FY24 NDAA Resources

DECEMBER 14, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2670, the bipartisan, bicameral Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (FY24 NDAA) by a vote of 310-118. 
 
“For 63 consecutive years, the NDAA has served as the foundation for our national security priorities, fulfilling Congress’ sacred obligation to provide for the common defense. Today’s passage underscores our ironclad commitment to the people who bravely serve our country and their families, and our unshakable resolve to provide for a strong national security and national defense. Thanks to the leadership of House Democrats, this year’s annual defense bill supports the Biden Administration’s proposed 5.2 percent pay raise for service members and invests billions of dollars in other key quality of life issues including housing, child care, career opportunities, and health care. It also authorizes a record $150 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), helping ensure we can continue to recruit the strongest and most diverse applicants to serve in the United States Armed Forces.
 
“It reaffirms our commitments to our allies and partners by resourcing both the European and Pacific Deterrence Initiatives and enabling key pillars of the AUKUS trilateral security agreement, allowing Australia to give over $3 billion to the U.S. to enhance our defense industrial base. This sends a clear message to the world amid challenges from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and violent extremist organizations. It continues Democrats’ commitment to addressing climate change by promoting clean energy with the authorization of $650 million in energy resilience and energy conservation projects and prioritizes investments in innovation and technology to ensure the U.S. stays at the cutting edge of emerging technologies. It also maintains rigorous oversight and authorizes the divestment of legacy programs that are no longer effective.
 
“Importantly, this bill rejects harmful provisions included in the bill House Republicans pushed forward in July that attacked essential reproductive and LGBTQ+ health care for service members and their families, undermined President Biden’s executive orders on climate change, and would have drastically expanded the Department of Defense program that provides military equipment to local law enforcement agencies.
 
“This bill is far from perfect—it reflects hard fought compromise in a time of extreme partisan gridlock, and it provides for a strong national defense that advances U.S. priorities at home and abroad.”

A copy of the text of the FY24 NDAA be found here.
 
A summary of the FY24 NDAA can be found here.
 

DECEMBER 7, 2023

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Adam Smith (D-WA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Roger Wicker (R-MS), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on the Conference Report for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24 NDAA).

“Providing for our national defense is Congress’ most important responsibility under the U.S. Constitution, and the NDAA is key to fulfilling that duty. Our nation faces unprecedented threats from China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea. It is vital that we act now to protect our national security. We would like to thank all the conferees for their hard work and contributions to this year’s bill. Through months of hard-fought and productive negotiations, we have crafted a bipartisan and bicameral conference report that strengthens our national security and supports our servicemembers. We urge Congress to pass the NDAA quickly and President Biden to sign it when it reaches his desk.”

Text of the conference report can be found here.

The minority summary of the FY24 NDAA can be found here.

NOVEMBER 29, 2023

Thank you, Chairman Rogers, Chairman Reed, and Ranking Member Wicker.  

For 63 consecutive years, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has served as the foundation for our national security priorities, fulfilling Congress’ sacred obligation to provide for the common defense of the American people. This meeting provides a valuable opportunity for Members to provide feedback as we work in a bipartisan manner to ensure the fulfillment of that sacred obligation and address the issues that matter most to our national security and defense.  

Chief among those issues is the core of our national defense: service members, civilian workers, and their families. To ensure that we can continue to recruit and retain the diverse and talented military and civilian workforce we need to succeed, we must continue to invest in people by supporting the proposed 5.2% pay raise for service members, strengthening the civilian workforce, and supporting military spouses and families with better housing, child care, career opportunities, and health care.  

We also must continue to find bipartisan paths to ensure investment continues in innovation and technology as well as our domestic industrial base and military readiness and with an eye toward modernization and oversight. And we cannot forget our commitments to our allies and partners around the world.  

I appreciate the commitment of my colleagues here today. The NDAA process has and continues to be an example for how Congress should function — passing legislation in our respective chambers and working in a collaborative, bipartisan, and bicameral way to find common ground, reach compromise, and work out our policy differences all in support of our national defense. I look forward to finalizing the bill and moving it to the Senate and House floors soon.  

Thank you, again, and I yield back my time.

JULY 14, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, today issued the following statement after H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), passed in the House of Representatives on a vote of 219-210.

“For over 60 years, the NDAA has served as the foundation for our national security priorities, fulfilling Congress’ sacred obligation to provide for the common defense of the American people. That is until today, when that proud tradition and profound duty was cast aside by extreme MAGA Republicans valuing their bigoted ideals over the needs of our national security, national defense, service members, and their families.

“The bipartisan bill that was easily passed out of committee invested in the core of our national defense: service members and their families, innovation and technology, allies and partners, and our defense industrial base and military readiness. It ensured a 5.2% pay raise for service members, strengthened the DoD civilian workforce, and better supported military spouses and military families. It addressed the pacing challenge posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the acute threat posed by Russia, and the persistent threats posed by North Korea, Iran, and violent extremist organizations.

“The bill as amended, however, has allowed an extreme and narrow contingent to bring their culture war to what was a bipartisan process and advance an agenda rooted in racism, misogyny, bigotry, ignorance, and hatred.

“Those who have served or are serving with distinction and honor will pay the price. This bill would threaten not just their fundamental rights, but their health, well-being, and potentially their lives as well as the rights, health, and survival of their family members. This bill as amended will worsen the recruitment and retention crisis already strained by legitimate concerns among huge segments of the candidate pool about how they’ll be treated and who understandably question whether the military will give them a fair shot at service and success. It will weaken our military and our national defense.

“I and my Democratic colleagues will redouble our efforts going forward, and look forward to working with our Senate Colleagues in conference so that Congress fulfills its responsibility to the people who proudly wear the uniform, and our national defense and national security.

JULY 13, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Subcommittee Ranking Members Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Donald Norcross (D-N.J.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) issued the following statement regarding their intention to vote against passage of H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24).

“The work of House Democrats in crafting the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 demonstrates our strong and abiding commitment to our national defense and national security by ensuring that those who serve and their families—the people who are the heart of our national defense—get the resources and respect they need and deserve.

“We worked with our colleagues in committee to pass a bill in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote that invested in the greatest sources of America’s national strength: service members and their families, innovation and technology, allies and partners, and our defense industrial base and military readiness.

“The bill we passed out of committee sent a clear, united message to our allies and partners, global competitors, and the American people that democracy still works, and Congress is still functional.

“We made clear that we are dedicated to recruiting and retaining the strongest, most diverse fighting force and ensuring that everyone, including people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals, would have the same chance to serve without having to work harder or sacrifice more for the same opportunities.

“That bill no longer exists. What was once an example of compromise and functioning government has become an ode to bigotry and ignorance. Attacks on reproductive rights, access to basic health care, and efforts to address our country’s history of racism and marginalization of huge swaths of our country will worsen our recruitment and retention crisis, make our military less capable, and do grievous harm to our national defense and national security.

“For these reasons, we cannot and will not vote for the NDAA as amended on the House floor.”

JUNE 22, 2023

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after the House Armed Services Committee approved H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), by a bipartisan vote of 58-1.  

“This year’s defense bill contributes to over six decades of this Committee’s commitment to investing in the greatest sources of America’s national strength: service members and their families, innovation and technology, allies and partners, and our defense industrial base and military readiness. As we continue to face enormous challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the acute threat posed by Russia, and the persistent threats posed by North Korea, Iran, and violent extremist organizations, we have sent a clear, bipartisan message to our allies and partners, global competitors, and the American people: democracy still works and Congress is still able to come together in the spirit of bipartisanship and our shared respect for our armed forces and providing for our national security and national defense. 

“As the rules-based international order continues to face challenges and threats from around the world, this year’s NDAA authorizes crucial investments in America’s global alliances and partnerships. The proposal also authorizes $874.2 billion in discretionary spending, equal to the Biden-Harris Administration’s request for national defense across the Department of Defense and parts of the Department of Energy and other agencies.  

“In the spirit of compromise, I am not supportive of everything in this bill. However, I continue to be grateful for my colleagues from across the aisle who share the same desire to ensure those who serve and their families—the people who are the heart of our national defense—get the resources and respect they need and deserve. That includes provisions to strengthen the DoD civilian workforce, better support military spouses and military families, and a 5.2% pay raise for service members. 

“As we prepare to bring the NDAA to the House floor, we will continue to advocate for the priorities and values that make our military stronger and America safer, including ensuring that we have the most diverse, talented pool of individuals to recruit and retain to our Armed Forces. House Armed Services Democrats will also continue to build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to invest in the American people and our diversity, enhance U.S. alliances and partnerships, and strengthen our country’s global competitiveness, so that Congress can deliver on its obligation to ‘provide for the common defense.’  

“I thank Chairman Rogers for his partnership throughout this process and his many contributions to this bill, and I look forward to our bipartisan collaboration as the NDAA advances to the House floor.” 

Click here to read a summary of the FY24 NDAA prepared by Committee staff.

JUNE 21, 2023 -- 10 A.M. ET

At 10:00am ET on June 22, 2022, watch live as the Committee begins hearing to mark up H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23).

Watch Part One here.

Watch Part Two here.