Today, House Republicans will vote on the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which provides for the needs of servicemembers and their families through a pay increase, improved housing and access to healthcare, while equipping our military with the tools and resources to counter the rapidly growing threats from Communist China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
The FY24 NDAA will also provide much-needed oversight and crackdown on waste, fraud, and abuse, saving taxpayers billions of dollars.
MAKE NO MISTAKE: With the passage of the FY24 NDAA, House Republicans will deliver on our Commitment to America - a nation that’s safe.
THE FY24 NDAA INCLUDES PROVISIONS TO COUNTER COMMUNIST CHINA’S AGGRESSION (Courtesy of the House Armed Services Committee Republicans)
Deterrence
Extends the Pacific Deterrence Initiative to enhance U.S. deterrence and defense posture in the Indo-Pacific region. Funds the initiative at $9.7 billion, an increase of $600 million over Biden’s budget request.
Authorizes over $360 million in INDOPACOM Commander priorities left unfunded in the Biden budget.
Rejects the Biden administration’s effort to reduce the size of the Navy.
Builds more projection forces (battle force ships and ISR aircraft) than requested to ensure overmatch in a CCP fight.
Increases funding for essential military construction projects and expands logistics capabilities in the Indo-Pacific to ensure our forces can sustain the fight.
Increases funding and provides multi-year procurement authority for munitions critical to the fight, including advanced autonomous drones, precision missiles, and anti-ship capabilities.
Increases funding for innovative new technologies needed to deter the CCP on future battlefields, including AI, autonomous systems, cyber, mobile micronuclear reactors, and high energy lasers.
Requires the DoD to undertake efforts to expand the deployable capacity of U.S. nuclear forces to counter the CCP’s unprecedented nuclear buildup.
Strengthening Homeland Defense and Preventing CCP Espionage
Requires the DoD to identify and mitigate harmful encroachment near military installations, especially land purchases made by CCP-backed entities.
Removes outdated policy limitations preventing missile defenses from being oriented against threats to the homeland from near-peer adversaries such as China.
Accelerates the deployment of advanced radars to track high-altitude balloons and other CCP threats to our homeland.
Assists universities engaged in DoD research to improve the security of their research operations.
Closes loopholes that enable DoD funds to go to universities operating CCP fronts like Confucius Institutes.
Prohibits DoD from contracting with Ecohealth Alliance for any research supported by CCP.
Prohibits DoD from contracting with consulting firms that also do business with the CCP.
Prohibits DoD and U.S. seaports from contracting with any entity that uses CCP-backed transportation logistics software.
Prohibits the procurement of certain battery technologies and energetic munition materials from China.
Support for Taiwan and Pacific Allies
Reaffirms U.S. support to the defense of Taiwan.
Authorizes U.S. Special Operations Forces to continue training Taiwan and other partner nations in resisting the aggression and malign influence from China.
Fully funds military exercises with our allies and partners in the Pacific to counter China’s growing reach.
Strengthens military cybersecurity cooperation with Taiwan.
Encourages the expansion of local military acquisition agreements with Pacific Island nations to improve bilateral relationships and counter the CCP’s increased presence and activity.
Improves the training and development of the security cooperation workforce to expedite the delivery of Foreign Military Sales to Taiwan and other partners.
Countering China's Malign Influence
Increases funding for military information operations assistance to Indo-Pacific allies to counter Chinese influence operations.
Provides a new tool for combatant commanders to rapidly address emergent security needs with foreign partners.
Authorizes additional funds for U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Southern Command to carry out military education and training aimed at countering Chinese influence.
Requires an assessment of CCP cooperation with Iran on ICBM technology.
Requires an assessment of CCP presence in the Caribbean and South America.
FY24 NDAA BUDGET SAVINGS AND REFORMS (Courtesy of the House Armed Services Committee Republicans)
The FY24 NDAA authorizes $886.3 billion for national defense discretionary programs, an increase of $28 billion over the FY23 enacted level.
Funds over $2 billion in service chief and combatant commander priorities left unfunded by the Biden Budget.
Does NOT exceed the Fiscal Responsibility Act’s FY24 defense discretionary spending level.
Cost Savings and Reforms
The FY24 NDAA saves taxpayers $40 billion or 5% of current defense spending levels.
The NDAA cuts inefficient defense programs, obsolete weapons systems, and unnecessary Pentagon bureaucracy. Savings include:
Over $23 billion from the divestment of obsolete aircraft.
Over $1.1 billion from the decommissioning of outmoded ships.
Over $3.8 billion in cuts to weapons programs that have not met development milestones.
Over $1.7 billion in cuts to weapons programs experiencing excessive cost growth.
Over $425 million from the elimination of redundant and inefficient Pentagon bureaucracy.
Penalizes DoD for cost overruns on major defense programs.
Requires DoD IG to conduct a comprehensive audit of price and cost data for major defense acquisition programs.
Curtails wasteful contract disputes by establishing a loser pays pilot program to reimburse the taxpayer for costs incurred from contract award protests denied by the GAO.
Increases oversight of wasteful DoD property leases by requiring an assessment and report to Congress on usage data for all real property assets within the National Capital Region.
Reduces wasteful spending by putting in place a verification system to ensure schools receiving Federal Impact Aid remain eligible for such payments.
THE FY24 NDAA INCREASES OVERSIGHT AND DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION (Courtesy of the House Armed Services Committee Republicans)
Audit and Oversight of Ukraine Security Assistance
Establishes a new Special Inspector General for Ukraine Security Assistance to direct and coordinate the oversight and audit of all aid provided to Ukraine by the United States.
Provides the DoD IG with direct hire authority to rapidly expand the number of auditors reviewing Ukraine security assistance.
Requires GAO to assess DoD’s end use monitoring programs and provide recommendations to Congress on ways to strengthen them.
Cracking Down on Waste
Cuts over $5.8 billion in weapons programs that have not met development milestones or are experiencing excessive cost growth.
Penalizes DoD for cost overruns on major defense programs.
Requires DoD IG to conduct a comprehensive audit of price and cost data for major defense acquisition programs.
Curtails wasteful contract disputes by establishing a loser pays pilot program to reimburse the taxpayer for costs incurred from contract award protests denied by the GAO.
Prohibits the Air Force from issuing a contract to acquire an unnecessary new satellite until it certifies that the requirements cannot be met by commercial providers.
Limits spending on new tanker aircraft until the Air Force can validate requirements and certify that the refueling system works.
Limits spending on an advanced helicopter program until the Army provides Congress with an analysis of alternatives.
Withholds funds from the Navy until Congress receives a report on the operational status of amphibious warships.
Enhancing Congressional Oversight of DoD Programs
Requires DoD to fix military personnel records system to stop unauthorized releases.
Fully funds DoD Office of Inspector General.
Requires DoD to notify Congress of any decision to delay a nuclear test launch.
Requires quarterly briefings on the operational status of the amphibious warship fleet.
Requires the Navy to implement models and metrics to track the readiness of major weapons systems.
Requires DoD to submit an integrated master schedule and provide quarterly briefings to Congress on the progress of nuclear modernization programs.
Requires DoD to better track sustainment and modernization of nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) programs.
Requires the Air Force and Navy to annually submit development and technology maturation progress reports and set maximum cost limitations on each Department's Next Generation Air Dominance and Collaborative Combat Aircraft acquisition programs.
Requires the GAO to audit the Army’s air and missile defense program and Long Range Precision Fires program to help contain costs.
THE FY24 NDAA ENDS WOKENESS IN THE MILITARY (Courtesy of the House Armed Services Committee Republicans)
Banning Critical Race Theory (CRT)
Prohibits funding for the teaching of CRT in the military.
Prohibits funds for any DoD advisory committee dealing with CRT.
Requires DoD to report to Congress on how much time and taxpayer dollars have been wasted on CRT training.
Ending DEI Overreach
Repeals the DoD’s unnecessary Chief Diversity Officer.
Guts the Pentagon’s DEI bureaucracy by prohibiting the DOD from paying anyone whose job it is to carry out DEI programs more than $92,000 (GS-10 level).
Requires the Secretary to assess and validate the need for every position in the DEI bureaucracy.
Eliminates funding for the DoD’s politically biased Countering Extremism Working Group.
Prohibits DoD from contracting with NewsGuard Technologies or similar advertising firms that blacklist conservative news sources.
Prohibits funds for any DoD advisory committee dealing with race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or social justice.
Prohibits Drag Shows
Eliminates funding for drag shows, Drag Queen Story Hours, or similar events.
Halts the Navy’s promotion of a drag queen as a “Digital Ambassador”.
Protecting Parents Rights
Includes a Parents Bill of Rights to ensure parents of children in DoD schools have the right to review curriculum, books, and instructional materials; meet with teachers; and provide consent before any medical exams or screenings by the school.
Preventing a Military Green New Deal
Does NOT authorize climate change programs.
Blocks DoD from requiring defense contractors to document the impact their weapons systems have on greenhouse gas emissions and submit plans to reduce emissions.
Ensures military ranges in the Gulf of Mexico remain open for critical training.
Cuts funding for questionable combat vehicle electrification research programs.
Prohibits funds for DoD advisory committees dealing with environmental justice.
THE FY24 NDAA PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO THE 8,000 SERVICEMEMBERS DISCHARGED FOR FAILING TO TAKE THE COVID-19 VACCINE AND GIVES A PATH BACK TO SERVICE (Courtesy of the House Armed Services Committee Republicans)
Current Servicemembers
Continues the prohibition on adverse action on any servicemember that refuses to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
Path Back to Service
Requires the Secretary of Defense to inform each discharged servicemember of the process they can follow to be reinstated.
Requires the Service Secretaries to consider reinstating separated servicemembers at the same rank.
Treats the time away from service for any servicemember reinstated as a “career intermission” so it does not impact future promotions.
Protecting Servicemember Benefits
Prohibits the DoD from requiring cadets and midshipmen from being forced to repay tuition if they were discharged as a result of failing to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
Requires the DoD to prioritize requests to correct the personnel files of those discharged to enable them to receive full benefits in retirement.
THE FY24 NDAA CONTINUES STRONG CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT FOR OUR SERVICEMEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES (Courtesy of the House Armed Services Committee Republicans)
Servicemember Pay and Benefits
Supports a 5.2% increase in servicemember basic pay, the largest pay raise in over 20 years.
Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to pay junior enlisted members a monthly bonus to counteract the effects of Biden’s record-high inflation.
Expands Basic Needs Allowance to assist low-income servicemembers supporting a family.
Extends military recruitment and retention bonuses and special pay authorities.
Housing
Authorizes over $240 million to reduce servicemember out-of-pocket housing expenses and counteract the skyrocketing cost of rent.
Authorizes $27 million over the budget request for new family housing.
Authorizes $177.8 million over the budget request to renovate and build new barracks.
Authorizes an additional berthing barge to provide a safe and healthy housing alternative for Navy servicemembers during dry dock availabilities.
Military Spouses
Expands reimbursements available to military spouses for relicensing or business costs when servicemembers transfer locations.
Requires the Defense Health Agency to examine the feasibility of hiring qualified spouses while they await the transfer of professional licenses.
Opens commissary and recreational facility access to remarried Gold Star Spouses.
Childcare and Schools
Significantly reduces DoD childcare fees for military families.
Authorizes $113 million over the budget request for the construction of new childcare centers.
Requires DoD to publish and maintain a website of wait lists for childcare centers.
Expands the in-home childcare pilot program to focus on more rural areas.
Requires DoD to identify ways for local installations to expand childcare capacity by partnering with off-installation childcare providers.
Authorizes over $280 million to build new schools for military children.
Authorizes $50 million in Impact Aid assistance to public schools with military dependent students and $20 million in assistance to local schools teaching children with severe disabilities.
Requires a review of the availability of mental health services in military schools.
Healthcare
Waives fees and copays on the TRICARE Dental Program for all members of the Selected Reserve.
Prohibits cuts in reimbursement rates for providers of applied behavior analysis for the treatment of autism.
Strengthens oversight of TRICARE pharmacy program.
Expands cardiac care pilot program to provide electrocardiograms to all individuals entering military service.
To address the growing behavioral health demands across the Military Health System, the NDAA:
Authorizes license portability for mental health professionals who provide non-medical counseling services.
Increases awareness across DOD to the new 9-8-8 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Requires DoD to examine ways to reduce time to credential providers and reimburse providers.
Requires a study of the role non-clinical behavioral health services to expand mental health services.
Requires DoD to determine ways of enhancing medical resources for servicemembers conducting missions in Japan and Guam.
Requires DOD to study the incidences of cancer among Air Force missileers at Malmstrom, Warrant, and Minot Air Force bases.
HOW FY24 NDAA STRENGTHENS STRATEGIC DETERRENCE, MISSILE DEFENSE & HYPERSONIC CAPABILITIES (Courtesy of the House Armed Services Committee Republicans)
Nuclear Deterrence
Fully funds the modernization of our nuclear triad.
Establishes the nuclear Sea-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM-N) as an official program of record – rejecting the Biden administration’s request to cancel the program.
Prohibits the DoD from reducing the number of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles below 400 or reducing the responsiveness or alert status of the arsenal.
Limits the ability of the Biden Administration to retire certain nuclear weapons.
Invests additional resources in production facilities for nuclear components necessary to reconstitute the nation’s ability to produce nuclear weapons.
Realigns over $100 million in funding authorized for nonessential activities at the National Nuclear Security Administration to support core nuclear weapons programs.
Requires DoD to notify Congress of any instance of nuclear cooperation between Russia and China – this follows reports of Russia’s delivery of highly enriched uranium to China.
Prohibits the administration from sharing information on our nuclear forces with Russia unless Russia resumes sharing the same information with the United States.
Missile Defense
Removes outdated policy limitations preventing missile defenses from being oriented against threats to the homeland from near-peer adversaries such as China.
Provides an additional $225 million to accelerate the Glide Phase Interceptor program to defend against hypersonic threats and requires an initial capability to be fielded by 2029.
Accelerates development of an East Coast missile defense site.
Provides nearly $200 million in missile defense priorities left unfunded in the Biden budget.
Accelerates the deployment of advanced radars to track missiles, high-altitude balloons, and other CCP threats to our homeland.
Hypersonic Capabilities
Requires DoD to develop new additional aerial testing corridors to address shortfalls in hypersonic testing capacity.
Provides an additional $63 million for hypersonics-related research and development across multiple programs.
Requires DoD to improve the recruitment and retention of its hypersonics workforce.
HOW FY24 NDAA IMPROVES MILITARY AND INDUSTRIAL BASE READINESS (Courtesy of the House Armed Services Committee Republicans)
Enhancing Military Readiness
Prohibits the decommissioning of 5 battle force ships with years of service life remaining.
Rejects the Biden Administration’s request to divest certain aircraft including the F-22 and the C-130 to ensure continued air superiority in the near-term.
Prohibits the DoD from reducing the number of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles below 400 or reducing the responsiveness or alert status of the arsenal.
Limits the ability of the Biden Administration to retire certain nuclear weapons.
Prohibits the Navy from reducing the operational status of the Expeditionary Fast Transport vessels.
Increases funding for military exercises.
Requires the Air Force to maintain sufficient capability, capacity, and proficient aircrews to support geographical combatant commanders' requirements.
Permanently increases the minor military construction threshold to give the services greater flexibility to build out necessary infrastructure.
Requires MARAD to establish a working group to assess the size and readiness of the U.S. flag fleet to meet national defense and commercial requirements.
Certainty for the Defense Industrial Base
Establishes a grant program to expand capacity at private shipyards building Navy ships.
Establishes a Joint Energetics Transition Office to improve the domestic manufacture of energetic materials critical to the production of munitions.
Supports additional investments in shipyard infrastructure and recapitalization efforts.
Provides multi-year procurement for domestically produced rare earth elements and requires DoD to assess ways to increase stockpiles of rare earth elements.
Provides multi-year procurement authority for the APL and Virginia Cass sub.
Provides multi-year procurement authority for several munitions critical to conflict in the Indo-Pacific.
Increases investment in the Army Ammunition Plants to expand domestic munition production capacity.
Increases funds for the expansion of the sonobuoy industrial base.
Extends direct hire authority through 2035 for military ranges and organic industrial base facilities quickly fill critical vacancies with qualified civilians.
Supply Chain and industrial Base Security
Requires the Space Force to implement a plan to share threats from China and other adversaries with commercial space operators.
Requires an assessment of foreign control and influence over the supply chain for critical minerals and metals used for defense technologies.
Directs GAO to review and assess DoD’s efforts to plan and execute fuel resupply needs in a contested Indo-Pacific environment.
Requires DoD to ensure military fuel providers are not owned or infiltrated by the CCP or other adversaries.
Requires DoD to report to Congress on foreign control and influence over the supply chain for critical minerals, metals, supplies, services, and materials used for defense technologies.
HOW FY24 NDAA INCREASES INNOVATION (Courtesy of the House Armed Services Committee Republicans)
Equipping the Warfighter
Establishes a pilot program to rapidly field attritable systems and evolving technologies with Combatant Commanders’ input.
Creates the Principal Transition Advisor in each military service to help facilitate the transition of technologies from industry and academia into capabilities and technologies for the warfighters.
Commercial Technology Capabilities
Codifies the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to scale its ability to bring private sector innovation into the Department.
Requires the DIU Director report directly to the Secretary of Defense.
Tasks DIU with coordinating enterprises focused on fielding and operationalizing technologies across the DoD.
Requires DoD to develop ways to involve venture capital in the development of new technologies.
Rescopes the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to focus on integrating commercial technology into DoD requirements.
Requires DoD to develop ways to expand access to sensitive compartmented information facilities for small businesses.
Technology Transition
Creates 3 technology transition pilots to test unique authorities for the science and technology enterprises to transition technology to the warfighter.
Streamlines Other Transaction Authority to improve delivery of prototypes.
Extends the Domestic Investment program to allow for companies with venture capital majority ownerships to apply for Small Business Innovation Research Program funds.
Directs DoD to put in place metrics to evaluate the successful transition of technology to the warfighter.
Expands initiatives to rapidly test innovative technologies directly with warfighters.
Strengthening Partnerships
Improves partnership intermediary agreements to allow DoD labs to transfer technologies from academia or industry into DoD labs.
Authorizes contributions to NATO’s Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) – a technology incubator designed to facilitate the acquisition of emerging technologies more rapidly.
Requires DoD to implement a strategy to encourage the development of patentable inventions.
HOW FY24 NDAA ADDRESSES OTHER DEFENSE PRIORITIES (Courtesy of the House Armed Services Committee Republicans)
Enhancing Security Cooperation with Israel
Adds $50 million above the President’s budget request to research and develop advanced technology with Israel.
Requires Central Command to engage in regular, joint, and interoperable, exercises with Israel to practice and simulate coalition strike, refueling, and other missions.
Requires DoD to inform Congress of any defense contractors engaged in the anti-Israel Boycott-Divest-Sanction movement against Israel.
Established a grant program to increase collaborative research between the US and Israel on treating servicemembers affected by PTSD.
Extends the U.S.-Israel Anti-Tunneling Cooperation Program.
Expands DOD’s annual reporting requirements on Iran's military power to add new threats facing Israel, including Iranian advancements in space launch.
Requires the DoD to provide a plan on pre-positioning Precision-Guided Munitions in Israel.
Directs the Secretary of Defense to enable Israel to gain observer status in the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program.
Encourages DoD to expand Israel’s participation in multinational organizations and military task forces.
DoD Support for Border Security
Directs DoD to inform Congress on how it will utilize, transfer, or donate to border states unused border wall materials for further construction of a border barrier.
Fully funds the National Guard’s operation and maintenance account to support a border deployment.
Provides an additional $15 million over the President’s request to enable U.S. Northern Command to improve drug interdiction, including fentanyl shipments from China.
Provides an additional $25 million over the President’s request for National Guard to work with local law enforcement agencies in efforts to disrupt and degrade illicit drug production and trafficking.
Requires DoD to report on its operational needs on the border and the support it provides to DHS.
