House Armed Services Committee Completes Consideration of 2022 Defense Bill

Press Release

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. 4350, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. The bill was reported out of committee by a vote of 57 to 2. 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 $778 billion for national defense.

"I am proud of the bi-partisan work of the House Armed Services Committee in crafting comprehensive legislation to advance our national security and support our servicemembers and military families," said Rep. Bacon. "I was especially pleased with the bi-partisan decision to reverse the White House cuts and to restore funding to keep our defense budget level with inflation. The recent debacle in Afghanistan has emboldened our adversaries, weakened our alliances, and left us vulnerable to future attacks. It is critical that we remain vigilant and ready to confront these threats."

Highlights from Committee's FY 2022 NDAA include:

Establishes a national commission on Afghanistan
Authorizes 2.7 percent pay increase for all members of the armed forces
Fully funds the modernization of America's aging nuclear deterrent forces including the B-21 long range bomber, the Columbia Class ballistic missile submarine, and the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent intercontinental ballistic missile replacement program
Authorizes mission upgrades to RC-135, WC-135 and E-4B aircraft based at Offutt Air Force Base
In addition, the committee's bill contains numerous legislative proposals sponsored by Bacon, including:

Authorizes an increase of $20 million for USSTRATCOM's Rapid Engineering Architecture Collaboration Hub (REACH) nuclear command, control & communications (NC3) modernization imitative
Authorizes $15 million to continue a pilot program advancing civilian-military partnerships for national medical surge capacity
Directs the Department of Defense to update the committee on its plan to construct a new forensic laboratory adjacent to Offutt Air Force base for the Defense Prisoner of War / Missing in Action Accounting Agency
Directs the Department of Defense to report on equipment and sensitive materials captured by the Taliban
Directs procurement of additional engines for EC-37B electronic warfare aircraft
Authorizes increased funding for the Baltic Security Initiative
Directs the Department of Defense to assess and recommend reforms to casualty assistance policies and programs
Directs the Department of Defense to establish policies that allow military commanders to contact Gold Star families with consent
Directs the Department of Defense to provide additional details to accompany its budget requests for operations and maintenance
Directs the Department of Defense to revise its categorization framework for unmanned aerial systems
Directs the Department of Defense to establish an executive agent for continuing foreign language education
Makes improvements to Department of Defense assessment procedures for wind energy projects

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