December 9, 2022

Supporting Our Troops and Strengthening Our Military

Friend, 

The National Defense Authorization Act passed the House this week with critical provisions that will support our troops and strengthen our military. There are growing threats to our nation and around the world which require our full and immediate attention. That is why I believe it is so important that we continue to fund our military.   

The package authorizes a total of $857.9 billion for Fiscal Year 2023 funding for our nation's defense. It includes essential provisions to counter adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, while supporting allies and key partners, such as Israel and Taiwan. The bill includes: 

• 4.6% pay increase for our servicemembers
• $11 billion saved through Department of Defense reforms and the decommissioning and divestment of hundreds of older, less capable ships and aircraft
• $500 million for additional housing allowances to counteract higher costs for military families
• $250 million to reduce costs of food and other necessities at military commissaries
• An end to the COVID vaccine mandate which will allow many servicemembers to continue serving their country

This is just a short list of the provisions included in the NDAA to strengthen our military and support families. 

The bill also included legislation I authored to strengthen American sanctions. My bill, the Banking Transparency for Sanctioned Persons Act, requires the executive branch to alert Congress if any sanctions are waived to allow our declared enemies to use our financial system. Sanctions are a critical tool in our tool kit to keep Americans safe. We need to maintain aggressive oversight to keep them viable.

I'm committed to supporting our military, making sure our government is accountable to the American people, and to protecting our nation. For more details on the NDAA, click here. 

Reckless Spending Continues in Washington

We are one week away from Washington's government funding deadline. Negotiations are ongoing, but  I'm very concerned Washington will kick the can down the road yet again on our nation's spending. I'm committed to improving this process to more thoughtfully spend taxpayer dollars. We need to get our fiscal house in order. Earlier this week, I joined Bloomberg to discuss Washington's spending habits and the need to address wasteful spending and bring costs down. 

We must get spending in Washington under control. It's past time that we get focused on bringing down costs, particularly energy costs, and focus on the priorities of the American people. I'm focused on lowering costs, making our communities safe, and making our government more accountable. 

If you'd like to share your thoughts on Washington's spending habits, feel welcome to reply to this email. As always, I'm here to help you. If you need assistance working with a federal agency or would like to share an opinion, don't hesitate to contact me

On Wisconsin,

Bryan Steil
Member of Congress

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