Bera Votes to Strengthen U.S. National Security and Ties with the Indo-Pacific, Provide Pay Increase for American Service Members

Press Release

Representative Ami Bera (CA-07) today voted for the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes annual programming and spending for the Department of Defense and other U.S. national security programs. The NDAA passed the House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support and includes four key amendments authored by Representative Bera.

"The United States and our allies and partners face a wide range of global challenges, as evidenced by Vladimir Putin's ongoing deadly invasion of Ukraine and China's aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific," said Representative Bera, who serves as the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation. "This national defense bill will strengthen our ability to confront growing threats to U.S. interests globally while bolstering our competitiveness on the global stage. This vote also provides a much-deserved pay increase for our brave service members who work tirelessly to keep American families safe."

Bera continued: "I'm particularly pleased that my four bipartisan amendments were included in this year's NDAA, including my legislation to increase U.S. diplomatic and development resources to the Indo-Pacific, strengthen U.S. support for Taiwan, counter growing economic coercion from the People's Republic of China, and establish a fellowship to broaden U.S people-to-people ties with Taiwan and expertise in the Indo-Pacific. My amendments are crucial to bolstering American leadership and security in the Indo-Pacific, which remains the most consequential region for U.S. foreign policy and economic prosperity."

The Bera-supported legislation includes several critical provisions, including:

Providing a 4.6% pay raise for service members;
$1 billion for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which provides support and assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces to defend against Russia's deadly invasion; and
Authorizing a 20 percent increase to strengthen U.S. science and technology competitiveness.
The bipartisan defense bill includes multiple Bera-led amendments, including:

The Indo-Pacific Engagement Act: Despite the fact that the Indo-Pacific comprises nearly 60% of the world's population and is the heart of global trade, the FY23 regional foreign assistance request for the Indo-Pacific makes up approximately only 11% of the global total request. The Indo-Pacific Engagement Act is bipartisan legislation that directs the Assistant Secretaries for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and South and Central Asian Affairs at the State Department, along with the Assistant Administrator for the Asia Bureau at USAID, to provide an independent assessment of the resources they need to fulfill the Indo-Pacific Strategy. By drawing sustained attention to resourcing for the region, we can strengthen U.S. leadership in the region and truly advance a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
The Taiwan Peace and Stability Act: Bipartisan legislation that signals a path forward on U.S. policy toward Taiwan. Specifically, the legislation drives a whole of government review of options to enhance deterrence over a cross-Strait conflict, strengthens U.S. support for Taiwan's meaningful participation in the international community, and advances U.S.-Taiwan economic ties.
Countering China Economic Coercion Act: Bipartisan legislation that would establish the first-ever interagency task force to respond to the People's Republic of China's growing economic coercion against governments, businesses, organizations, and individuals.
The Taiwan Fellowship Act: Bipartisan legislation that would give U.S. policymakers the opportunity to live and work in Taiwan, equipping them with better knowledge of the region's history, culture, and political dynamics, while expanding expertise in the Mandarin Chinese language.

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