RELEASE: HILL SUPPORTS ANNUAL DEFENSE BILL, INCREASE IN SERVICEMEMBER PAY

Statement

Rep. French Hill (AR-02) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022 by a bipartisan vote of 363-70.

"I was proud to vote in favor of this year's annual defense bill as it supports our men and women stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base through a 2.7% increase in pay and expanded benefits. Importantly, this bill holds the Biden Administration accountable for their disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, contains provisions to counter our adversaries such as Iran, Russia, and China, and upgrades our military equipment while making targeted investments in emerging technologies to combat future threats.

"While I was disappointed my provision to go after the multi-billion-dollar drug trade in Syria was not included because of a disjointed process, I was pleased to see the note in the Conference Committee Report that indicated support for an interagency strategy to disrupt and dismantle the Assad regime's illicit production and trafficking of Captagon in Syria. I look forward to pursuing other legislative avenues to move these important provisions forward."

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