House Passes NDAA, Larded for Warfighting, Home & Abroad

The House of Representatives passed their version of the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act.  The narrow 217 to 199 vote on the normally nonpartisan legislation reflected the last minute addition of a raft of culture war amendments which alienated all but six Democrats.  

“The adoption of poison pill amendments attacking reproductive health care, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of color undermines the purpose of the defense bill by demeaning service members and degrading our national defense," wrote Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash) and seven colleagues. "That is why we oppose the final passage of the NDAA, as amended, on the House floor."

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala), applauded the bill's passage, highlighting the repeal of COVID-19 vaccine mandate for servicemembers and "reversing President Biden’s dangerous cuts to our missile defense."   Lockheed Martin is Mr. Rogers' largest campaign contributor.

The Armed Services Committee summary of the legislation can be found here.

Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI), Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and Select Committee noted the China-related provisions in the final text, which:

• Adds PRC drone manufacturer DJI to the FCC’s covered list, preventing future DJI products from operating in the United States.
• Provides dedicated funding for the DoD office that identifies Chinese military companies, which are housed on DoD’s 1260H list.
• Establishes a National Security Capital Forum to convene private sector entities, USG personnel, and allied and partner nation representatives to better facilitate strategically-aligned international investments.
• Modifies the Pacific Deterrence Initiative by requiring a more detailed description of the initiative’s progress in achieving INDOPACOM’s performance goals.
• Requires DoD to evaluate enhanced defense industrial cooperation with Taiwan.
• Restricts DoD funding for fundamental research collaboration with PRC entities of concern identified by the Department of Defense.
• Prohibits colleges and universities that conduct DoD-funded research from entering into agreements with foreign entities of concern.
• Limits principal investigators on DoD-funded research projects in critical technologies at institutions of higher education from seeking or accepting employment at foreign entities of concern.
• Prohibits DoD funding from being used to provide active and direct DoD support to film, TV, or entertainment companies that produce or co-produce projects with PRC propaganda outlets.
• Tasks DoD with a study to assess the operational impact of persistent elevated network sensors that can identify, classify, and provide firing quality track data to U.S. and allied missile defense systems on air defense missions.
• Requires a study and report on the production and acquisition of shipping containers from foreign adversaries.

Neither Mr. Moolenaar nor Mr. Rogers served in the U.S. Military.