U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp helped pass bipartisan legislation to enable our military to have the resources it needs to safeguard our nation, which includes Heitkamp-sponsored provisions supporting North Dakota's military priorities.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authorizes funding for the Department of Defense and other national security programs, and makes sure our troops have the resources and support they need to do their jobs. Heitkamp fought successfully to include amendments that improved the bill for North Dakota, including provisions dealing with our nuclear arsenal, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and the National Guard. The bill has already passed the House and now goes to the President for his signature.
"For more than 50 consecutive years we have passed legislation to authorize and support our military, and today's vote shows the Senate was again able to come together to support our troops and defense operations," said Heitkamp, co-founder of the Defense Communities Caucus. "I've continued to work across the aisle to find solutions for North Dakota -- and getting my amendments included in this bill was no different. In our state, we understand the importance of military service and the need to support those who put their lives on the line every day to protect each one of us. Whether it's the National Guard, our air bases, or our burgeoning UAS industry, the military plays such an important role in our state. I'll keep fighting to make sure they continue to thrive in North Dakota."
Several Heitkamp-backed provisions were included in the final legislation, including:
An amendment to protect North Dakota's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) infrastructure. Since taking office, Heitkamp has been adamant in her opposition to further unnecessary reductions in our nuclear forces. Following her previous objections to the Defense Department's efforts to consider eliminating more ICBM silos, Heitkamp worked with her colleagues in the bipartisan Senate ICBM coalition to amend the NDAA, protecting ICBM silos from unnecessary environmental studies that would prioritize cost over the strategic force considerations.
An amendment to strengthen North Dakota's UAS capacity. Heitkamp included an amendment to require the UAS Executive Committee, which will run UAS test site programs, to conduct a study on how the federal government can improve the effectiveness of its UAS programs. This includes technological development, better sharing of information among agencies, and examining the use of UAS in military airspace. North Dakota is a national leader in UAS development and research and is working hard to promote the advancement of this industry.
An amendment to improve National Guard cyber missions. The North Dakota Air Guard's new cyber targeting mission will put our state at the forefront of one of the key defense efforts of the next century -- cyberspace and cyber infrastructure. Heitkamp worked with her colleagues to include an important amendment in the NDAA that will help make sure there is a smooth transition to the new mission, and the Guard has the resources it needs to play a key role in deterring action against the United States.