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Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) joined his colleagues in passing the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this morning to provide members of the military with the largest pay raise in nine years, improve military readiness, and rehabilitate and replace worn out military equipment. The legislation passed by a vote of 351 to 66.

“After years of drawdowns under the Obama Administration, we’re working to rebuild our military and provide our troops with the tools they need to confront aggression and address global threats,” said Latta. “That first means taking care of the men and women that serve our nation, and the NDAA provides the members of our military with their largest pay raise in nine years. We also take efforts to upgrade and modernize outdated equipment. Last year, four times as many military members were killed in training deaths than in combat. It’s unacceptable that our military cannot function at full capacity because they have old airplanes, vehicles that are falling apart, or have seen a reduction in training. It’s time to take the next step in the rebuilding of our armed forces.”  

Under the NDAA, pay for service members is increased by 2.6%, and the legislation also increases the size of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Naval and Air Reserve, and the Air Guard.

Increased funding is provided to rehabilitate and replace Army equipment and repair and rebuild crumbling military buildings and infrastructure. At the same time, funding is used to boost the total number of aircraft and naval ships to maintain American superiority in the air and on sea.

In addition, the NDAA makes important reforms to the Pentagon bureaucracy and streamlines buying practices within the Department of Defense.

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