WC Wisconsin News

Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) has expressed his support for the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA, which provides funding for the United States Department of Defense and sets the legislative framework for the military, received Van Orden's vote in favor.

In explaining his decision, Congressman Van Orden, a former United States Navy SEAL veteran, emphasized the importance of adequately funding and focusing on the military's missions to ensure the safety and security of the United States and its allies. He stated, "Ensuring our military is adequately funded and appropriately focused on completing its missions is essential to the safety and security of the United States and our allies."

Van Orden highlighted the significant provisions included in the FY24 NDAA that benefit the military and its servicemembers. These provisions include the largest pay raise for servicemembers in over 20 years. Van Orden stated, "The FY24 NDAA includes incredible wins for our military capabilities and servicemembers, including the largest pay raise for servicemembers in over 20 years, and provides our men and women of the Armed Forces with the tools they need to keep pace with the unprecedented challenges posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Russia, Iran, and North Korea."

However, Congressman Van Orden expressed his reluctance in voting for the NDAA due to a clean extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). He voiced his concerns about the misuse of national surveillance capabilities by the FBI, stating, "The FBI is responsible for over 278,000 individual abuses of this section to the detriment of Americans' civil liberties." Van Orden pledged to work towards necessary reforms to prevent further misuse of national surveillance capabilities when he returns to Washington in 2024.

Despite his reservations, Van Orden emphasized the importance of a strong U.S. military for global security. He stated, "We know the world is safer with a strong U.S. military. While I have apprehensions with certain elements of this bill, I cannot put our nation's security and military readiness at risk."

The FY24 NDAA also includes several key provisions aimed at supporting the United States military and its servicemembers. These provisions include a 5.2% increase in servicemember basic pay, expanding mental health counseling services for servicemembers transitioning to the private sector, and prohibiting the Department of Defense (DoD) from contracting with any CCP-owned or controlled company operating in the U.S. Additionally, the NDAA establishes a Special Inspector General to oversee all U.S. security assistance to Ukraine, ensuring thorough investigations into any instances of waste, fraud, abuse, corruption, or diversion of weapons.

Congressman Derrick Van Orden's backing of the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act reflects his commitment to national security and the well-being of the United States military and its servicemembers.

Click this link to access more information: https://vanorden.house.gov/media/press-releases/van-orden-backs-fy24-national-defense-authorization-act