Press Releases

Washington, DC—December 11, 2019.... Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) today voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020. The legislation, which includes several Womack supported provisions, authorizes $738 billion for national defense activities, including resources to equip our troops, support military families, enhance defense capabilities, strengthen military readiness, and modernize the force. The bipartisan legislation passed by a margin of 377 to 48.

Congressman Womack said, “The National Defense Authorization Act will support our military and defense strength. This bill will authorize a well-deserved pay raise for our brave men and women in uniform, ensure that they have the resources needed to protect the homeland, and strengthen capabilities to address evolving threats. I’m also pleased that, with my support, provisions to end the disgraceful widow’s tax, expand the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery, and improve military housing were also included in the final package. I look forward to seeing this bill quickly passed in the Senate and signed into law by President Trump.”

Highlights of the bill include authorizations to:

• Provide our courageous troops with the largest pay raise in a decade;
• Repeal the widow’s tax, an important initiative that Womack has supported and advocated for;
• Expand the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery by transferring nearly 141 acres of land at Camp Robinson to the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs;
• Sanction Russian energy projects, which would undermine U.S. and European security;
• Review World War I records in order to properly honor veterans;
• Invest in the tools needed to keep our troops safe, well-trained, and agile;
• Enhance resources to improve lethality and confront threats around the world, including aggression from Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran; and
• Emphasize policies and programs that advance America's security against emerging threats, including artificial intelligence, space and counter-space capabilities, cyber, influence operations, hypersonics, and others.

Womack continued, “While this bill is a great step forward in authorizing critical initiatives, our work is far from complete. We must come together to immediately pass the Defense Appropriations bill to fully fund these programs – otherwise, we risk putting our national security in danger. Anything less than sustained and predictable appropriations will hinder our military and defense efforts.”

The National Defense Authorization Act will now go to the Senate for consideration.

Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas’s Third Congressional District since 2011. He serves as the Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Budget and is a member of the House Appropriations defense and transportation, housing and urban development subcommittees.

womack.house.gov

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