Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04), member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, with Cole’s support. The legislation authorizes funding for our nation’s military personnel and families, industrial base readiness and operations, research, innovation and procurement and countering adversaries. It also includes provisions that support the missions at Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City and Fort Sill in Lawton, located in the Fourth District of Oklahoma.
“In the last two years the world has grown increasingly dangerous with new threats emerging, and providing for our common defense in tense times deserves bipartisan support from lawmakers,” said Cole. “This NDAA authorizes $886.3 billion to adequately support national defense programs, $28 billion more than the fiscal year 2023 enacted level. This level of funding authorization will allow the Pentagon to build and maintain the lethal fighting force we need to prevail on the battlefield and support our service members and military families.
“This NDAA provides a well-deserved pay raise for servicemembers at 5.2 percent, the largest pay raise in 20 years, as well as monthly bonuses for junior enlisted members. This is vital to ensuring our men and women in uniform can better keep up with inflation. This authorization also goes above and beyond in supporting military families including by authorizing funding for new construction for housing and childcare centers and providing for programs for military spouses so they can continue to provide for their families without interruption.
“Indeed, this bill is not perfect — it does not go as far as I would have liked in some areas — but it represents a good-faith compromise that must be reached in divided government. However, with the threats we face in today’s world, it certainly addresses the need to modernize our military, ensure we have the battleships and aircraft needed in future conflict and strengthens our strategic deterrence, missile defense and hypersonic missile systems. I was proud to support the passage of this legislation so it can be enacted for the 62nd consecutive year.”
