Reed and Wicker Open Floor Debate on Fiscal Year 2024 NDAA

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Ranking Member Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) today opened Senate floor deliberation on S. 2226, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024. The annual defense bill authorizes Department of Defense spending levels and sets overarching military policy to equip, supply, and train U.S. troops and provide for military families. 

The FY 2024 NDAA authorizes $845 billion for the Department of Defense (DOD) and $32 billion for national security programs within the Department of Energy (DOE). The bill authorizes critical investments in military technologies and platforms, delivers a 5.2 percent pay raise to America’s servicemembers, and ensures the Joint Force has the capabilities, equipment, and training it needs to accomplish its missions.

Senators Reed and Wicker commented: “This is a strong defense bill that confronts the national security threats we face. This year’s NDAA addresses a broad range of pressing issues, including strategic competition with China and Russia and threats from Iran, North Korea, and violent extremists. The bill authorizes significant investments in key technologies like hypersonics and artificial intelligence, and it makes important progress toward modernizing our ships, aircraft, and combat vehicles. Most importantly, this NDAA provides a historic level of support for our troops and their families, including the largest pay raise in decades.

“We remain committed to upholding our tradition of thoughtful deliberation and bipartisan support to ensure Congress provides our military with the tools and capabilities needed to combat threats and safeguard our nation.”

NDAA highlights include:

• Provides for a 5.2 percent pay raise for both military servicemembers and the DOD civilian workforce.
• Supports requested funding for the procurement of naval vessels, combat aircraft, armored vehicles, weapon systems, and munitions.
• Authorizes the full budget request for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) and the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI).
• Establishes the Indo-Pacific Campaigning Initiative to facilitate increased U.S. military exercises, freedom of navigation operations, and partner engagements in the region.
• Establishes a comprehensive training, advising, and institutional capacity-building program for the military forces of Taiwan.
• Supports the development of the security partnership among Australia, United Kingdom, and the United States, known as AUKUS.
• Fully funds and extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) through fiscal year 2027.
• Streamlines the acquisition of defense stocks related to Ukraine and authorizes additional munitions for multiyear procurement contracts.
• Authorizes improvements to the quality and oversight of military enlisted barracks, including the replacement of substandard barracks.
• Authorizes increased funding for the military services' recruiting and advertising activities.
• Authorizes significant funding for game-changing technologies like microelectronics, hypersonic weapons, and unmanned aircraft systems.
• Enhances deterrence by recapitalizing and modernizing the U.S. nuclear triad; ensuring the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, delivery systems, and infrastructure; increasing capacity in theater and homeland missile defense; and strengthening nonproliferation programs.

Reed and Wicker helped successfully guide the bipartisan bill to 24-1 approval by the Senate Armed Services Committee. During the markup of the NDAA, 286 amendments—offered by both Democratic and Republican members—were considered and adopted. More than 650 amendments have since been submitted to the NDAA for consideration on the floor, and debate is expected on a range of issues.

To open floor debate, Senate leaders introduced a substitute amendment to S. 2226, the SASC-passed NDAA, which included 51 amendments from other Senators and committees.

The full text of the substitute amendment will be published on Congress.gov this week.

The full text, report, and executive summary of the SASC-passed NDAA can be viewed here.