Press Releases

Washington, DC—December 8, 2020….Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) today voted to pass the conference report to the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021. The legislation, which includes several Womack-supported provisions, authorizes $740.5 billion for national defense activities, including resources to equip our troops, support military families, enhance defense capabilities, strengthen military readiness, and modernize the force.

Congressman Womack said, “We have a constitutional obligation to protect the homeland and support the men and women who stand watch over freedom. The NDAA is fundamental to that duty, and this bill provides our troops with a well-deserved pay raise and the resources, training, and equipment needed to remain the most capable and superior fighting force in the world. It also prioritizes a Fort Chaffee infrastructure project, invests in Arkansas’s military installations, and confronts emerging threats from authoritarian adversaries like China and Russia. While some disagreements on partisan provisions remain, the legislation overwhelmingly includes the elements necessary for a strong defense. My vote today is for our heroes in uniform who keep us safe and secure.”

Provisions of the bill that Womack strongly supports include authorizations that will:

• Provide our courageous troops with a pay raise;
• Allow for an Ebbing Air National Guard Base energy project;
• Improve infrastructure at Ft. Chaffee to enhance its readiness center’s capabilities;
• Include sanctions to stop the construction of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline, an initiative Womack has cosponsored to protect U.S. and European security;
• Enhance resources, including diagnostic equipment, testing capabilities, and PPE, to protect our armed forces from COVID-19;
• Support the Multinational Force and Observers’ mission in Sinai, which is where the “Gunslingers” of the 2nd Battalion, 153rd Infantry Regiment, Arkansas Army National Guard deployed to following the September 11th attacks;
• Invest in the tools needed to keep our troops safe, well-trained, and agile;
• Procure critical defense equipment, including new submarines and advanced weapon systems;
• Modernize our nuclear deterrent to ensure it remains ready to respond, if necessary;
• Bolster 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, autonomous systems, biotechnology, and more.

This will mark the 60th consecutive year Congress has fulfilled its constitutional duty to provide for the common defense by passing the NDAA. The final legislation was developed following a conference committee, where members from both parties and chambers reconciled policy differences between the originally passed House and Senate versions of the NDAA. It will now advance to the Senate for a vote.

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 Committee.

womack.house.gov

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