Key provisions led by U.S. Reps. Tom Cole (R-OK), Dan Donovan (R-NY) and Jackie Walorski (R-IN) were included in a national defense authorization bill that the House recently approved.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2018 would increase defense spending by 10 percent over the previous fiscal year and would include the largest boost in military funding in eight years. It authorizes $696.1 billion in defense funding, lawmakers said.
“It also remains committed to our troops and their families with full funding of the 2.4 percent pay raise they are entitled to,” Cole said. “It supports increased funding for facility maintenance, restoration and modernization by $1.4 billion, as well as increases for depot maintenance to monitor and repair important equipment and machinery.”
The NDAA includes an amendment introduced by Cole that would require the president to provide to Congress a strategy, budgetary analysis and request for authorization for use of military force to defeat al-Qaeda, the Taliban and ISIS.
“Providing the resources necessary to adequately fund our nation’s armed forces is one of Congress’s fundamental responsibilities” Cole said. “The final product that the House has crafted demonstrates strong bipartisan policies, and brings forth the framework to build a more robust military with stronger readiness.”
A provision led by Donovan was included in the overall bill to address disparities in the Department of Defense’s housing assistance formula. An inequitable system has led to veterans from Staten Island who attend college through the Post-9/11 GI Bill receiving thousands of dollars less in housing assistance than veterans in other parts of New York City despite comparable housing costs.
“This isn’t the end of the fight, but it’s a step in the right direction,” Donovan said. “The Department of Defense needs to merge Staten Island’s military housing area with the rest of New York City. While I continue my push to make that a reality, my amendment requires DoD to update its Staten Island rental analysis, hopefully resulting in a boost for student-vets.”
The NDAA also includes a Walorski-authored amendment requiring a U.S. Government Accountability Office report on how the Department of Defense can improve its acquisition process and manage programs more efficiently.
Walorski also praised provisions of the bill that would prevent the closure of the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, give service members a 2.4 percent pay raise and boost defense spending.
“This NDAA will rebuild our military, support our troops both on and off the battlefield, and keep our nation secure,” Walorski said. “After years of underfunding, this bill invests more in maintenance, modernization and training, allows our Armed Forces to grow to full strength again, and ensures Hoosier workers continue to play a key role in our national defense by manufacturing high-quality, made-in-America military equipment.”
Walorski said the bill puts the safety and security of Americans first by keeping detainees at Guantanamo Bay rather than bringing them to United States.
“With this critical legislation, we are investing in our national security and supporting the brave men and women who sacrifice so much to defend our freedom,” Walorski added.