July 14, 2022

Reschenthaler Supports Defense Authorization Bill, Rejects Biden’s Reckless National Security Cuts

WASHINGTON. D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14) voted in favor of H.R. 7900, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23). This bipartisan legislation authorizes funding to ensure our military is well-equipped to counter foreign threats, provides a pay raise for our troops, and rejects President Biden's reckless cuts to our national security. 

“As a U.S. Navy veteran, I am deeply committed to supporting the brave men and women in our military who risk their lives to protect our nation,” said Rep. Reschenthaler. “I am proud that several provisions I championed, including honoring Purple-Heart award recipients, bolstering additive manufacturing for the Army, securing mission-readiness capabilities for the Air National Guard, and preventing food insecurity for our servicemembers, were included in the final bill passed by the House. As China and Russia rapidly grow in strength and military capabilities, Congress must continue to provide our troops with the resources they need to defend America and protect our allies around the world.” 

Specifically, this measure: 

  • Includes a 4.6 percent pay raise for servicemembers and provides a 2.4 percent pay bonus for enlisted personnel to counteract the impacts of inflation on low-income military families.   

  • Establishes a Servicemember Parents Bill of Rights to secure the rights of parents in their children’s education at Department of Defense (DOD) schools. 

  • Provides ample funding to counter China’s aggression, while supporting our ally, Taiwan. 

  • Extends the prohibition on a dishonorable discharge for servicemembers who refuse a COVID-19 vaccination. 

  • Clarifies that lethality is the centerpiece of our national defense strategy and activities that do not increase lethality, including Democrats’ woke agenda, are a distraction from DOD’s mission. 

Additionally, Rep. Reschenthaler authored several amendments that were adopted on the House floor and included in the final bill: 

  • Requires DOD to list future Purple-Heart award recipients on the valor website.  

  • Protects the mission-readiness capabilities of Pennsylvania’s 171st Air National Guard Refueling Wing by requiring the retirement of any KC-135 aircraft is equally replaced with the newer KC-46A aircraft. 

  • Requires DOD to collect data on food insecurity among U.S. service members and their families. 

  • Provides additional funding for robotics supply chain research. 

  • Protects servicemembers from forced arbitration clauses in contracts. 

  • Supports additive manufacturing and the machine learning initiative of the Army, which will facilitate 3-D printing capabilities on the frontline. 

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