I hope you saw my latest weekly column.

 

ROGER WICKER: Congress takes up annual defense bill, government funding, and
judges
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With less than two months remaining in the 116th Congress, the Senate is
working to complete several important priorities for Mississippi and the
nation. These include an annual military authorization bill and funding for the
federal government. We are continuing to confirm Trump-nominated judges to
lifetime appointments on the federal bench. And the Commerce Committee, which I
chair, is finalizing several important bills that I hope will be considered by
the full Senate before January.

 

Funding the federal government

 

House and Senate leaders are negotiating a final version of the National
Defense Authorization Act, the annual bill that funds our military. This year’s
legislation would fund the construction of several new ships, which would
strengthen our naval fleet and keep Mississippi’s shipbuilders busy. As this
bill comes together, I am pushing for additional measures to protect our
defense industrial base and provide certainty to military suppliers. We cannot
let the pandemic jeopardize our national security.

 

Congress will also need to fund the federal government into the new year.
Government funding is set to expire on December 11, and I hope congressional
leaders can reach a long-term agreement. In the future, Congress needs to get
back to the practice of passing individual appropriations bills on time.
Threats of government shutdowns, short-term bills to continue funding at
current levels, and massive last-minute agreements have become the norm in
recent years. Getting back to regular order would result in smarter policies,
benefit our national security, and protect taxpayers.

 

Commerce committee advances key bills

 

As chairman of the Commerce Committee, I am working to bring several important
bills to completion. One of those bills is NASA reauthorization. This
legislation would advance NASA’s deep space exploration program and maintain
the Stennis Space Center as the world’s premier rocket testing facility. We are
also moving legislation to speed up broadband deployment in rural areas. We
have approved substantial funding for the Coast Guard, which is vital to
protecting American commerce at sea.

 

Another important question before the committee is what to do about the
growing number of states that now allow college athletes to be compensated for
their name, image, and likeness. The various state laws have created a
patchwork of different rules that could put some student athletes at a
disadvantage and give some schools an unfair recruiting edge. I will soon
introduce legislation to set national standards for college athletes who earn
money through private contracts and endorsements. This legislation is needed to
ensure a level playing field across the country for all college athletes and
prevent corruption in college athletics.

 

Confirming President Trump’s nominees

 

In the last four years, the Senate has made historic progress in confirming
more than 220 of President Trump’s judicial nominees. That number is set to
expand as the Senate takes up new nominations in the final weeks of this
Congress. Two of the President’s nominees – Kristi Johnson and Taylor McNeel –
are Mississippi natives who have been selected to serve on the U.S. District
Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. Both individuals bring
impressive records of experience and a conservative judicial philosophy. I
believe they will serve our nation well for many years to come.

 

The final weeks of the legislative calendar are always busy, and this year is
no exception. I am confident we can use this time to yield lasting benefits for
the American people.

 

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Thank you for your support,

Senator Roger Wicker

 

 

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