LaMalfa helps pass National Defense Authorization Act

Congressman Doug LaMalfa voted in support of the National Defense Authorization Act. This final version of NDAA reverses President Biden’s prior requests for reckless cuts to military health programs, shipbuilding, and equipment procurement. This year’s NDAA increases the budget and benefits from last year by 5 percent, including a 2.7 percent pay increase for servicemembers, $1.5 billion to improve servicemember family housing and expands on childcare services available to families.

In addition to benefiting military families, the NDAA will authorize funding for Ukraine, which is currently increasingly threatened by the mobilization of Russian troops at its border, as well as creates initiatives to counter Chinese influence in the Pacific.

“I am glad to see that the House could negotiate a bipartisan agreement with the Senate to help give our military personnel the resources they need to keep our country safe,” LaMalfa said. “In the face of growing threats from China and Russia our nation needs to be focused on its national defense and not many of the partisan wish-list items that were initially in this bill. Republican improvements to the final bill include removing the draft registration requirement for women.           “Although I strongly oppose mandatory vaccines, at the very least, allowing all servicemembers who decline a mandatory vaccine to be given an honorable rather than less than honorable discharge is in the bill.  Also, the removal of the red flag provision that allows military judges to issue court gun confiscation orders without the servicemember even being present in court to defend themselves was removed.”