Washington, D.C. – Wyoming Congresswoman and House Armed Services Committee Member Liz Cheney (R-WY) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 Friday night:
“For over 60 years, Congress has acted in a bipartisan manner to fulfill our most important duty: providing the resources for the security of our nation and our freedom.
“Our nation faces a global threat environment unlike anything we’ve seen since World War II. This NDAA provides funds to modernize the Minuteman III at F.E. Warren, delivers supplemental funding for assets used by the Wyoming National Guard, ensures that our men and women in uniform have the resources and capabilities necessary to defend against our adversaries, includes a pay raise for our service members, combats efforts to reduce our deterrence capabilities, and much more.
“I am proud to join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in fulfilling our obligation to the defense of our nation, and look forward to the Senate passing this important legislation to support our military and ensure our national security.”
BACKGROUND:
Rep. Cheney secured the following priorities for incorporation in the final version of the NDAA for FY23:
- Authorizing $3,617,290,000 in funding for Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent, funding essential to transitioning the Minuteman III to the modern Sentinel ICBM at F.E. Warren Air Force Base.
- Critical reporting on the next generation interceptor.
- Holding the line on Democrat’s efforts to reduce our deterrence arsenal through cuts to sea-launched nuclear weapons research.
- Preventing any reduction to the number of U.S. intercontinental ballistic missiles.
- Supplemental funding was secured for essential assets used by the WY National Guard.
- Revising the authority to award the medal of honor to a member of the armed forces for acts of valor while a prisoner of war.
Rep. Cheney also offered a number of amendments that were incorporated into the bill:
- Report on Russian operations pertaining to filtration camps for Ukrainian nationals.
- Calling for the Release of the National Defense Strategy in an unclassified annex.
- Authorization to award a medal of honor to Master Sergeant Roderick W. Edmonds for acts of valor during World War II.
- Authority to award the medal of honor to a member of the armed forces for acts of valor while a prisoner of war.
- Prohibition on reduction of deployed U.S. intercontinental ballistic missiles in FY23.
- Reports on Ground Based Interceptors the Director of the MDA on achieving initial operating capability.
Along with a bipartisan group of Armed Services Committee members, Rep. Cheney supported an overall increase in Department of Defense funding for the bill to $37 billion, including a pay increase for service members.
Another provision included in this year’s NDAA provides $1,000 recruitment and retention bonuses to wildland firefighters, many of whom are veterans. That language was incorporated from Tim’s Act, which is legislation Rep. Cheney introduced with colleagues last year.