Hoeven: Senate Passes Key Vote on National Defense Legislation

Press Release

Senator John Hoeven today announced that the U.S. Senate passed a key vote on the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The vote was 73 to 26. The House approved the measure last week. The vote today paves the way for final passage tomorrow. The bill will then go to President Obama, who has threatened to veto it. Hoeven worked to ensure the legislation included priorities for North Dakota and the nation.

The NDAA includes a total of $604 billion to support the U.S. military. Consistent with the Senate Budget Resolution, the agreement authorizes $89 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding, which is composed of operations and maintenance funds that support readiness and training for our troops.

"This is a good step forward, but it's vitally important that we hold enough votes to override a presidential veto and pass the companion Defense Appropriations bill that funds our military," said Hoeven. "North Dakota plays a remarkably important role in our national defense, so we worked to ensure that the new legislation supports the nuclear missions at Minot Air Force Base, the Global Hawk missions at Grand Forks and our North Dakota National Guard."

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