Thune Applauds Senate Passage of National Defense Authorization Act

Statement

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today issued the following statement after the Senate overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

"The National Defense Authorization Act is one of the most important measures Congress passes every year, and I'm pleased that the Senate passed it today with overwhelming bipartisan support," said Thune. "This year's bill invests in improving the quality of life for our military members and their families, and it focuses on restoring military readiness to ensure our nation is prepared to meet the threats posed by major powers like Russia and China.

"The NDAA also authorizes $2.8 billion for the continued development of the B-21 bomber, which will be based at Ellsworth

Air Force Base, and it authorizes $10 million for a specialized hangar for the upkeep of its stealth coating. The bill preserves all of the maintainers at Ellsworth, even as a few of the most fatigued B-1 bombers are retired. This will not only ensure that the remaining B-1s will receive more resources and be kept at a higher rate of combat readiness, but it also means that the force structure is in place to maintain B-21s as soon as that mission arrives in South Dakota.

"It's important for this bill to become law as soon as possible. I hope the president will sign the bill and work with those of us who agree with him about the need to reform liability protections for big tech."

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