Rep. Lee votes to Pass Bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act, Supporting Servicemembers and Military Families

December 9, 2022

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03) voted to pass H.R. 7776, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023. This bipartisan legislation will strengthen America's national security, honor the sacrifices of Nevada servicemembers, defend democracies worldwide, and protect health care access for all who serve, no matter where they live.

"In this moment, there is a call from all corners of the globe to stand up for democracy and our brave men and women in uniform are here to answer," said Rep. Lee. "The NDAA is a bipartisan tradition, where Democrats and Republicans put politics aside to recognize their service and ensure that this Congress meets the needs of our servicemembers and their families. Today, I cast my vote to continue that tradition, defend democracy across the globe, stand up against bad actors like the Russian and Iranian regimes, and preserve our safety and security here at home."

"I'm especially proud of the provisions in this bill that are in line with my legislative priorities to address servicemembers' and veterans' mental health, and to create more affordable housing for our servicemembers and their families. In Nevada, we know housing costs are on the rise, but this legislation will help those serving in our state access safe, affordable housing. Along with these critical investments, the NDAA includes a 4.6 percent pay raise for both military servicemembers and members of the DOD civilian workforce, helping them and their families address rising costs."

Passed annually by Congress since 1961, the NDAA authorizes funding levels for the Department of Defense. This legislation allows the Armed Forces to pay, train and equip U.S. servicemembers, support America's allies around the world, and carry out essential national security operations.

The passage of the NDAA of FY2023 includes the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022, which makes major strides for western water infrastructure. This includes language Rep. Lee fought for that directs a feasibility study of aquifer recharge projects and an additional $800 million in funding for the Section 595 program, which funds the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' critical work on water-related environmental infrastructure and resource protection projects in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and Wyoming. In March, Rep. Lee testified at the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Member Day in support of these provisions.

This year's NDAA advances a range of key priorities, including:

Honoring America's servicemembers with a hard-earned 4.6 percent pay raise, child care support and commissary funding to help bring down military families' kitchen table costs.
Combating sexual harassment in the military by requiring independently-trained investigators – outside the immediate chain of command – to investigate sexual harassment, as well as placing cases under the jurisdiction of the Special Trial counsel.
Supporting first responders by enacting the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act to ease firefighters' access to workers' compensation.

Investing in diversity and inclusion, including support for defense research activities at HBCUs and MSIs, as well as a new fellowship program expanding opportunities to serve at the Department of Defense.
Securing significant investments in clean energy and energy efficiency at the Department of Defense, harnessing solar and electric technologies to ensure that our defense facilities and vehicle fleets are resilient to climate disaster and energy disruptions.
Advancing the most consequential Oceans package in generations, focusing on conserving oceans, coasts and Great Lakes in order to protect jobs and businesses, ensure resilient access to clean water and preserve invaluable aquatic life and their natural habitat. At the same time, this package modernizes the NOAA Corps and secures more hurricane hunter aircraft to protect communities from extreme weather and climate disaster.

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