WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23) on Wednesday released the following statement after the House passage of the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

“Now more than ever, our national security is of the utmost importance, as we see a rise in cyber-attacks, fallout from the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and threats from the Taliban, China, Russia, and Iran,” said Congressman Gonzales. “This year’s NDAA provides provisions to strengthen our national defense, supplies our military with the means to defend our country and supports our servicemembers and their families through improved resources.”

The NDAA contains important measures to combat the border crisis:

• Continues funding for the deployment of National Guard to the border.
• Reauthorizes authority for DoD to support U.S. law enforcement counter-narcotic and counter-transnational crime efforts.
• Requires an assessment of the impact on military readiness of forcing DoD to transport illegal immigrants. 

It also includes the following provisions to strengthen our national defense and benefit our men and women in uniform:

• Boosts topline defense spending by $25 billion, an increase of 5 percent from FY21.
• Authorizes a 2.7 percent pay increase for servicemembers.
• Provides nearly $1.5 billion to improve servicemember family housing.
• Puts the Navy back on track to building a 355 ship Navy.
• Includes provisions to hold the Biden Administration accountable for its disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.
• Prohibits the Biden Administration from closing, transferring detainees from, or building alternative U.S.-based facilities to Guantanamo Bay.
• Focuses investments on new and emerging weapon systems capable of penetrating denied operating environments such as China.
• Requires DoD to provide annual updates to Congress on China’s military advancements.
• Increases funding for technology capable of penetrating and surviving in denied operating environments.
• Authorizes over $7 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative and over $500 million in INDOPACOM Combatant Commander priorities.
• Creates framework for tracking improvements in Taiwan’s capabilities to counter the Chinese and sets deeper integration with Taiwan’s military.
• Establishes that it is the policy of the U.S. to maintain ability to resist Chinese efforts to seize control of Taiwan.
• Includes $300 million in support to Ukraine.
• Prohibits DoD from dishonorably discharging servicemembers that refuse the COVD-19 vaccine.
• No longer includes the “Red Flag” provision, which would allow judges to issue ex parte protective orders that prohibit firearm possession.
• Preserves servicemembers’ free speech rights by protecting them from being punished for political statements on social media accounts.

 

Congressman Gonzales served two decades in the U.S. Navy, retiring in 2019 as a Master Chief Petty Officer.