Portman: Senate-Passed FY 2021 NDAA Includes Wins for Ohio, Increases Troop Pay, Supports Ukraine Security Assistance

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) announced that the Senate-passed FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), includes a number of initiatives to support Ohio’s military installations, increase troop pay, and provide additional assistance to Ukraine. The legislation will now need to be conferenced with the version passed by the House of Representatives.  He released the following statement:  

“I applaud the Senate passage of this defense bill which provides needed resources to continue rebuilding our military, support our troops, and provide upgrades and support to Ohio’s defense installations. Our country faces significant security threats around the world, and this bipartisan legislation will help ensure that our soldiers, airmen, sailors, Marines and space professionals have the vital resources they need to accomplish their national security missions. Ohio is home to the best and brightest serving our country, and some of our nation’s premier defense installations and this legislation provides for their continued success. This Senate-passed bill also takes additional steps I’ve fought for to help Ukraine defend themselves against Russian aggression. This security assistance package sends a clear message that America continues to stand with the Ukrainian people in their struggle to secure a democratic, prosperous, and independent future.”   

NOTE:  Portman announced that the Senate-passed FY 2021 NDAA includes a number of key wins for Ohio and the country, including: 

·        Authorizing $1.4 billion in funding to upgrade 89 Abrams tanks, sustaining the rate of production of the upgraded Abrams tanks Joint Systems Manufacturing Center (JSMC) in Lima in order to ensure that our forward deployed tanks have the most cutting-edge capabilities;

·        Authorizing $847 million for upgrading Stryker Vehicles at the JSMC;

·        Authorizing $378.6 million to produce 72 Stryker chassis to support the Army’s Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) program;

·        Authorizing $250 million in security assistance to fund additional training, equipment, and advisory efforts for Ukraine’s forces. Portman has led efforts in the Senate to ensure these Ukraine security assistance funds were authorized and obligated pending critical defense reforms at the Ukrainian parliament;

·        Commending Ukraine on their recent acceptance into NATO's Enhanced Opportunity Partner Program.

·        Requiring the Department of State and Department of Defense to develop a new, multi-year strategy to support the development of Ukraine’s military forces, increasing its capability and capacity and providing a resource plan for US security assistance;

·        Authorizing $23.5 million in funding for a hydrant fuel system for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base;

·        Authorizing $35 million for an Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program project at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to help make NASIC more energy efficient;

·        Authorizing $15 million for the construction of a new Guard Readiness Center in Columbus, Ohio;

·        Encouraging the United States Air National Guard to prioritize military construction funding for small arms ranges in their budget request for FY 2022;

·        Expressing the Sense of the Senate that hypersonic technologies are important to our national security, and that the Department of Defense (DOD) should take actions to improve ground-based test facilities, such as wind tunnels. Portman believes the Hypersonic Tunnel Facility at NASA Plum Brook in Sandusky, Ohio, possesses the capabilities necessary to step into this role and help advance the DoD mission;

·        Requiring DoD to assess the surge capacity of defense industrial base manufacturers compared to that of our adversaries.  This assessment would highlight the capabilities of large and small Ohio businesses to support the Federal government's urgent production needs. 

·        Enabling National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to receive name-bearing gifts of real property; and 

·        Provisions from Portman’s bipartisan Artificial Intelligence for the Armed Forces Act to increase our military’s artificial intelligence capabilities.

• Requiring DoD to report on their efforts to work with consortia of academic researchers in the development of cybersecurity capabilities for DoD systems.
• Directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct an annual study of deepfakes and other types of similar content.
• Requiring DoD to study partnering with existing government facilities, like NASA’s Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, to perform research and testing on hypersonic devices.
• Requiring DHS to establish a Cybersecurity State Coordinator position in every state.
• Requiring the Department of Defense to report to Congress on ways to strengthen ties between the Joint AI Center and each of the military services.
• Requiring the Department of Defense (DoD) to report on the artificial intelligence (AI) standards related to the country’s defense industrial base. 

In total, the Senate-passed NDAA provides $740.5 billion for national defense. The legislation also gives our service members a three percent pay raise. 

 

###