WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01), Vice Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee voted in favor of the House Armed Services Committee advancement of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23).
Following his vote in favor of reporting the FY23 NDAA out of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Wittman stated:
“In today’s dynamic era of great power competition, the United States must invest in the capabilities required to secure our national defense today and for future generations. We must defend our homeland, confront China’s expansive military modernization as the pacing challenge in the priority theater, and reckon with rising instability around the world. Unprovoked Russian aggression in Ukraine is a blatant illustration that the ability to deter, and if necessary, defeat, an adversary is real. The investments made in this year’s NDAA will strengthen the Joint Force, sustaining and augmenting the US military’s ability to protect and defend our great nation.
“I proudly cosponsored a bipartisan effort to add an additional $37 billion in military funding, above President Biden’s insufficient $773B top-line budget request. This additional $37B in funding ensures real defense growth necessary to pace with an expanding China military.
“Serving as the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, I am especially proud to have included my legislative language, setting a minimum of 31 amphibious ships for the United States Marine Corps (USMC). Doing so supports the Marine Corps Commandant David Berger’s Force Design 2030 to equip the USMC to deter and defeat 21st Century aggressors.
“As proposed by the Biden administration, building 8 ships and retiring 24 ships does not pace with China’s expansionist policies and places our national security at risk. This markup reverses a dangerous divest to invest strategy and expands the overall fleet by authorizing 13 ships and allowing 12 vessels to retire.
“I look forward to the positive impacts that this year’s NDAA will have on Virginia, on the United States, and on the rest of the free world. I thank the Members of the House Armed Services Committee for coming together to craft this legislation."
“Under Rep. Rob Wittman’s leadership as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, the FY23 NDAA reverses several of President Biden’s dangerous cuts to our U.S. Navy,” Ranking Member Mike Rogers (R-AL) said. “I thank Rep. Wittman for his continued hard work to strengthen our navy and ensure our warfighters have the tools they need.”
Passage of this year’s NDAA will include passage of two bills previously introduced by Congressman Wittman. These bills are:
H.R. 7695, To amend title 10, United States Code, to prescribe the minimum number of operational amphibious battle force ships that must be included in the combat forces of the Navy, and for other purposes.
H.R. 4861, The Cobia Act: Establishes Special Emergency Reimbursement Authority for the Dept of Defense, similar to that provided by Sec. 3610 of the CARES Act, to allow contractors be reimbursed if they are unable to work on-site due to a pandemic.
The FY23 NDAA contains many additional Seapower provisions and Virginia priorities that Representative Wittman advocated for, including:
- Securing a 4.6% pay raise for servicemembers and a 2.4% inflationary pay bonus for enlisted personnel.
- Fully funds the B-21 bomber and the Columbia ballistic missile submarine programs, both key elements to maintain our strategic deterrence.
- Prohibits further reductions to our bomber force structure.
- Supports strengthened resiliency of space access infrastructure.
- Sets the stage to strengthen prepositioned forces and the readiness of the United States Navy.
- Supports the development and improvement of commercial satellite communications to defeat emerging future threats.
- Establishes a retention rate policy and required rationale for determination for non-nuclear surface ship repair & maintenance.
