Dayton Reporter

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On July 14, Congressman Mike Turner (OH-10), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after voting to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 out of the House of Representatives.

“There is nothing more important than the safety and security of our country,” said Congressman Mike Turner. “China is tripling its nuclear arsenal and Russia is pursuing an illegal invasion of Ukraine in a challenge to the rules-based international order. The United States is facing serious threats from our adversaries, and the FY24 NDAA provides our men and women in uniform with the tools they need to carry out their national security mission at this critical time. Here in the Miami Valley, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base plays a critical role in countering the threats to American sovereignty posed by foreign adversaries. This year’s authorization includes nearly $10 million in funding for one of my top priorities – Wright-Patt’s Acquisition Management Complex – and supports the largest increase in service member pay in over 20 years.”

“Congressman Mike Turner’s stalwart advocacy for our national defense helps to keep America safe. He has also done an outstanding job as a steward of his district by bringing new missions to Southwest Ohio, meeting the needs of the defense equities there, and supporting the defense industrial and technology base,” said Chairman Mike Rogers. “As Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, I am proud of the work Congressman Turner and I accomplished in this year’s NDAA, which includes boosting service member pay and bolstering our defense industrial base.”

Congressman Turner Specific FY 2024 NDAA Initiatives:

Investment in the Competitiveness of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base:

• Authorizes $9.9 million for planning and design funding for the Acquisition Management Complex at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Overall FY 2024 NDAA Highlights:

Military Service Members and Families:

• Supports a 5.2% increase in servicemember basic pay, the largest pay raise in over 20 years.
• Basic Allowance for Housing: Authorizes over $240 million to reduce servicemember out-of-pocket housing expenses and counteract the skyrocketing cost of rent.
• Expands reimbursements available to military spouses for relicensing or business costs when servicemembers transfer locations.
• Expands the in-home childcare pilot program and childcare capacity by partnering with off-installation childcare providers to focus on more rural areas.

Healthcare:

• Strengthens oversight of TRICARE pharmacy program.
• Waives fees and copays on the TRICARE Dental Program for all members of the Selected Reserve.
• Prohibits cuts in reimbursement rates for providers of applied behavior analysis for the treatment of autism. 
• Expands cardiac care pilot program to provide electrocardiograms to all individuals entering.

Technological Innovation and Industry:

• Improves partnership intermediary agreements to allow DoD labs to transfer technologies from academia or industry into DoD labs.
• Authorizes contributions to NATO’s Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) – a technology incubator designed to facilitate the acquisition of emerging technologies more rapidly.
• Creates the Principal Transition Advisor in each military service to help facilitate the transition of technologies from industry and academia into capabilities and technologies for the warfighter.

Foreign Policy and National Security:

• Directs the Secretary of Defense to report on potential enhancements to U.S. and Allied air and missile defense capabilities that could contribute to NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD).
• Removes outdated policy limitations preventing missile defenses from being oriented against threats to the homeland from near-peer adversaries such as China.
• Requires DoD to assess the joint U.S.-Taiwan production of weapons systems and munitions.

Original source can be found here.