Wilson Statement on House Passage of FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act

Washington, D.C.- Congressman Joe Wilson issued the following statement on the House passage of the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

"This year's NDAA represents the ongoing commitment my colleagues and I have for our national security, servicemembers, veterans, and their families. As a Senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am grateful for the opportunity to represent my country and the Second District of South Carolina on this critical legislation that advances peace through strength. Enactment of this bill would be the 61st consecutive fiscal year that the NDAA has passed, exhibiting the truly bipartisan nature of the process.

"Many of the initiatives I have championed this Congress are in this year's NDAA, including language to reduce barriers for military voters, exercise Congressional oversight of the Biden Administration's catastrophic withdrawal of Afghanistan endangering American families at home, provide support for military families with members who have special needs, encourage uniform cost parity between male and female servicemembers through the Military FATIGUES Act, and prevent malign actors from abusing INTERPOL with the TRAP Act.

"Military families are the strong foundation of the nation's military, which is why I am focused on ensuring servicemembers and their families continue to receive the benefits they deserve. This NDAA provides a 2.7 percent increase in basic pay, expands the in-home childcare pilot program, increases allowable parental leave, and ensures incentive pay parity for our National Guard and Reserve components.

"This legislation removes attempts by Democrats to restrict the Second Amendment rights of servicemembers and require women to register for the selective service and prohibits the Department of Defense (DoD) from dishonorably discharging servicemembers who choose not to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

"This bill also provides full funding authorization for the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility and Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) at the Savannah River Site, all of which I have worked to secure through the committee process.

"As a veteran and father of four sons who have served in the military overseas, I appreciate these victories for our military and am committed to continuing to work for our servicemembers and their families. I am thankful to have worked with my colleagues to advance this important, bipartisan legislation."

Highlights of the FY22 NDAA:

Savannah River Site (SRS)

• Includes authorization for full funding for the missions of the Savannah River Site, including laying the groundwork for the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility and modernization of our nuclear triad
• Secures an additional authorization of $6 million to fund Payment in Lieu of Taxes for the communities of the Savannah River Site

Support for Military Families

• Authorizes a 2.7% pay raise for servicemembers
• Includes Congressman Wilson's effort to expand the advisory panel supporting our military families with members who have special needs
  • The panel will now include a broader representation of families enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) to ensure this critical military population receives the support they need
• Includes Congressman Wilson's bicameral, bipartisan Military Forces Assuring that Treatment of Items by Gender are Uniform and Equal across the Services (FATIGUES) Act, which encourages uniform cost parity between male and female servicemembers
• Includes Congressman Wilson's amendment focusing $10 million in educational impact aid for military families with children enrolled in EFMP
• Increases allowable parental leave for primary and secondary caregivers, including foster parents
• Expands the in-home childcare pilot program providing financial assistance for in-home childcare
• Requires the military to provide Reserve and National Guard servicemembers incentive and special duty pay at the same rate as their active-duty counterparts
• Establishes a "Special Trial Counsel" within the Uniform Code of Military Justice system to make prosecutorial determinations for offenses of sexual assault, murder, and other serious crimes

Afghanistan Oversight and Accountability

• Includes Congressman Wilson's requirement that DoD detail a systematic, sustainable, and interagency method of determining eligibility for the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, which will enhance the security of the program and help us fulfill our obligation to local nationals who provide crucial support to our armed forces
• Prohibits DoD from providing any financial support to the Taliban
• Prohibits the use of DoD aircraft to transfer frozen currency reserves or other assets to the Taliban
• Establishes an independent commission to review the entirety of the Afghanistan War, including the disastrous withdrawal, and present findings and recommendations to Congress

Military Readiness

• Reverses Biden's disastrous cuts to readiness and modernization priorities by adding $25 billion to Biden's dangerously inadequate defense budget topline
  • This prevents our military from being shortchanged as they balance the Global War on Terrorism and other emerging threats while modernizing critical warfighting capabilities
• Includes Congressman Wilson's effort to make tactical training safer by establishing a Joint Safety Council to examine serious training incidents and help standardize best prevention practices across the services

Reducing Barriers for Military Voting

• Includes language from Congressman Wilson's bill, the Reducing Barriers for Military Voters Act, to explore the benefit of secure, auditable electronic ballot delivery for members of our military deployed in areas without postal service

Second Amendment Protections

• Congressman Wilson joined the effort to remove "Red Flag" provisions included in a previous version of the bill, safeguarding the Second Amendment rights of our servicemembers

Oversight of DoD Vaccine Mandates

• Prevents DoD from dishonorably discharging servicemembers that refuse the COVID-19 vaccine
• Requires DoD to establish uniform standards for exemptions for administrative, medical, or religious reasons
• Requires DoD to consider the effects of natural immunity in setting medical standards
• Requires DoD to take into account whether the servicemember is approaching retirement when setting administrative exemption standards
• Requires DoD to track and record any adverse reactions to vaccines

Border Security

• Continues funding for the deployment of the National Guard to the Southern U.S. border
• Reauthorizes authority for DoD to support U.S. law enforcement counter-narcotic and counter-transnational crime efforts
• Requires an assessment of the impact on military readiness of forcing DoD to transport illegal immigrants

Countering Russia and China

• Includes Congressman Wilson's Transnational Repression Accountability and Prevention (TRAP) Act
  • Establishes reforms to prevent authoritarian regimes like China and Russia from continuing to abuse INTERPOL to harass and pursue political dissidents and whistleblowers
  • Prohibits U.S. agencies or departments from extraditing an individual based solely on an INTERPOL notice
  • Requires the Departments of Justice and State to take actions to increase transparency of INTERPOL and requires reports on countries that abuse INTERPOL communications for political motives and other unlawful purposes

South Carolina Military Installations

• Supports military aircraft in South Carolina at Shaw Air Force Base, McEntire Joint National Guard Base, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, and Joint Base Charleston by funding the F-35 joint strike fighter and AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Blackhawk, CH-47 Chinook helicopters
• Invests in South Carolina military installations by funding:
  • Fort Jackson's Reception Barracks
  • Joint Base Charleston's Fire and Rescue Station and Flightline Support Facility
  • McEntire Joint National Guard Base's Hazardous Cargo Pad and upgraded F-16 Mission Training Center (MTC)
  • Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort's Instrument Landing System, F-35 Operational Support Facility, Recycling/Hazardous Waste Facility, and Aircraft Maintenance Hangar
  • Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island's Entry Control Facility

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