WASHINGTON, D.C. – Calling it a “major step toward rebuilding our military,” U.S. Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11) today supported passage in the House of the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).  The companion bill to the annual Defense Appropriations bill, the NDAA was approved by the House today by a bipartisan vote of 344-81. 

“This year’s bill repairs and rebuilds our military.  It provides for our troops and their families and helps ensure that our men and women in uniform are fully trained, equipped, and supported,” said Frelinghuysen, the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations.  “Our Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, has correctly made readiness and modernization of our forces his top priorities. Today, we have the oldest Air Force in our history, one of the smallest Navy fleets in recent memory and an Army and a Marine Corps that need to grow.  On top of these facts, we have too many aircraft that cannot fly, too many ships that cannot sail and too many troops who cannot deploy to the battlefield.  At the same time, many new threats are emerging.”

He continued: “In recent years, we have been just getting by - asking more and more of those who serve. We cannot keep piling missions on our service members without ensuring they have all they need to succeed.”

In tandem, the FY 2018 NDAA and Defense Appropriations bill begin “a much-needed rebuilding of our military after a half-decade of cuts” and at the same time the military remained in constant combat.  The FY 2018 Defense Appropriations bill passed the House Committee on Appropriations last month.

“Congress's most important constitutional duty is to 'provide for the common defense.'  These two bills allow us to meet that responsibility,” said Frelinghuysen, the former Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

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