WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA), vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and chairman of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks on the House floor in support of the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025.
Congressman Wittman’s remarks as prepared for delivery:
“I thank the Chairman for yielding.
As this year ends, we face a tired and turbulent world in dire need of leadership, vision, and strength. But Americans should celebrate that there is good reason to be hopeful about the future.
Russian forces are debilitated.
The elimination of the Syrian dictatorship dealt a blow to Iranian influence in the Middle East - a crucial win for our ally Israel.
But make no mistake, our national security pacing threat remains China and their drive to challenge the world order, a world order that is the bedrock of our economic prosperity.
We cannot afford to project weakness; we must not tolerate China’s rising aggression. This bill refocuses our national security priorities while taking care of our servicemembers. For example, the NDAA:
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extends the Pacific Deterrence Initiative and expands prohibitions from DoD contracting with Chinese civil-military companies;
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retains needed aircraft needed to deter potential Chinese conflict;
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accelerates urgent reform in the Joint Strike Fighter program to drive efficiencies; and,
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provides a generational 14.5% pay increase for our military’s most junior troops.
I am pleased with these outcomes. They are imperative to maintaining an operationally effective and strategically relevant force.
I also want to recognize Ranking Member Norcross. He is a great teammate in these efforts, and he equally values our goals to deter future conflict.
In conclusion, I believe in the old Roman adage ‘Pray for peace; prepare for war.’ It is as relevant today as it was almost 2,000 years ago. I intend to therefore support the National Defense Authorization Act and believe its passage is essential to our national security.
I thank Chairman Rogers for his leadership in delivering this bill and yield the balance of my time.”
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