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Washington,
D.C.
– After
a
weeklong
mark-up
process
in
the
Senate
Armed
Services
Committee
(SASC),
U.S.
Senator
Tim
Scott
(R-SC)
and
committee
members
passed
the
National
Defense
Authorization
Act
for
Fiscal
Year
2019
out
of
committee,
a
critical
first
step
in
authorizing
$716
billion
for
our
Department
of
Defense.
This
bill
funds
critical
military
readiness
initiatives
and
construction
projects
in
South
Carolina,
and
across
the
country.
“From
day
one
of
having
been
blessed
with
the
opportunity
to
serve
on
this
critical
committee,
my
priorities
have
been
simple:
focus
on
personnel
readiness
and
equipment
modernization,”
said
Scott.
“Today
with
the
passage
of
the
NDAA
out
of
committee,
we
are
one
step
closer
to
reaching
that
goal
by
providing
our
troops
with
the
adequate
resources
they
need
to
carry
out
their
missions.
As
someone
who
has
two
brothers
who
have
both
served
in
the
military,
I
have
an
appreciation
of
the
incredible
sacrifices
taken
by
our
service
members
and
it
is
an
honor
to
be
able
to
provide
them
with
the
resources
they
need
to
defend
our
nation.”
Scott
was
able
to
advocate
for
the
inclusion
of
a
number
of
his
top
defense
and
military
preparedness
priorities,
which
have
been
highlighted
below:
- Base
Improvements
–
- Enhancements
to
MCAS
Beaufort’s
electrical
grid
and
build
a
needed
support
facility
for
F-35s
- Construction
of
a
recycling
and
hazardous
waste
facility
at
MCAS
Beaufort
- Significant
overhaul
and
improvement
of
Trainee
barracks
at
Fort
Jackson
- Range
improvements
and
modernization
initiatives
at
MCB
Parris
Island.
- Resources
to
support
the
MQ-9
Reaper
mission
control
element
at
Shaw
AFB.
- Troop
Readiness
– Requires
the
Army
and
the
Director/
Operational
Test
and
Evaluation
to
collaborate
with
academic
experts
to
determine
effective
personal
equipment
to
protect
against
blast
injuries
in
training
and
combat,
including
traumatic
brain
injury.
- Resources
to
Advance
Shipbuilding
– Added
more
than
$650
million
in
resources
to
support
amphibious
ship
building
and
procurement,
an
initiative
that
will
benefit
our
national
security
readiness,
naval
forces,
and
jobs
in
the
shipbuilding
industrial
base
across
South
Carolina.
- Military
Pay
Raise
–
2.6%
pay
raise
for
all
service
members
effective
January
1,2019.
- Directs
DoD
to
study
faster
ways
to
reimburse
South
Carolina
when
it
calls
up
the
National
Guard
to
respond
to
natural
disasters.
- Directs
the
Air
Force
to
report
on
needed
security
and
access
controls
to
JB
Charleston.
- Acknowledges
the
important
work
done
by
the
Navy’s
Nuclear
Power
Training
Center.
- Directs
additional
investment
in
science
and
technology
for
advances
needed
to
counter
threats
from
China
and
Russia.
This
is
the
first
time
in
eight
years
that
the
military’s
budget
was
driven
by
the
priorities
of
the
sitting
Secretary
of
Defense,
which
were
outlined
by
Secretary
James
Mattis
in
the
National
Defense
Strategy
released
earlier
this
year.
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