WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Vice Chair Elaine Luria today voted for the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the $741 billion defense budget that includes key investments in Coastal Virginia.
Vice Chair Luria helped secure $23.9 billion in additional defense spending above the President’s budget request in this year’s defense budget (H.R. 4350) and more than $28 billion for shipbuilding, which includes protecting three (3) guided missile cruisers from decommissioning, advanced procurement to ramp up production of Virginia class submarines to three per year, and purchasing three (3) Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (DDG-51), one (1) America-class amphibious assault ship (LHA), one (1) Constellation-class guided missile Frigate (FFG), one (1) Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) and other support ships. Vice Chair Luria also helped secure $10 billion for Military Construction projects, including: $88.9 million for Naval Station Norfolk and $24 million for Joint Base Langley-Eustis.
“The defense budget is the economic engine of the Hampton Roads economy, and I’m proud to have secured the resources necessary to protect our nation, support our servicemembers, and keep pace with adversaries like China,” Vice Chair Luria said. “From increasing pay for our servicemembers to improving our nation’s shipbuilding capacity, this is an important, bipartisan win for Coastal Virginia and the American people. While we were not able to include every priority during our committee work, I was proud to put forth several important floor amendments included in today’s vote.”
Vice Chair Luria’s amendments to the FY 2022 NDAA included:
An amendment expressing a sense of the Congress that the Government of Iran’s decision to enrich uranium up to 60 percent purity is a further escalation and shortens the breakout time to produce enough highly enriched uranium to develop a nuclear weapon, and the Government of Iran should immediately abandon any pursuit of a nuclear weapon.
An amendment directing the Secretary of Defense to carry out a study of the challenges posed by the emergence of militia fleets in the South China Sea.
EMBRACE Stormwater Management Act, which protects military bases and the communities they serve from the threat of rising sea levels.
An amendment directing the Secretary of Defense to amend the Space Available program for flights for members of the Armed Services traveling for purposes of attending funerals and memorial services.
For more details on what’s included in this year’s NDAA, click here.
The NDAA passed the U.S. House of Representatives on a vote of 316 to 113. In the coming weeks, the U.S. Senate will vote on their chamber’s version of the NDAA, setting up a conference committee where any differences between the House and Senate will be reconciled.