Annual Defense Bill Now Heads to the Floor

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement after the Committee approved H.R. 4350 the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 by a bipartisan vote of 57 to two:

“For more than sixty years this committee’s focus has been to provide the Department of Defense and the men and women who serve our country with the tools to meet the ever-changing national security threats we face. For the sixty-first consecutive year, the Armed Services Committee has fulfilled its critical responsibility and completed, on a bipartisan basis, a defense bill that will bolster our national security and provide for the common defense.

“This year the defense bill focuses on transforming DoD to better deter our adversaries while taking advantage of new, innovative technologies and implementing more cost-effective approach to develop and acquire crucial platforms. The future of our defense depends on our committee’s tough policy discussions about what DoD needs, how to fill these needs, and the necessary tradeoffs to ensure the United States maintains a competitive edge over its adversaries. 

“I want to thank Ranking Member Rogers for his tireless work and commitment to bipartisanship as we drafted this year’s bill. The Armed Services Committee has a storied history of bipartisanship and that is no accident – the work is hard, and our disagreements can run deep. Democracy is not always easy but having a willing counterpart in the legislative process is critical to ensuring our military has the essential resources they need to combat threats at home and abroad. As the NDAA now moves to the floor, I look forward to our continued partnership.”

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