North Country Leader

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, today voted to advance the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 out of the Committee.

“As the leading advocate for Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division, I am proud to give Upstate New York and the North Country a seat at the highest levels, as I deliver results to protect and strengthen the Fort Drum community, fully equip our troops, increase our military readiness, and support the families of servicemembers in our district,” Stefanik said. “Our country must never fall behind in providing for a strong national defense. The provisions in this NDAA invest in emerging technologies, secure supply chains of critical components for our military platforms, and ensure our military readiness to meet the United States’ national security needs. This is critical to promoting peace through strength in the face of the rapidly evolving military threats posed by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. For these reasons, I am proud to have advanced a defense bill that puts taxpayer dollars to good use by strengthening our military and providing a well-deserved pay raise to our brave men and women in uniform as they work to keep us safe.”

The FY 2024 NDAA authorizes $886.3 billion for national defense, an increase of $28 billion over the FY 2023 enacted level and it authorizes funding for over $2 billion in service chief and combatant commander priorities that have been left unfunded by Biden’s budget.

Stefanik once again secured numerous provisions to support Fort Drum, the 10th Mountain Division, and military families, including the following:

Strengthening Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division

1.       Authorizes $20 million in funding for Missile Defense Agency planning and design activities to continue work on a third missile defense interceptor site at Ft. Drum. 

2.       Requires the completion of an updated assessment from MDA on constructing a third U.S. missile defense interceptor site at Ft. Drum.  

3.       Allows Fort Drum to be eligible for Cold Weather location assignment pay.

4.       Requires an examination on the Army’s plan to field unmanned aircraft systems to light infantry units like the 10th Mountain Division.

5.       Secured funding for the radio systems used by first responders to protect families and improve on-base security.

6.       Secures robust funding for 10th Mountain Division Engineer’s land surveying equipment designed to perform reconnaissance, obstacle reporting, and construction management.

7.       Requires DoD to streamline approval processes for Army units to conduct training in a contested electromagnetic spectrum.

8.       Permanently increases the minor military construction threshold to give the services greater flexibility to build out necessary infrastructure.

Fighting for Wins for Upstate New York and the North Country

1.       Authorizes $5 million in funding for Air Force Research Lab – Rome’s annual Future Flag testing and evaluation exercise, conducted in Lewis, NY. 

2.       Supports critical funding for electric vertical take off and lift aircraft to continue to be developed by the U.S. Air Force, including those in development at the Plattsburgh Airport. 

3.       Secured robust funding for DoD Impact Aid schools including Indian River and Carthage Schools. 

4.       Requires the DoD to analyze how the unique environment of Upstate New York and the North Country can be utilized for training our military personnel in multi-domain operations in contested electromagnetic spectrum environments.

5.       Authorizes robust funding for Army National Guard Heavy Dump Truck which enables the New York Army National Guard’s ability to conduct international and state-driven missions, such as natural disaster relief and recovery.

6.       Expands the in-home childcare pilot program to focus on additional rural areas including Fort Drum.

Supporting Our Servicemembers and Their Families 

1.       Codifies a Servicemember Parents’ Bill of Rights to ensure Servicemembers have the right to be involved in their children’s education.

2.       Supports a 5.2% increase in Servicemember basic pay, the largest pay raise in over 20 years.

3.       Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to pay junior enlisted members a monthly bonus to counteract the effects of Biden’s record-high inflation.

4.       Opens commissary and recreational facility access to remarried Gold Star Spouses.

5.       Requires DoD to publish and maintain a website of wait lists for childcare centers.

6.       Requires DoD to identify ways for local installations to expand childcare capacity by partnering with off-installation childcare providers.

7.       Requires DoD to identify ways to streamline the burdensome regulations placed on childcare facility employees, while upholding the current level quality of care provided. 

8.       Authorizes DoD to reduce out-of-pocket childcare expenses for military families.

9.       Requires the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to examine the personnel policies throughout DoDEA.

10.   Allows military spouses to defer their student loans when their spouse has a change of duty location. 

Confronting the CCP and Foreign Adversaries

1.       Requires the DoD to identify and mitigate harmful encroachment near military installations, especially land purchases made by CCP-backed entities.

2.       Accelerates the deployment of advanced radars to track high-altitude balloons and other CCP threats to our homeland.

3.       Permanently authorizes U.S. Special Operations Command’s Irregular Warfare authorities to ensure our partners and allies can resist aggression by adversaries like Russia and China.

4.       Closes loopholes that enable DoD funds to go to universities operating CCP fronts like Confucius Institutes.

5.       Requires a list of foreign academic institutions that aid our competitors to protect American academia from the threats and actions of our adversaries.

6.       Extends the authority for US-Israel anti-tunneling cooperation.

7.       Continues to support critical US-Israel missile defense cooperation. 

8.       Requires a briefing on how the DoD is measuring regional sentiment using commercially available technology to better inform military leaders.

9.       Briefing on technology transfers and technical assistance from the PRC to Iran that further their ICBM capabilities, and how this partnership puts our homeland at risk.  

Keeping Pace with Emerging Technologies in the 21st Century

1.       Refocuses the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to focus on integrating commercial technology into DoD requirements.

2.       Requires a briefing on current gaps in how the National Guard is using its resources to address both homeland defense and emerging threats.

3.       Requires a brief on how counter-unmanned aircraft capabilities are being integrated with current systems to enhance effectiveness and reduce cost.

4.       Requires a report on the plan to acquire and field electric vertical take-off and landing technologies that support mobility, and enable agile, lower-cost, distributed logistics.

Strengthening National Defense 

1.       Provides DoD with multi-year procurement for domestically produced rare earth elements and requires DoD to assess ways to increase stockpiles of rare earth elements.

2.       Improves professional military education to incorporate irregular warfare into curricula across all branches of service. 

3.       Requires a plan to enhance inspection procedures for the prepositioned stockpiles to identify deficiencies and ensure they are mission capable.

4.       Requires a DoD briefing on the benefits of multi-year procurement authority for nuclear-grade graphite to enhance that supply chain’s viability.

Now, the House version of the NDAA will be brought to the House Floor for a full House debate and passage.

Original source can be found here.