WASHINGTON—The Senate today voted 84-13 to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021, which authorizes funding for our national defense, promotes innovation and technology to keep our country safe, authorizes $9.1 billion to procure 93 F-35s, and provides a pay raise for our troops. The NDAA includes provisions which Senator Romney (R-UT) fought for to counter China’s growing influence in the world, limit misguided U.S. troop reductions in Germany, support Hill Air Force Base, and protect Utah’s Dugway Proving Ground.
“The NDAA is one of the most significant pieces of legislation Congress passes each year,” Senator Romney said. “This is legislation which encourages America’s relationships with our allies around the world, ensures that we have the tools to counter existing and emerging threats, promotes the development of technology to keep our homeland safe, and prioritizes care for our troops and their families. This year’s NDAA importantly includes provisions which will push back against Chinese and Russian aggression, limit the reduction of U.S. troops from Germany, and continue to support the critical work Utah’s Hill Air Force Base does to keep our country safe.”
A summary of the legislation can be found here and full text of the legislation is available here.
Romney-backed provisions in the NDAA:
- Provision to grant temporary authority to appoint retired members of the Armed Forces to positions in the Department of Defense to support Hill Air Force Base’s vital work in supporting United States national security. Romney has been working to pass legislation to repeal the 180-day hiring restriction for military retirees since 2019.
- Provision to direct the Department of Defense to conduct comprehensive reports comparing U.S. military spending with the relative Chinese and Russian defense budgets, in order to understand the actual purchasing power of China and Russia.
- Provision to support the continued presence of U.S. forces in Germany and limits Department of Defense’s ability to reduce the number active-duty service members in Germany below 34,500 until a complete assessment on its impact on U.S. national security and our allies, the cost for relocating infrastructure, and our military families.
- Conference request to DoD to complete a report on potential reductions to DoD’s Chemical and Biological Defense program, which includes Dugway Proving Ground in Tooele County, Utah, and the impact of potential cuts on national security threats.
- Provision to support the acquisition and maintenance of F-35s at Hill Air Force Base.