Yesterday U.S. Senator Todd Young applauded the Senate passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which provides for our men and women in uniform with a three percent pay raise and launches a new initiative to deter China. Senator Young, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and Marine who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the bill will keep Americans safe amidst threats from coronavirus, Russia, and the Chinese Communist Party. The Senate voted 86-14 to approve the legislation.
While Senator Young’s amendment to preserve the Pentagon’s Chief Management Officer (CMO) position was not included in the Senate-passed bill, he intends to push for maintaining this position as the Senate and House negotiate a final version of the bill in the coming months. In the past six months alone, the CMO has saved the Department of Defense $21 billion.
Senator Young worked to secure provisions in the NDAA that support the following Indiana projects:
Naval equipment manufactured in Indiana
Steel technology innovations taking place in Indiana
Artificial Intelligence research led by the University of Notre Dame and Indiana University
3D printing innovations led by Indiana-based TechShot
Preservation of Hoosier position at Department of Defense
Other key components of the NDAA include:
Creation of the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI)
Coronavirus response measures: