National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to voice my strong support of H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024.

First, I thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith for their leadership throughout this process. I also thank my counterpart and friend on the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, Ranking Member Joe Courtney.

This year's NDAA is a step in the right direction in strengthening our national defense. The bill wisely rejects the Biden administration's request to divest certain warships and aircraft, such as the F-22 and the C-130, thus ensuring our continued superiority in the near term.

Our servicemembers are the backbone of our national security, and this bill supports our servicemembers with a 5.2 percent increase in basic pay, the largest pay raise in over 20 years. It authorizes a monthly bonus for junior enlisted members to counteract the effects of inflation. This legislation also expands the basic needs allowance to aid low-income servicemembers supporting families and extends military recruitment and retention bonuses. Furthermore, it waives fees on the TRICARE dental program for selected Guard and Reserve members while strengthening oversight of the TRICARE pharmacy program.

The Fiscal Year 2024 NDAA also provides substantial cost savings and reforms. It cuts inefficient defense programs, obsolete weapons systems, and unnecessary Pentagon bureaucracy, resulting in a savings of $40 billion for the taxpayers. These savings include significant funds from the divestment of obsolete aircraft, decommissioning of outdated ships, and cuts to weapons programs that have either not met development milestones or experienced excessive cost growth.

This bill further increases financial accountability by penalizing the Department of Defense for cost overruns on major defense programs and requiring comprehensive audits of price and cost data for these programs.

Finally, the bill provides assistance to the 8,000 servicemembers discharged for failing to take the COVID-19 vaccine and gives them a path back to service.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this.

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