Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Final Senate Passage Of The National Defense Authorization Act

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on efforts to advance the NDAA towards final passage in the Senate. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Last night, the Senate voted to advance the NDAA by a strong margin of 83-12. The NDAA is now on a glide path towards final passage.

Everyone knows this year’s NDAA is not perfect, but it still takes a strong stand against the Chinese Communist Party – these are things that I pushed very hard for – boosts the use of AI for our national defense, another thing I care a lot about, and expands tech innovation programs for communities across the country, a third thing that is very, very important and good.

It has many good things Democrats fought hard for. I'm gratified it has all these: the Chinese Communist Party, the use of AI for national defense, and expanding tech innovation. Of course, it has some bad provisions that we Democrats would not have added, and other provisions that we would want were left out entirely.

I’m particularly glad that this year’s NDAA expands the Tech Hubs Program I created with Senators Young, Cantwell, and others in the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act. These funds will transform communities in Upstate New York, the Midwest, and across the country into the next epicenters of innovation.

It also includes bipartisan measures on AI, to expand our AI infrastructure and strengthen America’s edge against the CCP, the Chinese Communist Party, in this critical technology – so important to our national security and to U.S.’s  technological leadership.

I thank my colleagues on both sides for their good work on the NDAA, especially Chairman Reed and Ranking Member Wicker. We hope to send the NDAA on the way to the President’s desk as soon as possible.

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