Rep. Calvert Praises Defense Bill That Rejects President Biden’s Military Spending Cuts

Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) voted along with a bipartisan majority (316 to 113) of the House of Representatives in support of the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill authorizes national security programs and policies.

"I strongly support the NDAA and the increased funding it would provide for our national defense," said Rep. Calvert. "I'm especially pleased that the NDAA rejects the ill-advised funding cuts President Biden proposed for our military. For months, I've made it clear that the only path forward for getting our work done on both the authorizing and appropriations sides of our military budget process was to increase funding 3-5% above the rate of inflation. The NDAA approved by the House today accomplishes that goal and will provide our service members with the resources they need to carry out their mission."

"America faces national security challenges on a number of fronts, including a growing threat from China, and we must make the investments that ensure our military is ready to protect our interests. That's why I advocated for programs that leverage the innovative power of our private sector into upgraded technologies for our warfighters. I'm pleased the NDAA includes critical provisions such as the designation of Entrepreneurial Innovation Projects, which will more effectively transition Small Business Innovation Research programs into the Services' budget process, a Pilot Program to Facilitate the Agile Acquisition of Technologies for Warfighters, and a $100 million authorization for Agile Procurement Transition Pilot programs. The bill also includes a much needed report on flexible funding for transitioning science and technology to scale at the speed of relevancy. For too long, the Defense Department has failed to nurture and scale-up pioneering products and platforms that can provide our military a competitive advantage over our adversaries."

FY22 NDAA Highlights:

(Courtesy of the House Armed Services Committee Minority Staff)

• The FY2022 NDAA includes a Republican amendment boosting the defense topline by nearly $25 billion. That is a 5% increase from FY2021.
• The FY2022 NDAA reverses President Biden's reckless cuts to our national security and fully funds combatant commander priorities.
• The FY2022 NDAA authorizes a 2.7% pay increase for our men and women in uniform.
• The FY2022 NDAA preserves servicemembers' free speech by protecting them from punishment for political statements on social media accounts.
• The FY2022 NDAA prohibits dishonorable discharge for troops who refuse a COVID-19 vaccination.
• Authorizes $250 million to conduct counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan and requires the DOD to submit a plan to Congress on how it will support the evacuation of American citizens, maintain air superiority, conduct intelligence and surveillance missions, and carry out counterterrorism operations.
• The FY2022 NDAA is also focused on countering the Chinese Communist Party, establishing supply chain independence and security, countering Chinese malign influence, supporting Taiwan, discovering the origins of COVID-19, and stopping human rights violations.

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