{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://arrington.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2506", "Arrington Applauds Passage of National Defense Funding Bill, Including Two of His Amendments", "2024-12-13", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "House", "TX", "Jodey C. Arrington", "A000375", "arrington.house.gov", "arrington", "https://arrington.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) issued the following statement after passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):\n\n\u201cThis year\u2019s NDAA roots out radical ideology in the military \u2013 like removing Green New Deal climate footprint restrictions from our weapons systems \u2013 and puts America First by bolstering our southern border, supporting our allies, and deterring our adversaries,\u201d said Chairman Arrington. \u201cI am especially proud to have secured two provisions in the NDAA to honor the life of Lubbock native Private Caleb Smither, who died needlessly while on active duty at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. This legislation helps ensure tragedies like the passing of Caleb Smither never happen again while adequately equipping our military to be the most lethal fighting force in the world.\u201d\n\nThe NDAA includes two of Chairman Arrington\u2019s provisions, honoring 19-year-old Lubbock native Private Second Class Caleb \u201cSmitty\u201d Smither, who died on active duty at Fort Bragg, North Carolina:\n\nTo direct the Army to report to Congress on the implementation and enforcement of the \u201cSmitty Check\u201d protocol that was developed in response to Caleb Smither\u2019s death, requiring the Army to thoroughly monitor service members following an injury; and\n\nTo require the Department of Defense (DoD) to disclose on medical records whether a service member received care from a DoD doctor or a civilian doctor.\n\nOther provisions also included in the NDAA:\n\nAffirm DoD support of law enforcement operations along the southwest border and maritime borders.\n\nFully supports deployment of National Guard troops to augment Border Patrol activities at the southwest border.\n\nAuthorizes $90 million for construction of a new Command and Control Facility to detect and interdict illegal migrants and narcotics.\n\nImprove servicemember quality of life to address military recruitment, retention, and readiness.\n\nAuthorizes a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers and supports a 4.5% pay raise for all other servicemembers.\n\nAuthorizes $176 million for construction of new childcare centers.\n\nRoot out woke ideology from the military.\n\nBanned critical race theory in the military, gutted DEI at the DoD, and included the Parents Bill of Rights to ensure military parents\u2019 right to review curriculum, meet with teachers, and provide consent before any medical exams or screenings at school.\n\nPermanently bans DoD from funding transgender medical treatments for children.\n\nProhibits new climate change rules that give preference to weapon systems with lower climate impacts or hamper the defense industrial base.\n\nDeter Chinese Communist Party aggression:\n\nAuthorizes $15.6 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative to enhance U.S. deterrence and defense posture in the Indo-Pacific.\n\nProhibits contracting with subsidiaries of any Chinese civil-military companies, sharing of sensitive missile defense information with China, and Chinese nationals from being admitted to nuclear facilities.\n\n###\n\nRelated News", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://arrington.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2506"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0631219483911991, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}