WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Darin LaHood (R-IL) today voted in support of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2021, which authorizes funding for the Department of Defense. Congressman LaHood successfully advocated in support of provisions to ensure the Air National Guard bases in Illinois’ 18th Congressional District can maintain their mission readiness.
“The NDAA passed today will make America safer, give our men and women in uniform the resources they need and deserve, and send a clear message to our adversaries around the globe,” said Rep. LaHood. “We face ever-evolving 21st-century threats in the wake of COVID-19, and this bill makes certain that our military personnel get the support they need. I am pleased that the House bill includes provisions that I advocated for and supports the mission readiness of the National Guard in my district, including 182nd Airlift Wing in Peoria and 183rd Wing in Springfield. It’s important that we continue our support for the brave men and women protecting our freedom, and I was proud to support this bill today.”
Background:
- Congressman LaHood recently joined Congresswoman Cheri Bustos to lead a letter to the House Committee on Armed Services in support of the Committee’s mark for a 292-aircraft C-130 fleet
- The NDAA passed today includes that provision for 292-aircraft C-130s
- The NDAA also included funding for continued upgrades to propellers and engines of existing C-130 H planes, something that Congressman LaHood advocates for every year
- The NDAA adheres to last year’s bipartisan budget agreement and fully funds the President’s budget request. That includes $740.5B total for National Defense Discretionary programs, including $130.6B for procurement of advanced weapons systems, an increase of $1.9B over the President’s request, and $106.2B for Research Development Test and Evaluation, an increase of $475.5M over the President’s request
- The NDAA supports the pay and benefits our troops and their families need, deserve, and have earned. This includes supporting a 3% pay raise
- While there is still much work to do, the NDAA lays the foundation for an Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative to deter China, modeled on the European Deterrence Initiative
- The bill also increases funding in emergent technologies, such as AI, to maintain a technical edge against China, and starts taking financial actions to pursue China’s graduation from the World Bank and greater transparency with China’s debt
- The NDAA includes several provisions addressing the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that the Department of Defense has the diagnostic equipment, testing capabilities, and personal protective equipment necessary to protect our Armed Forces
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