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Washington, DC– Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) today voted for the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual bill necessary to set the policies that guide our Armed Forces and reauthorize funding for defense programs. This is the fifty-fifth consecutive NDAA passed by Congress.

“With the continued threat posed by ISIS and radical Islamic terrorists, along with recent aggression by countries like Russia and Iran, our best defense is strongly supporting the brave men and women in uniform who have dedicated their lives to protecting us,” said Guthrie. “This NDAA helps to ensure our military’s readiness by providing a much needed increase in training programs and equipment upgrades, and halts the Obama Administration’s dangerous drawdown of troops during a time of growing need. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass this crucial bill as soon as possible.”

The NDAA includes a 2.1% pay raise for troops and does not make any changes to the Basic Allowance for Housing. The bill also takes steps to improve the health care experience for our troops by streamlining the appointment scheduling process, increasing the number of available appointments, and extending the hours of primary care clinics. The bill also prioritizes improving the technology available for our warfighters and builds on past acquisition reforms.

In addition, the NDAA provides specific funding to combat and destroy ISIS and counter Russian aggression in Europe. The bill further fulfills our important commitments to the Israeli Cooperative Missile Defense program and prohibits President Obama from closing Guantanamo Bay or transferring prisoners to the United States.

“I’m committed to making sure that Fort Knox gets the resources it needs to maintain operations crucial to our national defense and to ensuring that our Armed Forces are prepared for current and future challenges. While more work remains to be done, this bill moves us in the right direction by increasing funding for essential programs, reversing certain Obama policies, and supporting Israel, our most important ally in the Middle East,” said Guthrie.

The National Defense Authorization Act passed the House today by 375 to 34 and now awaits passage by the Senate.

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