Wittman Backs House Passage of FY23 NDAA

Press Release

Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) applauded the House Passage of FY23 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Following House passage, Congressman Wittman stated:

"In today's increasingly divided political world, today's passage of the NDAA is encouraging proof that Congress can still work together for the greater good of our nation. This year's NDAA does right by our servicemembers and their families, reverses Biden's reckless defense cuts, counteracts Biden's harmful inflation, provides the resources we need to deter Chinese aggression, and protects our homeland.

"I continue to support efforts to expand our Navy fleet size and am particularly pleased to lead efforts opposing reckless Navy force structure reductions. China is pursuing the largest military buildup in history since World War II spanning across all capabilities and domains. We are entering an acute period of instability with the growing threat posed by Beijing, and the near-term ramifications of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The investments made in this year's NDAA will strengthen the Joint Force, sustaining and augmenting the US military's ability to protect and defend our great nation, and deter conflict.

"I am proud of the work done leading up to today's House passage of the FY23 NDAA, and I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for supporting this critical legislation. I look forward to seeing it become law and to continuing our work for our nation's armed services."

Passage of this year's NDAA will include passage of the following legislation introduced or co-sponsored by Congressman Wittman:

H.R. 7695, To amend title 10, United States Code, to prescribe the minimum number of operational amphibious battle force ships that must be included in the combat forces of the Navy, and for other purposes
H.R. 4861, The Cobia Act: Establishes Special Emergency Reimbursement Authority for the Dept of Defense, similar to that provided by Sec. 3610 of the CARES Act, to allow contractors be reimbursed if they are unable to work on-site due to a pandemic.
A report from the Department of Defense to begin work on implementation of H.R. 7448, requiring a study on the resiliency of space access infrastructure for national security requirements.

Passage of this year's NDAA includes the following amendments championed by Congressman Wittman:

A sponsored amendment prohibiting the disposal of Littoral Combat Ships unless the ships are transferred to the military forces of a nation that is an ally or partner of the United States.
A sponsored amendment requiring enhanced reporting from the Department of Defense Inspector General on oversight of the DoD response to Russian aggression and assistance to Ukraine.
A sponsored amendment requiring additional data on Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III awards under the SBIR and STTR programs within each military department to assess opportunities to support and enhance the DoD's ability to access innovative technologies.
A sponsored amendment directing a briefing on how inflation is impacting firm-fixed-price contracts within the Department of Defense.
A sponsored amendment to support a number of companies that stepped forward during Operation Warp Speed--the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic--ensuring that pre-pandemic contractual instruments leveraged during Operation Warp Speed are executed as originally intended, enabling these companies to continue providing solutions to our nation today.
A co-sponsored amendment directing the Secretary of Defense to provide information on the delivery status of certain arms sales to threatened democracies, including Taiwan.
A co-sponsored amendment directing a GAO review of the parity between the Federal Wage System and the prevailing wage rate for wage grade workers who maintain, repair, or help support those who maintain or repair US Navy ships or submarines at the four US Navy public shipyards or at naval bases in competitive job markets.
A co-sponsored amendment directing the Navy to enter into an agreement with a Federally Funded Research and Development Center to study ways to improve the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program's (SIOP) efforts to optimize facilities and replace outdated equipment.
A co-sponsored amendment establishing a pilot project to enhance resilience in defense communities by appointing four Interagency Regional Coordinators for Resilience.

The FY23 NDAA contains many additional Seapower provisions and Virginia priorities that Representative Wittman advocated for, including:

Securing a 4.6% pay raise for servicemembers and a 2.4% inflationary pay bonus for enlisted personnel.
Reverses President Biden's cuts to shipbuilding and authorizes the construction of 13 new battle force ships.
Puts the Navy back on track to building a 355-ship Navy.
Includes $250 million to support expansion and modernization of the shipyard industrial base.
Fully funds the B-21 bomber and the Columbia ballistic missile submarine programs, both key elements to maintain our strategic deterrence.
Prohibits further reductions to our bomber force structure.
Sets the stage to strengthen prepositioned forces and the readiness of the United States Navy.
Supports the development and improvement of commercial satellite communications to defeat emerging future threats.
Establishes a retention rate policy and required rationale for determination for non-nuclear surface ship repair & maintenance.

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