WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), released the below statement upon a final negotiated Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passing the House of Representatives late yesterday. The NDAA sets Department of Defense (DoD) policies and authorizes funding levels for defense programs.

“While it’s certainly not perfect, the FY22 NDAA provides more of the resources our men and women in uniform need to complete their important missions, modernize our platforms and systems, and protect the homeland. It provides significant resources for Service Chief and Combatant Commander priorities left unfunded by President Biden’s budget and is a 5% increase in national security spending over the previous fiscal year,” said Rep. Scott. “I voted in favor of the bill and was proud to help negotiate this final legislation, including making sure there were no red flag laws that infringe on any American’s Second Amendment rights and stopping a provision to require women from registering for the draft.”

“Rep. Scott has been laser focused on working to ensure that our servicemembers have the funding and tools they need to be prepared for conflict. The NDAA is the most important piece of legislation that Congress produces – it is bipartisan and bicameral and most of all it protects our national security and supports our troops. I thank Rep. Scott for his work on this incredibly important piece of legislation,” said HASC Ranking Member Mike Rogers (AL-03).

The FY22 NDAA provides $768 billion in total defense discretionary spending, $25 billion more than President Biden’s budget request. Highlights include providing a 2.7% pay raise for our troops, fully modernizing our nuclear triad, and focusing on supply chain security and supply chain independence from China, among many other things. It also contains 23 provisions authored by Rep. Scott that were included in the first House-passed version of the legislation. Click here to read more.

Key provisions of the bill include:

Afghanistan – Directs the Secretary of Defense to recover all aircraft provided by the U.S. to Afghan Security Forces that were relocated to other countries and establishes an independent commission to review the entirety of Afghanistan War, including the disastrous withdrawal, and present finding and recommendations to Congress.

Border Security – Continues funding for the deployment of National Guard to the border.

China – Includes over $500 million in INDOPACOM Combatant Commander priorities left unfunded by the Biden budget and authorizes over $7 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, $2 billion above the President’s request. It also requires the DoD and State Department to assess China's efforts to expand its presence and influence in Latin America and the Caribbean and prohibits DoD purchases of goods from Chinese forced labor camps in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

Extremism – The NDAA does not include a provision establishing an Office of Extremism at the Department of Defense. The bill does not create a new Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) article on extremism. It does not require the Department to establish policies to counter extremism or make troops take training courses on extremism.

Nuclear – Prohibits any reduction in the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles or retiring or reconverting our low-yield nuclear warheads and prevents Russian and Chinese officials from accessing U.S. missile defense sites.

Readiness – Focuses investment on new and emerging weapon systems capable of penetrating denied operating environments such as China.

“Red Flag” Laws – Makes no changes to law that would impact the Second Amendment Rights of Americans.

Requirement for Women to Register for the Draft – The NDAA does not include a provision requiring women to register for the Selective Service. The bill makes no changes to the Selective Service System, how a draft would be conducted, or who would be conscripted.

Russia – Includes $300 million in security assistance and intelligence support to Ukraine, including not less than $75 million in lethal assistance. It also fully funds the European Deterrence Initiative and focuses on boosting our allies near Russia’s border.

Shipbuilding – Provides funding for 13 new battle force ships and prohibits the decommissioning of 2 cruisers.

Vaccine Mandates –

  • Discharges – Prohibits DoD from dishonorably discharging servicemembers that refuse the COVID-19 vaccine. Servicemembers may only receive an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions. This policy will retroactively apply to the date of the DoD COVID-19 vaccine order and be in place for at least 2 years.
  • Exemptions – Requires DoD to establish uniform standards under which servicemembers may be exempted from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine for administrative, medical, or religious reasons. The DoD must consider the effects of natural immunity in setting medical standards, as well as whether the servicemember is approaching retirement when setting the administrative exemption standards.

 

-30-