Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, my hometown is Plainville, KS. The population, according to Google just this morning, is 1,746. I rise this morning to recognize and pay tribute to my hometown newspaper, the Plainville Times.

Several months ago, the headline of the paper--the very top story was--``Newspaper for Sale.'' Last month, the Times published its final edition as a standalone newspaper and announced it will merge with a neighboring town's newspaper, the Stockton Sentinel, to continue news coverage for local residents. So I take sadness in the demise, the departure of my hometown paper. I take pleasure and pride in its continuation with the news being covered by the Times Sentinel.

For more than a century, the Plainville Times has served the surrounding communities by providing information, education, and timely reporting. The paper first began in 1800, though it changed its names several times over the years, and it became known as the Plainville Times in 1904.

Growing up in this small town in western Kansas, I saw firsthand how the newspaper supported the community and brought neighbors, friends, and even strangers together. Community journalism pulls us together. National journalism has the habit of tearing us apart.

Over the years, the Plainville Times has kept the community informed on important local issues like a new business coming to town, a city council meeting, or the score of a high school football game. Rural papers bring community residents together for special moments. It is where we see when we have a new birth. It is where we see when we lose a fellow citizen. It is where we celebrate with others about a 50th wedding anniversary. It is the joys of graduation and holiday celebrations. It is about ribbon cuttings. It is the pain of funeral services and natural disasters and really everything in between.

Community journalism is important to the future of communities across Kansas and the Nation. Today, community journalism faces growing challenges with a rapidly changing media environment, as well as workforce struggles and financial strains. Many rural newspapers have very limited staffs, and it is not uncommon for one person to fill the role of reporter, photographer, and editor.

Those who dedicate their lives to this profession, in so many instances in newspapers across Kansas, I find the person that is just doing the job because nobody else would do it. Despite these challenges, that newspaper, including the Plainville Times, leaves lasting marks on the rural towns they cover.

As a kid growing up in Plainville, then representing my hometown as a Member of Congress, and now as a U.S. Senator, I had the opportunity to know and speak with, get acquainted with the Times editors during my lifetime, including Harlan Lill, who was the editor when I was a kid; Carol Van Dyke, who then replaced him; and the current editor Candace Rachel, whom I grew up with in my hometown. She is a longtime native of Plainville, and Candace is deeply committed to our community and has devoted her life to providing news and information to Kansans.

Whether I am attending a Lions Club meeting or visiting the local high school, Candace is always there with her pen and pad and a camera slung over her shoulder. She is one of those editors who does it all. Candace is always there at everything. She loves supporting local sports, the athletes, their parents, their families. She loves to celebrate the victories and bemoan the losses. She always can be spotted on the sidelines of a local football field, the basketball courts, and at baseball games. I appreciate her. I appreciate her love for our community, and I appreciate the way she treats every citizen of my hometown--with the greatest of respect.

I want to thank the Times' publisher, Frank Mercer of Main Street Media, as well as its staff, Bret Greenwood and Tonia Goertz, for their commitment to local journalism.

Over the years, the Plainville Times has been dedicated to pursuing the truth in informing local communities and providing a critical service to rural America. The paper has gained a reputation for informative, fair reporting,

and it has earned recognition from the Kansas Press Association for its work.

With the merging of the Plainville Times with the Stockton Sentinel-- Stockton, incidentally, being our cross-county rival--the unified paper will continue to cover Plainville and Rooks County. That is the good news.

I want to congratulate the owners of the Stockton Sentinel, Bart Hamilton and Susan Hamilton Schneider. I am grateful for their investment in local journalism and their support for Stockton, for Plainville, for Palco, for Damar and Zurich, for Codell--for the communities that make up our small county.

I look forward to staying informed on local news. I receive the Plainville Times every week. When I get home, it is in the stack of newspapers that I have yet to read. It is the very first one. My wife would say my first comment is: Oh, the Plainville Times is here.

I look forward every week to seeing what is going on in my hometown, and I appreciate the publication that has provided me and so many others with that information. The Plainville Times and now the Stockton Sentinel Times will be important to every resident who lives in the area.

I again thank those who made this newspaper what it is, and I congratulate and wish the best for those who will make what this newspaper will become.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, first, before I make the remarks I would like to make, let me commend my colleague from Oklahoma Mr. Lankford for his comments. I have said this to my colleagues, Republican and Democrat, and

I would join in this call for getting things done.

A message that I have tried to make clear is that many of us, most of us, perhaps all of us are away from home, away from family. We come to Washington, DC. And in much of my life, I felt guilty about being gone from things at home. That sense of regret about being absent to family, to kids, to wife, is somewhat compensated for in the service that comes from this, serving in the U.S. Senate, from public service. But unless we actually accomplish things, it is hard to justify the sadness that comes, the challenges that come, the absence of fulfilling responsibilities that occur in our lives if we are here without accomplishments.

As Senator Lankford made so clear, it doesn't always have to be the biggest things or the things that are thought of to be the biggest; it could be things that are in many ways, in people's minds, the modest or small things. But I can't imagine that anybody in the U.S. Senate or Congress or public service or in jobs that are demanding would do so if they didn't think there was a goal accomplished at the end of their time.

We all ought to take to heart what the Senator from Oklahoma said about getting things done. It can help us justify being away from those we love so frequently and doing something that actually matters to America and the world.

We don't--certainly we shouldn't--come here for purposes of the name on the door or a nice desk in a big office or for the camaraderie or to be able to call yourself a U.S. Senator. Those things are absolutely meaningless. But if we can find the common denominator between Republicans and Democrats, between individuals from different States and different parts of the country; if we can find the common denominator between people who have different ideas and political philosophies, the U.S. Senate should be a place that is designed to pull people together, to bring us together so that those accomplishments occur.

I commend my colleague from Oklahoma as a Senator who has accomplishments and works hard to make sure that we all are working together so we all can have accomplishments. I express my gratitude to and respect for the Senator.

Mr. President, Senator Cruz, the Senator from Texas, and Senator Cantwell, the Senator from Washington State, thank you very much for the opportunity to join with you today and throughout a long process since January 29, earlier this year.

That flight--Flight 5342--originated in Wichita, KS, and, as we know, on January 29, it collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter, and it changed the way we look at air safety every moment since then.

I appreciate the leadership of my two colleagues on the full committee, as well as Senator Duckworth, my colleague on the Subcommittee on Aviation, to make certain that we take all the steps necessary and to make certain for the families who remind us today, and almost every day since January 29, about the importance of making the skies of the United States safe for those who fly today and in the future.

There are numerous--numerous--circumstances that led to this horrific incident, and NTSB's critical investigation into this collision is continuing. While NTSB's final recommendations have not yet been released, the Chair of the NTSB, Jennifer Homendy, took the unprecedented step of publicly stating that the National Defense Authorization Act does not adequately address the safety concerns surrounding the mixed airspace at DCA.

And while the NDAA is critical to bolstering our defense capabilities, I have major concerns with the portion of the bill that is being fixed by the efforts today, here on the Senate floor, with this unanimous consent request.

After numerous conversations with my colleagues Senator Cruz and Senator Cantwell, we secured an agreement from the Senate leadership-- and I thank that Senate leadership, Senator Thune--for an amended version of the ROTOR Act that would be quickly brought to the Senate floor for consideration to reinstate and advance critical standards of safety for commercial and military aviation.

We are doing that right now.

The ROTOR Act closes the loopholes that have been described by my colleagues and strengthens ADS-B requirements for commercial and military aircraft, among many other things.

It requires safety reviews of DCA, and it requires better coordination between the FAA and DOD. I commend the FAA Administrator for his commitment, and particularly Secretary Duffy, for their combined commitment to air safety.

In fact, when we conclude this effort here on the Senate floor, our committee is in session. Our subcommittee is in session with Administrator Bedford, the FAA Administrator, to review what other steps are being taken across the country for safe airspace at every airport.

We are bringing technology to bear that has only been talked about in the past and is now being accomplished. Our aviation system is fragile, and over the last year, Congress has passed significant legislation investing in that airspace to increase the safety and to make sure that all who fly can be and are safe and feel safe.

Now is not the time to take any steps backward, and that is what we were worried and concerned about that the NDAA provision does.

While Congress works to ensure in law the safety of our airspace, our DOT and FAA leaders are committed to abide by current safety standards, maintaining that safety at the DCA airspace.

As both have said, more work can be done, but it is a pretty good day to be taking the steps we are taking and knowing that more is to come in honor of those who perished, on January 29, from Kansas, across the country, and around the world.

I yield back to the chairman of the committee.

Mr. President, congratulations, again, to my colleagues. Thank you to the U.S. Senate and its leadership for seeing that a version of the ROTOR Act was passed by unanimous consent.

Mr. President, I rise further today in support of the nomination Jared Issacman to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. That is the vote that is now ensuing, just a few minutes later than scheduled.

Last week, for a second time, the Commerce Committee favorably reported Mr. Isaacman's nomination with bipartisan support.

Now, as NASA takes on some of the most significant tests in its nearly 70-year history, including the beating of China and other adversaries back to the Moon and positioning America for historic deep- space exploration, the Agency needs a permanent, Senate-confirmed leader.

As chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Space and the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, I serve in both roles, as an authorizer of legislation and the appropriator for NASA.

I have worked with my colleagues and with previous administrations to provide the Agency with clear direction and the resources needed to achieve NASA's noble goals.

I trust that if he is confirmed, Mr. Isaacman will be a reliable partner in continuing that legacy.

Over the course of his nomination, I have had several opportunities to speak at length with Mr. Isaacman about his qualifications for this role, his assessment of NASA's current circumstances, and his vision to lead the Agency into the future. I am confident that he will provide the leadership that NASA needs to sustain and advance America's leadership in space.

NASA's mission is not solely the domain of space. Just a couple of weeks ago, at Mr. Isaacman's confirmation, I had the chance to discuss with him the critical importance to many Kansans, including those in agriculture, of NASA's Earth Science Division for supporting Kansas agriculture producers. I was pleased that Mr. Isaacman shares my view that NASA must remain steadfast in its commitment to science.

I want to thank Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy for his leadership of the Agency as Acting Administrator over the past several months.

Confirming, now, Mr. Isaacman as the next permanent Administrator for NASA will equip our space Agency for success. I will be voting yes on Mr. Isaacman's nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the nomination.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, the deadly collision that occurred here in our Nation's Capital between American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, KS, and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on January 29, 2025, forever changed how we look at and think about air travel.

There were numerous circumstances that led to this horrific incident, and the NTSB's--the National Transportation Safety Board--critical investigation into this collision is continuing even today.

While the NTSB's final recommendations have not yet been released, the Chair of the NTSB, Jennifer Homendy, took an unusual step in publicly stating that the current version of NDAA--the National Defense Authorization Act--does not adequately address the safety concerns surrounding the mixed airspace around DCA.

She even went on to say that the legislation--NDAA--``reverses safety changes made after the mid-air collision; after the NTSB issued urgent safety recommendations; and after Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy rightfully implemented NTSB's urgent safety recommendations.''

Based on the data and recommendations we have received so far from NTSB, we know that, one, there should have been limitations to rotary travel in high-traffic areas of commercial air travel; two, all aircraft in this space should be using position broadcast technology, with nearly no exceptions; and three, the users of this congested airspace should be communicating problems to each other, like the 15,000 near misses that occurred around DCA in a 3-year period between commercial planes and rotary aircraft--15,000 near misses in a 3-year period of time.

The current NDAA text includes a provision which misses the mark on two of these must-have provisions; therefore, I will insist and be working with my colleagues to amend the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act or to otherwise pass legislation, perhaps in the appropriations process--I am a member of that committee--to make sure that NDAA language is at least, as a minimum, abiding by the safety standards that were set in place after the crash of January 29.

Our aviation system is fragile. I chair the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation and Space. We have seen this in testimony time and time again. There is fragility in the safety of our air system.

Over the last year, Congress has passed significant legislation to invest in the future safety of our airspace and introduced legislation to make our airspace safer, including the ROTOR Act. Now is not the time to step back from these efforts.

I am grateful for the hard work of NTSB Chair Homendy and her team, and I look forward to receiving their final recommendations when that time arises.

I also want to say thank you to the families of the victims of Flight 5342, who have continued to be vocal advocates for the safety of our airspace in honor of the loved ones they lost.

It is important that we not take a step back but take a step forward, and I will work in every way that I can with my colleagues to see that we accomplish that before the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I have introduced legislation, as is introduced on an annual basis. We have done so again this year to make certain that the rate of disability compensation and other financial benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs for veterans and military survivors keeps pace with the rate of inflation.

The annual Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025 will increase certain VA benefits by 2.8 percent, including disability compensation, clothing allowances, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. That is to better reflect the changes in the everyday cost of living and align with the annual benefit increase by the Social Security Administration.

This adjustment allows veterans and their families to have the peace of mind of knowing that their VA benefits will keep up with our Nation's economy and that the VA can continue delivering support for those who have served while alleviating the stress of financial uncertainty due to circumstances that are out of their control.

In addition to the Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs has also reported out Senator Rosen's-- the Senator from Nevada--Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act, which would make certain that each VA medical center has an appropriate space for veteran moms to pump or to breastfeed.

Women veterans are the fastest growing patient demographic, and we must make certain that VA facilities can meet their needs.

Mr. President, I, therefore, ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 202, S. 2392.

I ask unanimous consent, then, that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 200, S. 778.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee- reported substitute amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, exactly 1 month ago today, I stood on the Senate floor and spoke about the impact that the government shutdown was having on an already troubled aviation system and that the traveling public was facing tremendous challenges with that shutdown, and I cautioned against prolonging it. Now, 30 days later, we are still here.

I was concerned that if the government shutdown continued, it could force the closure of parts of the airspace and lead to further reductions in the air traffic controller workforce. Unfortunately, both these concerns have materialized in what has become the longest government shutdown in our Nation's history. With 2,300 cancellations, and counting today--Sunday--it will go down as one of the worst days in air travel.

I have never seen anything good come from a government shutdown. Lapses in Federal funding have made it harder for families to access SNAP benefits, Head Start Programs have been put on pause, and thousands of Federal employees are unable to receive a paycheck.

This dysfunction is damaging enough to our constituents and economy here at home, but it also sends a dangerous--a dangerous--message to the watching world. It demonstrates to our allies that we are an unreliable partner, and it signals to our adversaries that we can't work together to meet even the most fundamental responsibilities of Congress.

As this shutdown continues, I want to particularly focus on the impact

this lapsed funding is having on the aviation industry.

TSA agents and air traffic controllers have had to continue working while missing two paychecks. It is a stressful job and one that has grown increasingly more difficult throughout the year. Combine that with the uncertainty of how to pay rent, put food on the table, and gas in your car, it is no surprise--no surprise--that we are seeing more and more controllers not showing up to work. We were already facing a shortage of controllers, and now we are seeing more having to pick up second jobs to pay the bills or seeing some quit entirely.

Our inaction and our inability to gain consensus are deterring young people interested in futures such as air traffic controllers or other aviation professionals from pursuing those careers.

The vulnerabilities in our aviation system have led Secretary Sean Duffy to begin reducing flights by 10 percent at 40 major airports. Airlines, businesses, and general aviation alike are cutting into their operations to make certain that airspace is as safe as possible. It is critical to know that these impacts are not lopsided on those high- traffic areas. Small- and medium-hub airports, such as we have in Kansas that connect to those 40, are experiencing this pain just as much.

While this is a painful step, it is necessary for the safety of the traveling public, and I support Secretary Duffy's decision.

American Airlines indicated to me they canceled more than 240 flights yesterday and delayed more than 1,000 flights, impacting more than 150,000 passengers.

Airlines for America said that staffing shortages disrupted the flights of more than 4 million passengers from October 1 to November 7 on their partner airlines, and that was before the mandatory reductions were put in place by the Department of Transportation.

We can expect more cuts if we do not reopen the government.

We saw how fragile our air system is, and it is the reason I highlight aviation and the consequences of the shutdown tonight. We saw how fragile our air system is earlier this year when a series of failures led to a midair collision on January 29, which claimed the lives of 67, including those of Kansans. That accident forced Congress and our Nation to reckon with an issue that has plagued us for decades: Why have we not effectively modernized our airspace system?

Since that crash, steps have been taken to train more controllers and improve the aviation system, including a $12.5 billion investment in modernizing our airspace. But those efforts are becoming much more difficult to accomplish during a shutdown.

Unfortunately, the position the aviation industry finds itself in today cannot be easily solved, but we cannot even begin to solve it unless we reopen the government. Every day we remain shut down, the fragility of the system intensifies.

Thanksgiving is only 18 days away. Americans are purchasing, would have purchased, or already purchased tickets to be with their families. If we remain in a shutdown much longer, it will become increasingly difficult for airlines to deliver on their promises to their customers.

The circumstances we are in cannot continue. We must reopen the government. I urge my colleagues to pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government.

I am committed to working with my colleagues--my colleagues--to address the concerns they have and any issues brought forth by the shutdown.

We must return to regular order, advance a clean CR and these three appropriations bills, and then consider further appropriations and these issues that so many of us care so deeply about. Our constituents and our Nation depend upon us to do so.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, this year, 2025, marks 50 years since the end of the Vietnam war. As we reflect, as we should reflect, on this conflict's history and the impact it had on our Nation, we should pause to recognize the service and sacrifice of the brave Americans who went halfway around the world in defense of democracy and remember those who never made the trip home.

From 1955 to 1975, more than 10 million members of the U.S. Armed Forces fought to support the cause of freedom in South Vietnam. Throughout the conflict, 58,281 of those servicemembers lost their lives, more than 300,000 were wounded, and an additional 1,545 servicemembers are still missing and unaccounted for.

Here in our Nation's Capital, as we know, there is a memorial dedicated to those who served in Vietnam: a wall with the name of every American soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice during their service.

I was there last week with an Honor Flight of Kansans who came to pay their respects and to remember their own service. The names of 626 Kansans are on that wall, each a son, a brother, a spouse, a friend-- individuals who did not make it home.

In Kansas, many communities have set up memorials to recognize their hometown heroes and hundreds of Kansans who died serving in the Vietnam war. From the Rooks County memorial at the local courthouse in my home county to the Vietnam Wall at the Pittsburg State campus in the eastern part of our State, Kansans have made it their mission to never forget those who served.

I want to especially recognize two Kansans--Marine Corps Sgt Timmy Miller and Army PFC Charles Acheson--two young men who grew up near my hometown in Rooks County, KS, and whose names are forever etched on that wall.

At the young ages of 21 and 20, Timmy and Charles answered the call to serve and paid the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation's freedom. Their names and every name that appears on the wall represent a life that was lost, a family that was forever changed, and a story that should never, never be forgotten.

As we now approach Veterans Day, we are reminded of our Nation's commitment to honor those who have served in the Nation's Armed Forces and make certain that their legacy is never forgotten.

In the 1970s, when I was a high school student--1972--if you graduated a year earlier than I or graduated, certainly, 2 years earlier than I did, you served in Vietnam. By the circumstance of my birthday, I did not. But what I did see was Vietnam veterans not treated with dignity and respect--the dignity and respect that they deserved--when they returned home from their service. Their service earned our Nation's lasting gratitude, and we should strive to honor our Nation's heroes and the sacrifices they made.

I, as a 16-year-old kid, made a decision, a commitment to myself, that I was going to try to compensate for the poor behavior that was extended to those who did nothing less and a lot more than just serve their country. I made a commitment that I was always going to say ``thank you'' and that ``I respect you.''

I never envisioned being a Member of Congress, and, now, as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I recognize that our responsibilities are more than to say ``thank you'' or ``I respect you.'' It is to make certain that every veteran is respected

and gratitude is expressed, but, more than that, to make certain that the services that they provided for our Nation and the freedoms they fought for are recognized in what we do in keeping our promises--our promises that were made to them for their service.

I have met many Vietnam war servicemembers and veterans, and their stories remind me that service does not end when they hang up their uniform. We have an obligation to make certain that their well-being is at the forefront of our efforts and that the promises made are promises kept.

In Kansas and across the country, our Vietnam veterans are still serving--leading local businesses, volunteering at the VA and other veterans service organizations, and assisting the next generation of veterans as they transition into life after service. These veterans continue to give back to their communities and the country they served.

Again, with Veterans Day around the corner, we are also reminded of the importance of keeping those promises to our heroes, whether that means access to quality healthcare, support for mental health challenges, or recognition of the lasting damage exposure to Agent Orange has had on those who served, even after they returned home.

I have had the opportunity to work closely with the Vietnam Veterans of America, a veterans service organization that works to support and promote issues faced by veterans of Vietnam. Their advocacy has been critical in supporting veterans' issues and passing legislation that improves the lives of our veterans.

In 2022, Congress passed the PACT Act, legislation that was years in the making, to help improve care for our Nation's veterans who were negatively impacted by toxic exposure during their service. Since that bill became law, the Department of Veterans Affairs has completed more than 6.4 million toxic exposure health screenings, processed more than 2.7 million PACT Act-related claims, and enrolled more than 700,000 veterans in healthcare. We have made a great deal of progress, but there is still much more work to be done to care for and honor our Vietnam veterans.

I was able to learn firsthand from the Vietnam veterans that I saw at the wall last week about their service, their time in Vietnam, their time in the theater, their time at home, their return, and their opportunity now to come pay respects to those who lost their lives during their service. We were able to see firsthand the memorial built to honor them and those who served alongside them.

I have told this story before. Before the World War II Memorial was completed, I wandered up there and found the Kansas pillar and called my dad at home, a World War II veteran. I left a voicemail. I was lucky. My dad didn't pick up the phone, but I left him a voicemail in Plainville, KS, our hometown, where I said: Dad, I am at the World War II Memorial. This memorial was built in your honor. And, Dad, I want you to know that I respect you, I thank you for your service, and, Dad, I love you.

Walking back to my office on Capitol Hill, my cell phone rang. It was my dad, who said: Gerald, you left me a voicemail, but I couldn't understand it. Would you repeat it.

I no longer can repeat it to my own father, but today I say what I said to my dad then, I say to those who served our Nation in Vietnam, who served our country in that tumultuous period of time. I say it to them: Thank you. We respect your service. And we love you.

These men are heroes. These women are heroes. And we will never forget them or their service.

To all those who served in Vietnam, we respect you. We thank you for your service. We love you, and welcome home.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the previously scheduled recess begin immediately.

Mr. President, first of all, I would like to compliment the majority leader, the Senator from South Dakota, for his continued efforts to have the Senate return to the days in which we were the greatest deliberative legislative body, assuming that was ever true. It is hard to find evidence that it is true today. And, certainly, a basic function of the Congress is to do appropriations bills.

I have heard a number of my colleagues, particularly Democratic colleagues, complain about the appropriations efforts by the White House, by the administration. They remind us that the Constitution puts in the prerogative, it is the Congress that appropriates. Here we are trying to appropriate, to do our constitutional duties, and the vast majority of Democrats stand in the way on one of the most important appropriations bills that we could consider, the Defense appropriations bills.

Our adversaries, our allies, again, wait and watch for signals that the United States of America is the country it needs to be to defend freedom and liberty around the world. As of today, we are incapable of funding our Department of Defense.

I highlighted yesterday in remarks that those who had come to the floor and worried and complained about the

military men and women during the shutdown who are not receiving compensation for their service to our Nation, the most straightforward way to make certain that those who serve are compensated is to pass the Defense appropriations bills authorizing and appropriating the money to make those payments. Yet, today, there are those who stood in the path to prevent that from happening.