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On Wednesday, Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL03), the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, expressed optimism that the conference committee can reach an agreement on the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan version of the NDAA. The House Armed Services Committee did the same, but when the bill got to the floor of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, Republicans added a number of amendments, including one overturning President Joe Biden’s controversial Defense Department abortion policy. The conference committee is tasked with passing a compromise NDAA that both Houses can pass, and the President will sign.
“I am honored to chair the conference committee on the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act,” Chairman Rogers said. “And I am very pleased we have returned to regular order and are holding a formal conference. I commend Chairman [Jack] Reed and Ranking Member [Roger] Wicker for getting a bill through the Senate for the first time in two years and for all the work they did to get us into conference.”
“The NDAA is one of the most consequential bills Congress considers,” continued Rogers. “All Members should have an opportunity to have their proposals fairly considered. Regular order guarantees that. It also sends an important signal to the men and women defending our freedom that Congress can function and will prioritize their needs above all else.”
“Enacting an NDAA has never been more vital than it is today,” Rogers stated. “America and our allies face unprecedented and rapidly evolving threats from China. As well as ongoing threats from Russia, Iran, North Korea, and terrorist organizations throughout the world. These threats are real. We all just witnessed terrorists act on their threats against one of our closest allies. We all pray for Israel as it counters the most vile attack on its people since the Holocaust. All of these adversaries are aligned in their desire to weaken our allies and end American dominance. To stay ahead of these threats, DoD comes to Congress each year requesting critical new authorities and changes to existing law.”
“This year, both the House and Senate NDAAs include critical new authorities to ensure our warfighters have what they need to deter our adversaries and prevail on future battlefields,” Rogers said. “These include: Provisions to expedite the delivery of new capabilities to the warfighter and enable the DoD to better partner with innovators in private industry. Provisions in both bills to revitalize our industrial base, secure our supply chains, and distribute our logistics are vital to ensuring we prevail in conflict with our adversaries, especially China. Provisions that implement AUKUS and expand military cooperation and expedite weapons transfers to Israel, Taiwan, and other allies and partners are needed now to deter our adversaries. And important new authorities that increase servicemember pay and allowances and expand benefits available to military families.”
“Over 50 percent of our discretionary budget is spent on defense,” Rogers explained. “The House bill includes several provisions to require accountability from this administration and to end the woke policies being forced on our servicemembers by left-wing bureaucrats. Everyone here appreciates that we have a divided government. That enacting legislation as critical as the NDAA will require compromise. But compromise means we both have to swallow some things that we may not like.”
One of the key sticking points has been the Biden administration’s abortion policy. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) has been holding up senior military promotions for nearly a year. Tuberville and Republicans hope that House GOP provisions overturning the President’s abortion policy remain in the final version of the NDAA that comes out of committee. Democrats and the Whitehouse would prefer a bill that does not address abortion. As chair of the conference committee, Rogers is under pressure from both sides.
Mike Rogers has represented Alabama’s Third Congressional District since 2002. He is seeking a twelfth term but faces two GOP primary challengers.
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