Sen. Cramer: Senate Armed Services Committee Passes 2023 NDAA with North Dakota Wins

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement today after he and his Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) colleagues voted to advance the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) out of committee:

“The National Defense Authorization Act is an investment in national security, our brave service members and their families, and our homeland. It contains funding for North Dakota’s military assets and missions in Minot, Grand Forks, and Cavalier in addition to support for our state’s National Guard and the entire North Dakota military community. This year’s NDAA provides support for members of our armed forces, invests in emerging technologies to ensure we keep pace with our adversaries, rightly emphasizes nuclear modernization programs, and protects our strategic deterrent. It makes important inroads to prevent the Biden Administration from implementing its woke, left-wing social agenda at the Department of Defense,” said Senator Cramer.

“My thanks go to Senator Cramer for his hard work on this year’s National Defense Authorization Act. He has been a strong voice for our Navy and Marine Corps as the top Republican on the Seapower Subcommittee, and he has championed efforts to modernize our nuclear deterrent and improve critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities – making our military stronger now and into the future,” said SASC Ranking Member Jim Inhofe (R-OK).

FY23 NDAA Topline Provisions:

The FY23 NDAA – which passed through SASC overwhelmingly with a vote of 23-3 and now awaits action from the full Senate – is a $857.6 billion bill to provide for the national defense of the United States. Specifically, this NDAA:

Supports the DoD in its mission to meet the objectives of the 2022 National Defense Strategy, including defending the U.S. homeland; deterring adversaries; prevailing in long-term strategic competition; and building a resilient Joint Force.
Strengthens the all-volunteer force and improves the quality of life of the men and women of the total force (Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserves), their families, and DOD civilian personnel as they fulfill their solemn oath to the Constitution of the United States.
Provides our military services and combatant commanders with the resources needed to carry out the National Defense Strategy and out-compete, deter, and, if necessary, prevail against near-peer rivals.
Enhances deterrence by recapitalizing and modernizing the U.S. nuclear triad; ensuring the safety, security, and reliability of our nuclear stockpile, delivery systems, and infrastructure; increasing capacity in theater and homeland missile defense; and strengthening nonproliferation programs.

Learn more here.

North Dakota Projects and Priorities:

As the first-ever North Dakotan to serve on an Armed Services committee in Congress, Senator Cramer has used his seat on SASC to secure funding authorization and language for missions both directly and indirectly benefiting North Dakota’s military community. This year’s bill fully funds nuclear modernization efforts, supports efforts to develop increased intelligence capabilities, grows the Space Force, and authorizes multiple North Dakota military projects.

Minot Air Force Base (AFB):

Provides $2.6 billion for Sentinel (Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD)) modernization.

Since becoming a member of SASC, Senator Cramer has been a vocal supporter of the nation’s nuclear triad and has pushed military leaders at the highest levels to keep GBSD funded and on-time.

Provides $770 million for B-52 commercial engine replacement program (CERP) and radar modernization.
Provides $39 million for the Nuclear Command, Control & Communication (NC3) program, which will modernize the communications equipment used at Minot AFB.
Limits the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) count to no less than 400 total protecting our nuclear deterrent.
Directs the Secretary of the Air Force to submit a report on the feasibility of Bomber Agile Combat Employment (BACE).

Grand Forks AFB:

Space Development Agency (SDA)

Increases the topline Department of Defense Senior Executive Service (SES) allocation with a minimum of 3 SDA senior leadership positions.
Directs the Secretary of Defense to review and make a recommendation for SDA to implement middle-tier acquisition authority (MTA) to allow them to continue rapid acquisition.
Directs the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a briefing on the transition of SDA to the Space Force and efforts to ensure it can use MTA and hire necessary personal at SES level.

Cavalier Space Force Station and Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System (PARCS):

Adds $5 million for PARCS modernization.
Directs the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a report on the feasibility of upgrading PARCS, the consequences of not doing so, and the gaps that would result from a failure of the system.

North Dakota Army National Guard and Air National Guard:

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Pilots Mental Health: Directs the Secretary of the Air Force to study the work-life balance of drone operators and their health and welfare.
National Guard Promotion Improvement: Provides for the backdating of effective date of rank for reserve officers in the National Guard due to undue delays in Federal recognition.

Key North Dakota Projects:

Antibody Development: Encourages the enhancement of and additional funding for the Department of Defense’s end-to-end antibody development program in light of lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. This applies to the North Dakota company Genovac, which has been critical in advancing antibody discovery.
Intranasal Ketamine: Recommends the Department of Defense conduct pre-clinical testing and clinical trials of intranasal ketamine such that results may be used to facilitate FDA approval for acute pain management. This advances work done at numerous North Dakota ketamine treatments clinics.
Swift Water Training: Encourages the National Guard to use facilities that provide a safe, realistic environment to train for flood rescues.
Authorizes assignment pay or special duty pay for service members stationed in extreme climate locations.
Mental Health in Remote Locations: Directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing on a model developed by the Defense Health Agency to determine requirements for allocations of uniformed mental health providers to military training facilities in remote locations, as well as the feasibility of hiring civilian mental health providers. These efforts aim to improve mental health resources and accessibility for service members and their families.

Overall Priorities:

Implications of Removing Iran Sanctions: Directs the Defense Intelligence Agency Director and Commander of U.S. Central Command to provide a brief on the extent to which they assess Iran will use sanctions relief from the Iran Nuclear Deal to bolster its support for terrorism, as well as U.S. Central Command’s requirements for defending against better-funded Iranian terrorist proxies.
Inflation: Requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a report on the impact of inflation at Military Exchanges.
Technology for Mental Health: Directs the Defense Health Agency to assess the feasibility of leveraging current self-help apps to expand mental and behavioral health services for military members and their families
Department of Defense Ethics Statutes: Directs the Secretary of Defense to have a federally funded research and development center conduct a study assessing whether the 4 current DoD-specific statutory ethics requirements have had an impact on the hiring or retention of personnel at the DoD, particularly those with specialized experience or training.
Risk Assessment for Unfunded Priorities: Requires an annual risk assessment which allows the services the ability to better articulate the risk they are taking at a certain budget level when they send over their unfunded priorities.
Investigating Sexual Harassment Reprisals: Directs an investigation into reprisals made against Marine Corps service members who report sexual harassment.
Operation Warp Speed Refunds: Urges the Secretary of the Army to increase the contract ceiling for the work that was done in support of developing the COVID-19 vaccine.

As the Ranking Member of the SASC Seapower Subcommittee, Senator Cramer was able to help secure additional support for America’s naval fleet. Importantly, NDAA includes language prohibiting naval ships not yet at their end of service life from being retired.

This is the fourth NDAA Senator Cramer has helped craft as a member of SASC. In 2019, he was able to shepherd through the creation of the USSF, and in 2020 and 2021, he was able to secure a host of pro-North Dakota provisions in the legislation.