Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator
John McCain (R-AZ) today released the following statement on the U.S. Senate’s
passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (NDAA)
by a 71-25 vote, and the provisions within it that are important to Arizona’s
continued contributions to defending America’s national security and to Arizona
service members and military families: Video
“I am very proud that the Senate voted
overwhelmingly today to pass the National Defense Authorization Act –
important legislation that strengthens Arizona’s vital contributions to U.S.
national security and improves the quality of life for our state’s service
members and military families. As Chairman of the Senate Armed Services
Committee, I worked for months on this legislation, which delivers some of the
most sweeping reforms to the Defense Department in decades, ensuring that we
make the best use of Arizonans’ limited tax dollars while providing our
military men and women with the best training and equipment to fulfill their
missions. More
Washington, D.C. –
U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services
Committee, released the following statement today regarding the Senate’s
passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2016 in a 71-25
vote:
“The
Senate’s overwhelming, bipartisan vote reflects the vital importance of this
legislation to our men and women in uniform, especially at a time of growing
threats to our national security. I hope today’s result will encourage the
President to abandon his misguided veto threat.
STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON MINE OPPONENTS’
EFFORT TO REPEAL RESOLUTION COPPER LAND EXCHANGE
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator
John McCain (R-AZ) today released the following statement on mine opponents
introducing legislation to repeal the Resolution Copper land exchange, which
was passed by both Houses of Congress with bipartisan support and signed by
President Obama last December as part of the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2015:
“I am extremely proud to have worked with Democrats
and Republicans to pass the Resolution Copper land exchange last year. It was a
major victory for Arizona after years of hard work.
Washington,
D.C. – U.S.
Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Chuck
Schumer (D-NY) today introduced the Border Jobs for Veterans Act, a bill that
would require the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) to cooperate to recruit and expedite the hiring of outgoing U.S.
military service members for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer
positions at U.S. ports of entry. The bill addresses delays associated with
CBP’s thorough hiring process, which have left land ports of entry along the
U.S. border understaffed despite funding for 2,000 additional officers. The
bill would not raise costs or impact existing veteran-hiring authorities.
“This bill is a win-win for
retiring American service members and the communities on our southern border,” said
Senator McCain. “It would help Customs and Border Protection overcome
widespread staffing deficiencies at ports of entry by encouraging the
department to hire veterans who have already obtained the background checks and
security clearances needed for these jobs. We must do everything we can to help
all separating service members successfully reenter the workforce, and this
bipartisan bill would provide veterans with vital opportunities to continue
serving and protecting the nation.”
Washington,
D.C. – The U.S. Senate voted today to
accept amendment #1889, sponsored by Senators John
McCain (R-AZ) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), to the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2016, that would reaffirm the prohibition on torture
and ensure that every U.S. government agency always applies the same effective,
humane interrogation standards as the U.S. military. Specifically, the
amendment would make the Army Field Manual the standard for all U.S. government
personnel when interrogating foreign terrorist detainees, and guarantee the
International Committee of the Red Cross access to foreign detainees held by
the U.S. government, which is longstanding U.S. military practice.
Senator McCain spoke about the amendment on the Senate floor
this morning, and released the following statement on the amendment’s passage
by a 78-21 vote:
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain
(R-AZ) released the following statement today on testimonyby
the Interior Department this week opposing legislation he
introduced with Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) that would enlist volunteer hunters
to cull bison and protect lands inside Grand Canyon National Park:
“The bison population
inside Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park has exploded to over 600,
overgrazing and destroying its pristine lands, and yet the Interior Department
says it opposes our bill because it’s busy conducting its own study which began
in April 2014 and won’t be completed until December 2016 at the earliest.
Nowhere in its testimony did the Interior Department argue that our
common-sense solution to enlist volunteer hunters wouldn’t work. Hunters are
eager to help manage these herds and will recover the full animal carcass at no
cost to the U.S. taxpayer. The Interior Department is taking too long to
advance a solution to stop the degradation of Grand Canyon National Park, which
I believe must be preserved and protected so that it remains a national
treasure for generations to come.”
Washington, D.C. –
U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today released the following statement on
Democrats’ defeat of trade promotion legislation:
“Today
Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats dealt a devastating blow to American
businesses, American workers, and American global leadership. The failure to
send Trade Promotion Authority legislation to the President’s desk will be seen
around the world as a sign of American weakness and retrenchment, letting
countries like China fill the void and rewrite international trade rules in
ways that hurt our economy and security. I urge House Democrats to reconsider
this self-destructive folly and pass this vitally important trade legislation
next week.”
