The House recently approved a conference report to the fiscal year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that outlines $619 billion in national defense spending to boost readiness and supplement ongoing operations overseas.
U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said the bill contains landmark reforms to improve the military’s strength and agility.
It also focuses on America’s most important national defense resources: the troops.
“It provides them a full pay raise for the first time in four years, it stops layoffs of our military personnel and actually increases the end strength of our armed forces, and it starts to stabilize the readiness problems that are making it more difficult for our troops to accomplish their mission and increasingly represents a danger to their lives,” Thornberry said.
The measure would increase troop pay 2.1 percent, reverse the drawdown of armed force levels, boost ground and aviation training, replenish munitions inventories, and overhaul ship procurement with a focus on submarines and amphibious ships.
U.S. Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said Congress has a duty to ensure that the military has every resource necessary to fight and defeat threats.
“With passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, we provide America’s uniformed men and women with the tools and support they need and deserve,” Flores said. “This strong defense bill will reinforce our national security and help bring our military into the 21st century. It is imperative that we continue working to strengthen our national defense and support our military men and women who are committed to protecting this great nation,” Flores said.
In support of ongoing operations overseas, the funding bill would extend critical authorities to armed forces fighting ISIS and other terrorist groups, provide additional resources to deter Russian aggression, and preserve key war fighting capabilities.
The NDAA is vital to ensuring troops have the resources they need to complete their mission, U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) said.
“This year’s NDAA includes a well-deserved pay raise for our troops, reforms the military acquisitions process to improve results for taxpayers and maintains the prohibition on transferring detainees at Guantanamo Bay to American soil,” he said.
“Specifically for Michigan, this legislation opens the door for hardworking manufacturers to compete for the honor of supplying our troops with the best American-made footwear available,” the Congressman said. As a result, more manufacturing jobs can be created in Michigan.