The U.S. Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, which sets policy and authorizes annual funding for the Department of Defense, by an 86-11 vote late Thursday.
The U.S. House passed its own version of the NDAA in early July with a 219-210 vote, as reported by CNN. However, a complete version of the legislation will have to be negotiated by both chambers of Congress before a final bill goes to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.
“I’m sure there will be some disagreements, but we have to get it done. Whether it’s difficult or not, it’s a must do,” Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said. “It will take some hard work, but no one wants the United States of America to go without a military.”
National defense funding is set at $886 billion in the Senate’s version of the NDAA, including a 5.2 percent pay raise for service members, according to a summary from the Senate Armed Services Committee. Funding also includes support for Ukraine with extension of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through fiscal year 2027 and authorizes increased funding for efforts to respond to threats, including research on foreign influence operations. For fiscal year 2024, $300 million is secured to aid Ukraine.
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia also serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC). He assisted in writing the legislation, which includes various provisions secured and supported by Kaine to benefit Virginia’s servicemembers and defense community. Provisions include reforms to improve access to mental health care and support Virginia’s shipbuilding industry.
“Virginia is more connected to America’s military than any other state — and every year, I work to advocate for the needs of our servicemembers and defense community through the annual defense bill,” said Kaine. “This year, I was proud to secure a much-deserved pay raise for servicemembers, improvements to mental health care access for servicemembers, necessary resources to protect our nation, and my bipartisan legislation to direct the Pentagon to develop a fentanyl-specific counter-drug strategy. I’m also particularly excited that my amendments were included to bolster our alliances with NATO, Australia, and the UK because we are always stronger with our allies. This strong, bipartisan bill is reflective of our national security needs, and I will keep pushing to keep it that way as this bill goes to conference with our colleagues in the House.”
The legislation also authorizes investments to help meet the congressionally mandated requirement to have 31 operational amphibious warfare ships for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, by restoring funding for LPD-33 and strengthening oversight of the Navy’s shipbuilding plan. Improves acquisition processes, expands defense industrial base capacity, and supports workforce development initiatives.
The NDAA includes Kaine’s bipartisan Disrupt Fentanyl Trafficking Act to direct increased federal attention to fentanyl trafficking by utilizing Pentagon tools like counter-drug intelligence and involving Mexico as an active partner to combat this crisis and disrupt Mexican cartel activity.
Kaine included bipartisan legislation to prevent any U.S. President from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO without congressional approval.
The NDAA provides $625 million for 19 military construction projects in Virginia:
- More than $590M for MILCON
- $109M for Maritime Surveillance System Facility at Dam Neck Annex
- $35M for Child Development Center at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story
- $37M for Water Treatment Plant at Marine Corps Base Quantico
- $154M for Child Development Center, MQ-25 Facilities, and a submarine pier at Naval Station Norfolk
- $46M for weapons magazines at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown
- $81M for Drydock Saltwater System at Norfolk Naval Shipyard
- $25M for Defense Intelligence Agency headquarters annex at Fort Belvoir
- $61M for Special Operations Forces Seal Delivery Vehicle Team 2 Operations Support Facility at JEB Little Creek-Ft Story
- $30M for pedestrian access at the Pentagon
- $12M for Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar support facilities at Dam Neck
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner of Virginia applauded yesterday’s Senate passage of the nation’s annual defense bill.
“I’m pleased to see the Senate move forward on a defense bill that provides our military and Department of Defense with the resources needed to preserve our national security. This legislation includes critical measures to improve quality-of-life for servicemembers, advance critical military construction projects, strengthen Virginia’s shipbuilding industry, and support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression,” Warner said. “I was proud to vote in favor of this legislation and hope that my colleagues in the House of Representatives will work in good faith to reach a final compromise between the two chambers.”
The NDAA improves living conditions for enlisted servicemembers by greenlighting improvements to the quality and oversight of barracks. The provision specifically authorizes the replacement of substandard barracks and establishes new requirements that enlisted housing meet the same basic standards as all other military housing.
Basic allowance for housing payments would be allowed for junior Navy sailors to allow them to live in commercial housing rather than aboard the ship.
The NDAA prohibits the purchase of drones from countries like China that pose a national security threat. Championed in part by Warner, the provision prohibits federal dollars from being used to procure commercial off-the-shelf drone or covered unmanned aircraft systems from countries identified as posing a national security threat.
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Rebecca Barnabi
