VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Vice Chair and 20-year Navy veteran Congresswoman Elaine Luria has a proven record of securing investments that strengthen our national security, grow the Navy to counter China, and support active-duty military personnel.
Congresswoman Luria blasted the Biden Administration’s defense budget and the Navy’s plan to decommission ships in a series of tweets. That’s why she introduced a $37 billion amendment to the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which provides $7.4 billion to combat inflation, more than $4 billion for ship procurement and maintenance, over $1.6 billion in research and development funding, and $550 million for security assistance to Ukraine.
In 2021, Congresswoman Luria joined HASC Republicans in supporting an amendment that added $25 billion to the defense budget for significant investments in public and private shipyards and the industrial base, building three destroyers, protecting three cruisers and other seapower platforms that will counter threats from China, Russia, and Iran.
The Congresswoman also recently received the Navy League’s Congressional Sea Services Award for her tireless a city to grow our nation’s maritime forces, bipartisan commitment to a strong national defense, and support for our servicemembers and military families in September.
Congresswoman Luria also introduced and secured amendments to improve the quality of life for sailors assigned to USS George Washington that address housing, mental health and resiliency support, access to parking manning hours, and tour lengths. Her amendments also require the Navy to thoroughly examine support for sailors currently assigned to USS George Washington and other ships going through the RCOH process.
In April, Congresswoman Luria demanded answers from the Navy about conditions aboard USS George Washington after seven service members assigned to the ship died within the past year. She toured USS George Washington, met with Navy and ship leadership and heard directly from sailors aboard about their concerns. Congresswoman Luria also urged the Navy to expand mental health services and support aboard the ship.
Congresswoman Luria is one of the leading voices on both sides of the aisle in Congress to invest in defense in our national defense and counter the threat that China poses. She has advocated for ending strategic ambiguity and called on the Pentagon to end the ‘divest to invest’ strategy.
Congresswoman Luria also voted for the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to stand up to China, and strengthen our economic and national security by ending our dependence on foreign-made semiconductors. The legislation ends our dangerous dependence on foreign manufacturers and brings critical semiconductor manufacturing back to America instead of overseas where it can be threatened by China and other adversaries.
She does appear to support the Navy and I thank her for her efforts in that regard. Unfortunately I can’t afford the vast majority of what her and her party brings to the table. You have put my great grandchildren in debt. We have NO borders. It is absolutely unsafe to walk the streets in many of our major cities. You deny inflation from insane spending and expect us to not believe the lie our empty wallets tell us. It seems our enforcement agencies are politically bias and overwhelmingly target any opposition. You support trials with no defense representation. You helped to kill our ability to provide our own energy needs and that alone is more damaging to our national security than whatever good you may have done for the Navy. But, I still thank you for helping them. Personally I am hoping for a massive flush sound in November.