Following through on the promise to give our Troops the highest pay raise in 9 years
By Cong. John Culberson
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. We promised to rebuild and modernize Americas military and provide our troops and their families the support they need and deserve. This week as we prepare to honor service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice the House of Representatives passed the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
This important bill sets our nations defense policy and ensures that our troops have the resources they need to keep us safe. This bill follows through on that promise by giving our troops the highest pay raise in nine years and extends special pay and bonuses for our service members in high-demand fields.
The legislation restores critical defense funding that was severely cut under the Obama Administration. It provides $717 billion to ensure our troops are well-equipped to combat current and emerging threats from adversaries across the globe. This includes defending our vital assets in space and countering modern nuclear weapons being developed in countries like Russia China and North Korea. We also provide critical resources to bolster our allies in Europe and continue our fight against ISIS.
We focus on investments in missile defense naval presence ground forces aviation assets training research and development and critical munitions levels to ensure that our readiness and response will be unmatched. We must guarantee that we are two steps ahead of those that wish to do us harm.
We are proud to stand by one of our closest allies Israel by providing $500 million to continue to develop and produce missile defense systems including the Iron Dome Davids Sling and Arrow weapons systems.
We included funding to counter attempts specifically by China and Russia to compromise our critical networks steal our national security secrets and undermine our way of life.
In addition to these extremely important issues we address in the bill it also includes a number of less critical provisions related to Department of Defense policy. I was proud to include an amendment again this year that would create a grant program to
help restore and preserve the Battleship Texas.
Historic battleships are national treasures that tell the stories of the courageous servicemen that walked their decks and fought for our nation. Many of our countrys battleships are in desperate need of repair including the Battleship Texas which is docked along the Houston Ship Channel. Because of leaks the Battleship Texas has been closed to the public many times over the years. We must maintain this important ship to honor those who fought to protect our shores and to educate the next generation of Texans.
The NDAA restores our nations competitive edge in every area of national defense. It improves our readiness and capability and will keep Americans safe. Im proud to support this vital piece of legislation and look forward to the President signing it into law.
It is an honor and privilege to represent you and Texas in the United States House.
