NE Wyoming News

Washington, DC – On July 15,2023, Harriet Hageman voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed the House 219-210. The FY24 NDAA provides for our nation’s defense, counters Communist Chinese aggression, supports our servicemembers and their families through a pay increase, improved housing, and access to healthcare. Conservatives in the House have also pushed to ensure that radical woke ideology will no longer have a place in our nation’s defense decisions.

Rep. Hageman stated, “Since the founding of our nation, providing for our common defense has been a Constitutional responsibility of Congress. The NDAA is one of the mechanisms used to provide authorization for key provisions of that defense. Because of its importance to our national security, it is an authorization that has been passed in a bipartisan, bicameral manner for 62 years in a row.

“This year, the NDAA provided a way to end many of the woke policies that have been infecting our military since President Biden took office. We are banning Critical Race Theory (CRT) and gender reassignment surgeries, stopping radical climate change policies, ending government paid travel for abortions, and scaling back Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) mandates.

“I am confident that my four amendments which have been included in this legislation will ensure greater transparency, oversight, and accountability from the DoD. These amendments focus on critical issues such as fentanyl tracking, border security, use of reliable fossil fuel options instead of “green” energy, and scrutinizing spending on the war in Ukraine.

“Through the NDAA, Republicans in the House are also countering Chinese aggression by bolstering homeland defense, deterrence, and intelligence operations. The soft-on-China policies of this administration have weakened America’s security, and its standing throughout the world. We are changing that.

“Finally, we are taking care of the brave men and women of our armed forces who put their lives on the line to keep us free by increasing pay, improving housing opportunities, and providing a path to reinstatement for those that were discharged for refusing to take Covid-19 vaccines.

“We are doing all of this while still cutting funding by 5% from FY2023 NDAA levels. The United States is constantly threatened by dictators, despots, and world leaders that do not share our love of freedom. It is our duty to ensure that when challenged, our military has the resources and training necessary to prevail in any conflict.”

Background

The Amendments that were offered by Rep. Hageman and included in final passage of the NDAA are:

• #49 - Would ensure that both Weaponization of the Federal Government Subcommittee and House Armed Services Committee receive oversight documentation from the DoD about the work done in the Countering Extremism Working Group
• #118 - Requiring the DoD to report on the Ukraine Lend-Lease Program’s impact on U.S. defense stockpiles and how all equipment will be recovered when the authority expires.
• #119 - Enhances fentanyl threat reporting to include a review of U.S. laws and policies which may be facilitating fentanyl trafficking over the southern border.
• # 120 - Requires the DoD to ensure authorized funds for energy resilience under the NATO DIANA initiative considers all energy sources that are capable of providing sufficient baseload power.

Wyoming specific project inclusions

• $27 million for F.E. Warren Air Force Base GBSD Integrated Command Center (INC 2)
• $85 million F.E. Warren Air Force Base GBSD Integrated Training Center
• $28 million F.E. Warren Air Force Base GBSD Missile Handling Complex (INC 2)
• $25 million F.E. Warren Air Force Base Microgrid and Battery Storage
• The FY23 NDAA prohibited the National Guard from reducing the minimum inventory of C-130 aircraft below 271 aircraft. The bill would extend this prohibition into 2024.
  • The 153d Airlift Wing at the Wyoming Air National Guard Base flies C-130 aircraft
• Requires the DoD Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment and Air Force to report on approved integrated master schedule for the Sentinel missile program (GBSD)
  • Requires quarterly briefings through 2029
  • Requirement of Congressional notification for delays
• Authorizes DoD to authorize cost-plus incentive-fee contracting for Sentinel military construction for program launch facilities, control centers, and related infrastructure.
  • Cost plus incentive fee cost-reimbursement contract that provides for an initially negotiated fee to be adjusted later by a formula based on the relationship of total allowable costs to total target costs.
• Includes the Space National Guard Establishment Act, which authorizes the creation of a Space National Guard component.

Original source can be found here