Washington, DC—December 8, 2022….Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) today voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)for Fiscal Year 2023. The legislation, which includes many Womack-supported provisions, authorizes nearly $858 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, “Our constitutional duty to provide for America’s defense means policies coming out of Congress should act as ‘combat multipliers.’ The FY23 NDAA meets that obligation. With a focus on advancing military readiness and ensuring our warfighters are equipped for all threats, it implements authorities to support a strong posture forward. Yet, our responsibility doesn’t end here. We can’t outpace our adversaries without sustained, predictable appropriations. Every stopgap measure holds our military hostage and risks national security.”
Authorizations in the bipartisan bill include:
Stopping Biden Defense Cuts: Reverses harmful cuts proposed by President Biden and ensures our military is properly resourced.
Troop Pay Raise: Gives our courageous troops a pay raise.
Helping Military Families: Includes resources to help military families cope with record inflation, better supports military spouse employment opportunities, enhances childcare choices, and reinforces parent rights in education.
Countering China: Bolsters resources to improve lethality, reduces our reliance on Chinese supply chains, requires assessment of CCP influence, and implements other deterrence efforts.
Quicker Acquisition Timelines: Provides necessary authorities to allow procurement of critical munitions on accelerated timelines. This includes many munitions produced in Arkansas such as Guided Multiple Launch Rockets (GMLRS), Patriot surface to air missiles, and Javelin anti-armor missiles.
Protecting Supply Chain: Further protects the supply chain and defense industrial base against Chinese infiltration.
Ending Vaccine Mandate: Rescinds the COVID-19 vaccination mandate on all active and reserve component servicemembers.
Backing U.S. Allies: Enhances security cooperation with Singapore and Taiwan to protect sovereignty and curb Beijing’s control over the Indo-Pacific region.
Supporting Arkansas Troops: Provides resources to support our troops at Ebbing, Fort Chaffee, and other Arkansas installations.
Nuclear Deterrence: Accelerates nuclear triad modernization, including full funding of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, at a time when China is exponentially expanding its nuclear arsenal and Russia is modernizing its nuclear capabilities at an alarming rate.
Helping Military Families: Includes resources to help military families cope with record inflation, better supports military spouse employment opportunities, enhances childcare choices, and reinforces parent rights in education.
Boosting Lethality: Invests in the tools needed to keep our troops safe, well-trained, and agile and procures critical defense equipment, including new submarines, ships, and advanced weapon systems.
Advancing Innovation: Emphasizes policies and programs that advance America's security against emerging threats, including artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, biotechnology, and more.
Border Security: Fully funds National Guard border deployment operations and requires the President to submit a report to Congress on security and law enforcement cooperation with Mexico and national security impacts of cartel-controlled areas and activities.
Confronting Russian Aggression: Provides weapons and lethal assistance to Ukraine to support their fight against Putin’s forcible invasion and attack of a sovereign nation.
Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas’s Third Congressional District since 2011. He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.
