Washington, D.C. – Last night, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) voted for H.R. 4909, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017. The NDAA authorizes programs for America’s national defense and passed the House on 277-147 vote. Brooks highlighted the significant achievements for America’s national security, and Alabama, that House Armed Services Committee members worked to incorporate into this legislation. The NDAA authorizes $573.4 billion for the Department of Defense base budget, and $23.1 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations.
Congressman Brooks said, “On a local level, I’m pleased the FY17 NDAA helps Redstone Arsenal’s Army Space and Missile Defense Command assist ground warfighter’s exploitation of space capabilities. The Tennessee Valley specializes in small satellite technology development and the NDAA prioritizes and accelerates this growth. Moreover, the NDAA includes my language to develop three-dimensional high-resolution light detection and ranging systems. This force multiplier has been overlooked in recent defense budgets and I’m pleased we are focusing on this capability. The FY17 NDAA protects America’s access to space by requiring the development of an American rocket engine by 2019 to replace the Russian RD-180. In the interim, the House Armed Services Committee, with my support, allows Decatur’s United Launch Alliance access to enough RD-180 rocket engines to bridge the gap until America’s new rocket engine is fully functional. Finally, the NDAA improves Land-Based Anti-Ship Missile technology maturation by addressing key Anti-Access/Area Denial issues.”
Media Release/Rep. Mo Brooks/Lauren Vandiver
