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July 14, 2023
Dear John,
A Focus on Military Readiness
Our nation’s military is our first line of defense. They protect us in ways we don’t know and can’t see. Their round-the-clock monitoring of our adversaries such as China and Russia, boots-on-the-ground fighting, and cyber warfare protection deserve our utmost gratitude so we can live freely. This week, House Republicans secured major wins in the House-passed NDAA to give our military the resources necessary to do their jobs.
In recent years, we’ve seen a political ideology pushed on the military from COVID-19 to abortion. I want to be clear – I will always prioritize the mission of military readiness over partisan politics.
The annual defense bill:
- Gives servicemembers the largest pay raise in over 20 years.
- Counters the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
- Authorizes funds for Ellsworth construction projects and B-21 procurement.
- Bans funding for distractions to military readiness, like critical race theory and drag shows.
- Prohibits taxpayer dollars to be used in allowing military members access to abortion services.
- Funds the National Guard’s southern border deployment account.
One of the provisions in the bill is an amendment I offered to prohibit China’s spying on American exports and ocean shipments. China is our biggest threat. I’m glad the defense bill is packed with policies to counter CCP aggression and strengthen partnerships with our allies in the Pacific region.
Taxpayer dollars invested in the Department of Defense are being spent efficiently to keep you safe, deter our adversaries, and maintain our technological advantage. In fact, we cut $40 billion worth of programs that weren’t meeting high enough standards and reallocated those dollars to their best possible uses.
The House of Representatives passed the defense bill today, and now it heads to the Senate. I’m proud of the work House Republicans have done to ensure America’s military remains the best of the best.
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