WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) member, issued the following statement on the Senate passing the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) today:

“The National Defense Authorization Act fulfills our constitutional obligation of providing for the defense of our nation. This year’s legislation supports our troops, strengthens our military assets, and bolsters North Dakota priorities like nuclear deterrence, intelligence, and Space Force. I am glad we were able to pass it on time with overwhelming support, and I look forward to working with our colleagues in the House to produce a final product.”

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Topline Provisions

As a SASC member, Senator Cramer helped write this year’s NDAA, which passed through committee in June. The $740.5 billion bill to provide for the national defense of the United States:

  • Prioritizes strategic competition with China and Russia,
  • Provides the requested 3 percent pay raise for our troops,
  • Advocates for the employment of military spouses and ensures the Defense Department provides high-quality and accessible child care,
  • Strengthens oversight and acquisition management,
  • Establishes a Defense Department reserve of strategic minerals and metals which will fully meet the strategic demands, eliminate import reliance on near-peer and peer competitors within 5 years, provide Defense with the supplies in the event of international supply disruptions, utilize and build off existing programs like the National Defense Stockpile, and ensure the United States is no longer wholly reliant on China for the processing or manufacturing of these resources.

Floor Efforts

When the bill came before the full Senate, Senator Cramer fought for the inclusion of legislation like the USE IT ActDiesel Emissions Reduction Act, as well as legislative text requiring the Air Force to continue building its Arctic strategy, which Senator Cramer spoke to Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett about earlier this month. The Senator also secured a bipartisan provision with Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) bolstering construction projects for child development centers on military bases.

During debate on the Senate floor, Senator Cramer delivered remarks opposing an amendment to limit equipment transfers to law local enforcement. He successfully helped kill the amendment and urged the Senate to adopt a more reasonable amendment backed by local law enforcement groups, which passed overwhelmingly. Learn more here. He also blocked a political messaging amendment from Democrats designed to exploit violence in the streets for political gain and defeat President Trump. Click here to watch.  

North Dakota Priorities

Under Senator Cramer’s leadership in committee, the SASC-passed NDAA contains funding authorization and language for missions both directly and indirectly impacting North Dakota’s military community. It advances nuclear modernization; Space Force; the Arctic Mission; National Guard members; and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) efforts.

Specifically, this NDAA:

Minot

  • Continues to prioritize a defense modernization strategy which includes fully funding the B-52 program and almost $1.5B for the Minuteman III replacement.
    • Includes language prohibiting the drawdown or reduction of ICBMs to any lower than 400.
    • Directs the Air Force Secretary, in consultation with the Commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, to provide a report on the transition from the Minuteman III to the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent.
    • Ensures a constantly vigilant strategic deterrent to keep U.S. nuclear deterrent credible and modernized for decades.
  • Funds the MH-139 Gray Wolf helicopter as a replacement for the aging UH-1 helicopters at Minot.
  • Funds $66M in military construction for a consolidated airfield operations building at Minot Air Force Base.

Grand Forks

  • Limits the retirement of any RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft until the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff certifies that Combatant Commands will not lose ISR capability or capacity.
  • Encourages expeditiously building of Space Force with focus on minimizing bureaucratic structures to allow for innovative solutions.
    • Directs Space Force to continue working with research institutions, like the University of North Dakota (UND), in areas like autonomous platforms and policy, supply chains, and cybersecurity.
  • Funds $3M for extreme cold weather research performed by several universities including UND.
  • Funds $3M towards USMC Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) for mission planning and re-planning for an ISR mission for a UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) for a duration greater than 5 days.

Fargo

  • Provides $32M in military construction for the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Fargo.
  • Authorizes $17.5M for a Consolidated Remote Piloted Aircraft Operations Facility for the 119th Wing.
  • Prevents the premature shutdown of the MQ-9 production line by putting $170M into the purchase of new aircraft.

Cavalier

  • Funds operations of the Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System (PARCS), a part of the Radar Warning System designed to detect and provide warning in the case of a Surface-Launched Ballistic Missile attack against North America at Cavalier Air Space Station.