Washington, DC— July 14, 2023…Today Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024. The legislation authorizes $886.3 billion for national security activities, including resources to equip our troops, support military families, enhance defense capabilities, strengthen military readiness, and deter foreign adversaries.

Congressman Womack said, “Providing for the common defense is a constitutional imperative. I am pleased we were able to move this bill out of the House. Taking care of our troops is important to me. The NDAA includes a 5.2% pay raise for our servicemembers, vital provisions that will help deter our pacing adversary and support Taiwanese defense, authorizes funding for construction for Fort Smith’s FMS mission, and bolsters our munitions and energetics supply chain. The NDAA is only a warm-up act – our focus needs to quickly turn to passing full appropriations for the Department of Defense and the whole government.”

Provisions in the bill Womack strongly supports:

• 5.2% pay raise for service members, with a monthly bonus for junior enlisted service members.
• An updated pay scale for junior enlisted service members.
• Authorizes $9.7 billion for Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) to include training, operations, expedited construction of defense infrastructure, and prepositioned stocks.
• Authorizes $75.542 million in military construction for Ebbing Air National Guard Base.
• Codifies a parent’s Bill of Rights for parents of children attending Department of Defense schools affording the right to review curriculum, materials, and disciplinary policies.
• Focuses the Department of Defense on warfighting readiness instead of domestic social policy.
• Establishes a Joint Energetics Transition Office to improve domestic manufacture of energetic materials.
• Authorizes increased funding for National Guard work with law enforcement to disrupt illicit drug trafficking.
• Prohibits the decommissioning of 5 battle force ships before their end of service life.

The legislation will advance to the Senate before a conference committee to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions will be established.

Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas’s Third Congressional District since 2011. He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

womack.house.gov

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