Warner Robins Today

Washington, D.C.-- U.S. Representative Austin Scott (GA-08), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), released the below statement upon the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passing out of Committee last night. The NDAA sets Department of Defense (DOD) policies and authorizes funding levels for defense programs.

“Late last night, the House Armed Services Committee passed the bipartisan FY24 NDAA. This legislation recognizes the global impact that Georgia’s bases have on our nation’s defense and supports our warfighters around the globe,” Scott said. “As our adversaries display increasingly aggressive behavior, I am proud to have amendments included to counter the influence of dangerous countries like Russia and Communist China.”

Rep. Scott had 31 amendments adopted during the HASC markup of the FY24 NDAA. Some of the bill language provisions authored by Rep. Scott include:

Stopping the Closure of the Combat Readiness Training Center in Savannah, GA: This amendment would prohibit the closure of Air Force Combat Readiness Training Centers, including the one in Savannah, Georgia.

Prohibiting the Use of DOD Funds for Purchasing Battery Technology Produced by Contemporary Amperex Technology Company (CATL): CATL is Communist China's top electric vehicle battery producing company, and this amendment will prevent DOD from purchasing battery technology from the Chinese Communist Party.

Elevating the Position of Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau (VCNGB) from the Rank of Lieutenant General to General: This amendment would elevate the position of the Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau from the present rank of Lieutenant General to the rank of General. National Guard involvement in both domestic and overseas military operations continues to increase, yet the Vice Chief is the only Joint Chiefs of Staff principal deputy who is not a 4-star General or Admiral. 

Increasing the National Defense Stockpile: As the U.S. enters a new phase of strategic deterrence, the U.S. must increase its stockpile of munitions. This amendment increases the stockpile requirement to sustain a conventional global war from its current one-year supply to a three-year supply.

Raising the $5,000 Spending Cap to $15,000 on Counter-Drug Equipment Procured or Leased by the National Guard Requiring Advance Approval from SECDEF: The present approval process is slow, and this amendment adjusts the new threshold for inflation and will aid in the fight against fentanyl.

Increasing the Accession Bonus for Military Nurses from $20,000 to $40,000: Bonuses for military nurses need to be competitive with the private sector to avoid a nursing shortage in any future wars. This is overdue, as the last bonus increase for military nurses was in 2008.

Authorizing the Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to Submit to the Congressional Defense Committees a Report on the Unfunded Priorities of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency: Nearly 82,000 service members are still unaccounted for from past wars, and this amendment is a step toward giving more of our military families the closure they deserve.

Deterring Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing by the Communist Chinese Party (CCP): This authorizes U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard personnel to train African naval and law enforcement personnel to detect and counter IUU fishing by Communist China- the world’s largest culprit of depleting fish stockpiles and the food source of so many people in Africa. Hunger is the number one driver of conflict, and food shortages create instability among poorer nations that are exploited by terrorists and other non-state actors.

Implementing Personnel Reforms Beneficial to Reservists and Guardsmen: The Headquarters of the Air Force Reserve Command is located at Robins AFB, and the Georgia National Guard is the country's 6th largest National Guard force. Rep. Scott included amendments to allow officers and warrant officers of the Army and Air National Guard to transfer between the Army and Air National Guard and the Inactive National Guard. Also, to allow officers of the Air National Guard who are on active duty to serve on the Air Force Reserve Policy Committee and expand the Air Force Reserve Forces Policy Committee to add as non-voting members the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF), and the Command Chiefs of each reserve component; and the Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force (CMSSF).

Enhancing the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Defense Mission: Three separate amendments authored by Rep. Scott allow the Coast Guard Commandant to provide input to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, add a Coast Guard officer to the Strategic and Critical Materials Board of the Department of Defense, and requires the Secretary of the Navy to ensure the views of the Coast Guard Commandant are given appropriate consideration before major decisions impacting the U.S. Coast Guard are undertaken by the Navy Department 

The NDAA also included Directive Report Language (DRL), which is a special category of "Items of Special Interest" that are included in the bill. The DOD recognizes that while DRL is not bill language, it carries similar weight. Some of the DRL provisions authored by Rep. Scott include:

Enhancing of the State Partnership Program: The State Partnership Program supports the National Defense Strategy priorities and campaign objectives of the combatant commands through enduring, mutually beneficial relationships like the partnership between the Georgia National Guard and the armed forces of the country of Georgia. This amendment directed the Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing to HASC no later than March 1, 2024, on the opportunities to enhance the State Partnership Program. 

Countering Russian and Chinese Influence in Africa: Three separate amendments offered by Rep. Scott directed the DOD to examine the support provided by U.S. war colleges to war colleges in Africa, the feasibility of establishing an institute in Africa for security cooperation operated by the U.S. Army, and an update on the establishment among willing and capable African partners of a C-130 coalition on the continent. C-130s are produced by Lockheed Martin in Marietta, GA.

Denying Russian Dominance of the Black Sea: This directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing to the Congressional defense committees no later than March 1, 2024, on the feasibility of establishing a Black Sea flotilla of vessels from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, NATO allies, and/or Ukraine. The briefing shall include possible roles, missions, organization, treaty and legal compliance, and requirements validation of such an effort. 

Also included were two more provisions inserted in the base text of the bill at the request of Rep. Scott:

Making Permanent the Threshold of Minor Military Construction at $9 Million: The FY23 NDAA temporarily raised the cap to $9 million. This section would increase the unspecified minor military construction authority limit from $6,000,0000 to $9,000,000, and for projects with high area construction costs, the authority limit is increased from $10,000,000 to $14,000,000. This will help modernize military installations like Robins AFB and Moody AFB.

Enhancing the Capabilities of Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) to Detect and Monitor Transnational Criminal Organizations’ Activities to Exploit Maritime and Aerial Shipment Routes of Narcotics and Support Interagency Efforts to Illuminate the Illegal Transport of Precursor Chemicals of Fentanyl, Bulk Cash, Persons, and Weapons. The committee directed the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to the HASC no later than December 31, 2023, that includes capabilities upgrades required to better enable JIATF-S to support the interdiction of narcotics, precursor chemicals of fentanyl, fentanyl, bulk cash, human trafficking, and weapons, including platforms, vessels, and equipment.

Original source can be found here.