasizing strength and back to emphasizing protection of Americans and American interests.”

Wicker also pointed to the effects a continuing resolution would have on the military.

“If you ask the experts that are charged with defending this great United States of America, they will tell you that a continuing resolution is not only a mistake for the United States of America, it is a disaster for national defense,” Wicker said.

Wicker has repeatedly asked top military officials to comment on the damaging effects a continuing resolution would have on military readiness. He cited recent Senate testimony from General Joe Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Former Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan;  General David Goldfein, Air Force Chief of Staff; General James McConville, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army; Lieutenant General David Berger, Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for Combat Development; and Jim Guerts, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition.

Wicker concluded:

“Let's pass this bill this week and send it to the House, negotiate the differences that we have at the NDAA-level, and do patriotically what we've done for 50 straight years. But then let's get serious when we get back from this Independence Day break, … let's get serious about arriving at a compromise number that gets us where we need to be in terms of continuing to make sure that we have the resources to protect the United States of America.”