Omaha City Wire

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02), member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), voted Thursday morning in favor of advancing H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. The bill was reported out of committee by a vote of 58 – 1. This annual legislation, which contains multiple amendments and provisions authored by Bacon, authorizes defense spending, and sets the policy and priorities for our military. Overall, the bill authorizes a total of $886 billion for national defense consistent with the recent debt limit agreement. 

“I am grateful for the bipartisan work of the House Armed Services Committee in advancing this legislation to protect our national security and improve the quality of life for our servicemembers and families,” said Bacon. “The first job of Congress is to provide for the common defense and once again the Committee has delivered.”  

“I am truly grateful for Rep. Don Bacon’s leadership on the House Armed Services Committee over the past six years,” said Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL).  “This year’s defense policy bill is his seventh and his hard work is evident in the many provisions that he personally led to improve military readiness and quality of life.”   

Highlights from the committee’s FY 2024 bill include:

• Fully funds the modernization of America’s aging nuclear deterrent forces 
• Bolsters military force readiness in Europe and the Indo-Pacific regions
• Authorizes a 5.9% pay raise and targeted increases to military pay and benefits to offset the impact of inflation

In addition, the committee’s bill contains numerous legislative proposals sponsored by Bacon, including: 

• Authorizes funding for USSTRATCOM’s Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3) Rapid Engineering Architecture Collaboration Hub (REACH) initiative
• Prohibits the termination or re-missioning of Air National Guard fighter squadrons and directs a total force fighter recapitalization plan
• Authorizes special contract authority to accelerate modifications to missile silos for the Sentinel ICBM replacement program
• Directs the Department of Defense to establish a major defense acquisition program structure for NC3 systems 
• Directs the Department of Defense to provide an assessment of base defenses in Europe and the Indo-Pacific
• Directs the Department of Defense to conduct advanced research in strategic deterrence
• Directs a pilot program to improve Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) calculation accuracy 
• Prohibits the Department of Defense from acquiring printers sourced from China
• Extends contract relief authority to mitigate inflation impacts
• Authorizes funding for the Baltic Security Initiative 
• Directs a plan of action to provide air defense capabilities for Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi security forces  
• Authorizes the Department of the Air Force to designate former Airmen who previously supported the space mission as Legacy Guardians

Original source can be found here