Members of Congress respond to bipartisan Defense Authorization Act

0
69
Night falls at the the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, with the deadline to fund the government approaching. Republicans in the Senate are poised to stall a must-pass funding bill as they force a debate on rolling back the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandates for some workers. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

With bipartisan approval, the House has passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022. The NDAA sets policy for the nation’s defense and is critical to national security. The bipartisan agreement authorized $768 billion for national security spending, which is $25 billion more than the Biden administration requested. The House passed the bill Tuesday night by a vote of 363-70 and sent it to the Senate.

Mike Rogers Official

Rep. Mike Rogers, Lead Republican of the House Armed Services Committee, helped eliminate parts of the Act that the GOP disagreed with, including removing the provisions that would restrict the 2nd Amendment rights of servicemembers and require young women to register for the draft. During a House rules committee hearing, Rogers emphasized the need to pass the legislation, remarking, “Neither side got everything they wanted in this process,” but Rogers called it “a good bill.”

“I am grateful for the work by my colleagues in the House and the Senate to craft a bipartisan and bicameral NDAA that bolsters our national security and supports our troops. This bill will prepare our military to face the ever-growing threat of China by banning them from our American supply chain and modernizing our weapon systems. In addition, this bill blocks the left’s attempt to push their social agenda through Congress by eliminating the provisions that would restrict the 2nd Amendment rights of servicemembers and require young women to register for the draft,” Rogers commented. “It also prohibits the DOD from dishonorably discharging servicemembers who choose not to take the COVID-19 vaccine, requires strong accountability measures for the Biden Administration’s debacle in Afghanistan, and provides a 2.7% pay increase for our brave servicemembers.   

“The FY22 NDAA is critical for Alabama’s proud defense industrial base that employs thousands. I am especially pleased to see funding for the Anniston Army Depot and increased funding for shipbuilding.

“Congress has no greater responsibility than to provide for our defense and to make sure the brave Americans who wear the uniform have the best equipment and training to defend our liberty and freedom. I am proud of the role this bill plays in that vital effort,” Rogers concluded.

Terri Sewell

Rep. Terri Sewell voted in favor of the NDAA.

“Ensuring that our brave men and women in uniform have the resources they need to defend our nation is one of my most solemn responsibilities as a Member of Congress and one that I do not take lightly,” said Rep. Sewell. “This defense bill not only meets the needs of our servicemembers but also invests in HBCUs, combats sexual assault in the military, promotes climate resiliency, and strengthens our national security.”

Photo Credit: Barry Moore

Barry Moore issued the following statement after voting for the NDAA.

“I am thrilled Congressional leaders were able to set aside partisan politics and put forward a true national defense bill that I could proudly support,” said Moore. “As a former Guardsman, I understand the absolute necessity of supporting of our servicemembers, and while imperfect, this bipartisan bill meets that challenge. I thank Ranking Member Rogers, as well as Armed Services Committee members Brooks and Carl, for their countless hours of hard work on this legislation.

“Fighting to support our men and women in uniform is my highest priority, and they will always have my unwavering support.”

Gary Palmer Official

Gary Palmer voted in favor of the Act because some of the provisions the GOP disagreed with were eliminated.

“It is critical that we continue to fund and strengthen our military, especially at this crucial time when China and Russia are ever-growing threats,” Palmer stated. “China is determined to supplant the United States as the world’s only superpower, and Russia is projecting power that threatens our Eastern European allies as a test of our resolve. I think our military must be ready to meet emerging threats. A strong military is vital to our national security and to the security of our allies. This legislation has fortunately gone through necessary changes since it was first introduced and no longer contains provisions which would infringe on our service members’ right to keep and bear arms, or would force our nation’s daughters to register for the draft. I commend the Republican Ranking Member on the House Armed Services Committee, Mike Rogers (AL-03), for succeeding on removing these and other onerous provisions from the original bill. As it now stands, the bill will provide necessary resources and stability for our military.”

Robert Aderholt opinion

Congressman Robert Aderholt praised the bill and the 5% increase to the budget.

“I’m pleased to see and support the revised NDAA before the House that both increases our defense funding and reverses the cuts that the Biden Administration proposed in the previous version,” Aderholt said. “It’s our job in Congress to ensure that our military is not only well funded but continues to maintain the highest standards in strength and capability.”

“I would like to thank Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03), Ranking Member on the House Armed Services Committee, for his leadership in the effort to maintain those standards. From Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville to the military shipbuilders in Mobile, our national defense will always be one of my top priorities.

“The revised NDAA boosts the defense topline by $25 billion, a 5% increase over FY2021. It authorizes a 2.7% pay increase and benefits for servicemembers, reverses cuts to shipbuilding and aircraft procurement, includes all-time high investments into research and development, prohibits the Department of Defense from dishonorably discharging servicemembers that refuse the COVID-19 vaccine, mandates accountability on the Afghanistan withdrawal by demanding that the DoD recover all U.S. aircraft, and prohibits any financial support to the Taliban. I am also pleased that this final bill removed the requirement for women to register for the Selective Service.”

Mo Brooks

Mo Brooks initially voted no on the Act arguing that the bill “hastens America’s suffering a debilitating insolvency and bankruptcy.”

Brooks voted yes after concessions were made. “On the whole, the Conference Committee’s NDAA version strengthens national security by modernizing the resources our warfighters need to be successful when duty calls while minimizing the policy damage Socialist Democrats hoped to insert into the “must pass” NDAA. As a result of these improvements, that I helped bring about despite severe criticism by those who were all too willing to surrender to Socialist Democrats, I voted “Yes” on final passage of the NDAA,” Brooks said in a statement.