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 the defense bill that will fund our military, prevent the drawdown of our troops, and provide resources for Georgia’s military installations.

S. 2943, the Conference Report to accompany the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), passed the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 375 to 34 and now heads to President Obama’s desk to be signed into law.

 “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 and stops the drawdown our troops,” said Congressman Austin Scott, the only Republican Member from Georgia of the House Armed Services Committee.

“On the House Armed Services Committee, our goal was to implement reforms without compromising our military’s capability to be prepared for the national security challenges we face, which include growing terrorist threats and instability in many areas of the globe. This vital legislation addresses those challenges by ensuring our men and women in uniform have the very best training and weapons systems they need to protect our country.  For the past 54 years, Congress has passed a NDAA, and the House continued its part in that process today.”

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 Committee’s markup of the NDAA.

“I am pleased that the final version of the NDAA included a bipartisan amendment I introduced in the Committee markup to delay the retirement of Robins Air Force Base’s 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 Warthog, flown out of Moody Air Force Base, in action,” Scott said. “It is an honor to serve as a voice for Robins and Moody on the committee, and I applaud the House for their focus on supporting and protecting our service men and women and their families.”

The NDAA authorizes funding for our nation’s military, including $619 billion in national defense funding.  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. The legislation stops cuts to our Armed Forces, provides the largest pay raise for our troops in six years at 2.1% while President Obama only requested a 1.8% raise, and 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 which were included in 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:

In addition to prohibiting the retirement of the A-10C Warthog, which continues to provide the important close air support capability that is essential to our nation’s defense, this legislation invested in operations and maintenance for the fleet.  Additionally, Moody Air Force Base was authorized for $30 million for an aircraft hangar.

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.