A final vote on the National Defense Authorization Act is not expected to be taken in the House of Representatives until next week as members debate what should and what shouldn’t be a part of the massive annual legislation.
The measure, which every year is routinely passed by Congress, provides the working budget for the Department of Defense, and pays for everything from the salaries of members of the military to research and development projects and operations and maintenance.
For the nation’s builders, the measure is especially important, providing funding for the construction of hundreds of facilities on bases across the country.
This fiscal year’s version of the legislation includes $19 billion for military construction, including $3.8 billion to cover what are regarded as the “unbudgeted costs” of inflation in military construction projects.
The projects include the building of family housing on bases nationally and around the world.
The proposed budget also includes, in response to increased rents everywhere, an additional $500 million in housing allowances for soldiers and their families.
Another $400 million, if the legislation passes, will go for the renovation and/or construction of Defense Department testing facilities and laboratories.
Much larger appropriations are targeting shipbuilding, as well as the modernization of the nation’s shipyard industrial base.
While last year’s $816 billion Defense Authorization Act was approved by a vote of 350 to 80 in the House, and in the Senate by 83 to 11, smooth sailing is anything but certain for this year’s legislation.
Several House members are pushing to reduce or get rid of entirely any funding for the war in Ukraine, while others are complaining about Pentagon policies related to abortion access and gender transition services.
Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz has told the New York Times a move is almost certain to take place putting a halt to “radical gender ideology at the Department of Defense.”
“Obviously, there’s hot button issues that need to be addressed and dealt with,” remarked Republican Congressman Chip Roy of Texas to the Politico, specifically mentioning “abortion, transgender issues, climate change, and all the social engineering going on at DOD that’s destroying our Defense Department.”
For his part, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has told reporters that he is determined to see passage of the authorization act, but that it’s not going to happen soon: “We have 1,500 amendments. It takes a lot of time to work through it all.”
Either way, notes the publication Roll Call, a heated House debate over the abortion and transition issues “could gridlock the entire appropriations process.”
By Garry Boulard
