Noem Joins House Armed Services Committee in Moving FY2015 Defense Bill Forward

Press Release

U.S. Representative Kristi Noem today joined the House Armed Services Committee in moving the bipartisan FY2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) forward. The legislation was passed out of Committee by a vote of 61 to 0 early Thursday morning. The bill will now be considered by the full House of Representatives.

"My number one priority is and will continue to be the safety and readiness of our women and men in uniform," said Rep. Noem. "Even as we work within a confined budget, this legislation prioritizes and maintains critical programs that work to provide our troops with the equipment and training they need to be successful in the field. The bill also rejects proposals in the President's budget that would have increased out-of-pocket costs for military families."

The NDAA is an annual bill that sets defense policy each year. The FY2015 NDAA included language written by Rep. Noem that would help prioritize the Joint Threat Emitter -- a critical training tool for combat aircrews.

The bill also includes a provision that would set aside funding for ejection seat upgrades. Such upgrades would help prevent injuries sustained by the pilots that are forced to eject, like those from South Dakota whose B-1 crashed last August.

A critical Impact Aid provision was also renewed for another two years to help give financial certainty to schools that have funding challenges due to the amount of federal land in their districts. Also of note, the 2015 NDAA again stops the administration from engaging in another round of military base closures.

Source