WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08), representing Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, GA and Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, GA, today praised the U.S. House of Representatives on passing H.R. 4909, the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).  

As the only Republican from Georgia on the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Scott was instrumental in fighting on behalf of Georgia’s military installations during the mark up of the NDAA.  On April 27, 2016, the Committee passed the legislation after more than 16 hours of debate with a bipartisan vote of 60-2 and sent it to the Floor for consideration before the full House.  It passed the House on May 17, 2016 by a vote of 277-147.

“As Members of Congress, our first responsibility is to provide for our nation’s defense, and passing the National Defense Authorization Act is an important part of this duty as it authorizes needed resources for our warfighters,” said Congressman Austin Scott.  “I applaud the House for standing with our nation’s military and passing the National Defense Authorization Act.  Our nation’s security should not be a partisan issue. This vital legislation provides resources for our nation’s warfighters and recognizes the need for long-lasting reforms while also ensuring that our military is better prepared for the challenges we face. 

“I am pleased that the NDAA included a bipartisan amendment I introduced to delay the retirement of the JSTARS, keeping this vital fleet in the air. This year’s bill also builds on our prior victories the last two years to keep the invaluable A-10C in action.

“Now, I urge the Senate to act on this important legislation to give our defense leaders some certainty going into next year.  I am proud to represent Robins Air Force Base and Moody Air Force Base in Congress, and I will continue to push for new missions for our bases,” said the Georgia Congressman, a Member of the House Armed Services Committee.

The NDAA authorizes funding for our nation’s military, including $610.5 billion in topline national defense funding with $23.1 billion for the Overseas Contingency Operations account. This bill helps to correct the funding shortfalls that have led to a lack of readiness and to a heightened level of risk to our troops and our security.  It stops cuts to our Armed Forces, provides a pay raise for our troops above the President’s request, and makes major reforms in several critical areas, including military health care, the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and the acquisition system. The legislation also rejects a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) for FY2017.

Congressman Scott’s Effectiveness during the Mark Up Process:

Congressman Scott worked extensively with the Committee on continued efforts to acquire a new JSTARS fleet and successfully retained recapitalization program language in the base text, which fully funds the program at $128 million for fiscal year 2017.  Additionally, Congressman Scott offered three amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act.  The first extends current law prohibiting the retirement of the E-8C JSTARS from fiscal year 2017 to fiscal year 2018. 

Congressman Scott offered his second amendment with the support of members of the Depot Caucus.  This amendment removed proposed language from the NDAA that would have had a detrimental effect on the Air Force depot community’s C-130 maintenance and modernization work load. The removed language would have potentially shifted work from the Air Force depots, undermining depot capability to efficiently execute the required maintenance. 

The last amendment offered by Congressman Scott would prevent changing of the current definition of a Commercial Item.  The proposed change would have harmed the workforce at depots, including Robins Air Force base.

The NDAA is good for Georgia and the Eighth Congressional District:

The NDAA also included several provisions that will strengthen Georgia’s military installations.  Congressman Scott supported two provisions that will enable hiring authorities to fill crucial positions within the depot and wider technical communities with talented employees in a timely manner. These provisions will also allow the Air Force to better compete with the private sector and leverage technical skills to stay ahead of global competitors. 

Additionally, the NDAA authorizes a study on the feasibility to bring the F-22 back into production.  Original production for the F-22 occurred in Marietta, GA, and restarting the line would have significant positive economic impact on the state of Georgia. This legislation also allows Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) to become a standalone combatant command; this would give Ft. Gordon increased independence, flexibility, and authority to execute national cyber missions.

To read more about the FY2017 NDAA, please click here.

To view Congressman Scott’s remarks on the NDAA, click here.