{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases/congress-passes-strong-fy-2025-ndaa-secures-wins-for-north-dakota", "Congress Passes Strong FY 2025 NDAA, Secures Wins for North Dakota", "2024-12-18", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "ND", "Kevin Cramer", "C001096", "www.cramer.senate.gov", "cramer", "https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.***\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 The U.S. Senate passed legislation today containing major victories for North Dakota and the nation, including a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers and a 4.5% pay raise for all other servicemembers, at a time when recruitment is a vital concern. The annual bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, passed by a vote of 85 to 14 and advances a \u201cwarfighting, not wokeness\u201d agenda, reforms antiquated Department of Defense procurement, and expands tough-on-China policies. The FY25 NDAA pushes for the modernization of nuclear, hypersonic, missile defense, and space capabilities while also expanding U.S. Navy shipbuilding.\n\nThe House of Representatives passed the bill last week with a broad bipartisan vote of 281-140, and will now head to the President\u2019s desk for his signature. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member of Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) which passed the legislation in June, called the bill a \u201cmajor victory, but still not enough.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe highest Constitutional priority of the Congress every year is to provide for the nation\u2019s defense and our bill this year really secures an amazing, historic pay raise, particularly for our junior enlisted servicemembers,\u201d said Cramer, co-chair of the Senate Defense Modernization Caucus. \u201cAnd that\u2019s important because we have a recruiting challenge, we need to be able to recruit these people and providing a salary increase goes a long way to both recruit and keep our servicemembers. The NDAA rebuilds our arsenal of democracy which is good for the country and it\u2019s good for our allies, and what\u2019s good for our allies is good for our country. It acknowledges the pivotal role North Dakota plays in our national security as well. While that is secondary to securing freedom around the world, North Dakota plays a very vital role. This bill is a good step, but we need to do a lot more to rebuild our military and project strength to a world yearning for American leadership. Our adversaries need to see that projection of strength as well. I look forward to working with President Trump and his administration in January so we can address America\u2019s most pressing threats from our adversaries, and end this radical woke ideology that\u2019s distracting the Department from its warfighting mission.\u201d\n\nThe bill includes language, championed by Cramer, expanding access to mental health services in rural communities. Specifically, the legislation increases the number of providers certified by TRICARE in states if current mental health access does not meet its standards. However, this year\u2019s NDAA does not include a measure approved by SASC to increase the topline of the defense budget by more than $25 billion. In addition to the historic pay increases for our servicemembers, the FY25 NDAA authorizes $895 billion to provide for the national defense of the United States, a 1% increase from FY24 funding levels. Cramer noted \u201ca 1% increase in today\u2019s inflation is a decrease, and the world is becoming increasingly dangerous and requires increased diligence.\u201d\n\nAs a member of SASC, Cramer secured funding authorization and the inclusion of language for multiple missions benefiting military communities across North Dakota. This year\u2019s NDAA will authorize the following projects across the state:\n\nGrand Forks\n\n***Click here for video and here for audio on wins for Grand Forks.***\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s no secret Grand Forks is really the tip of the spear in developing American defense assets, particularly at the speed of our adversaries. Grand Forks is an ecosystem full of innovation, especially in the space and unmanned aerial systems arena, where it shines. This year\u2019s bill provides essential funding to meet the needs of today\u2019s threats by supporting critical missions at Grand Forks Air Force Base, including by the way, sustaining Global Hawk operations and then planning maintenance for its runway. There is a growing connection between North Dakota\u2019s defense capabilities and the global demand for the expertise residing right there in Grand Forks.\u201d\n\nThe legislation provides funding for the development and deployment of future Air Force intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions at Grand Forks AFB. It also prohibits the premature retirement of Global Hawks. Additionally, the bill:\n\nAuthorizes $3 million in additional funding for the development of corrosion resistant coatings produced by Technology Applications Group (TAG) in Grand Forks. TAG is a leader in magnesium surface protection and inventor of the Tagnite anodize coating.\n\nAuthorizes $2.5 million for development of new UAV technology produced by Ideal Aerosmith in Grand Forks. Ideal Aerosmith is the leading supplier of precision inertial guidance test systems, flight motion simulators, and a premier provider of aerospace test engineering services, ATE system engineering, and quality contract manufacturing services to the aerospace industry.\n\nProvides $1.9 million in planning and design funding to begin the process of maintenance for the Grand Forks Air Force Base (AFB) runway.\n\nMinot\n\n***Click here for video and here for audio on wins for Minot.***\n\n\u201cWe all know the modernization of our nuclear triad is the number one priority of our national defense strategy, and of course, this bill maintains that objective. This legislation really strengthens our defense posture and includes provisions to modernize our Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent right there in Minot, North Dakota at Minot Air Force Base. This has been the foundation of the projection of strength for America for decades, and it\u2019s going to continue to be. This NDAA protects our nuclear deterrent capabilities by setting a statutory minimum of ICBMs and providing funding to restore capabilities of the B-52 bomber, the most beautiful, big, old machine in the fleet. When all of the other modern bombers have come and gone, the B-52 has always been the workhorse and we\u2019re looking forward to modernizing it and making sure it\u2019s the workhorse for decades to come.\u201d\n\nThis year\u2019s NDAA provides $3.9 billion for Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM), modernizing the nation\u2019s Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD).\n\nThe legislation also includes provisions requiring the ICBM count to be no less than 400 total, protecting the nation\u2019s nuclear deterrent capabilities. It also permits the restoration of nuclear capabilities across the entire B-52 strategic bomber fleet. The Air Force Global Strike Command's B-52 is a long-range, heavy bomber capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and carrying nuclear or precision guided conventional ordinance.\n\nFargo\n\n***Click here for video and here for audio on wins for Fargo.***\n\n\u201cThe 319th Reconnaissance Wing up in Grand Forks is really important as they fly the all-important Global Hawks, but just as importantly, is the 119th in Fargo where the Happy Hooligans fly these very important Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) known as the MQ-9s. It plays an integral part of the nation\u2019s Joint Force and an increasingly important part. As we see what\u2019s going on in Ukraine, we see what\u2019s going on in the Red Sea and the Middle Sea, and the missions of Fargo\u2019s Happy Hooligans cannot be overstated. Among other provisions, this NDAA authorizes funding to provide our airmen with the support and care they deserve right there in Fargo.\u201d\n\nThe FY25 defense bill supports a $6 million increase in funding for continued development of cold spray repair and additive manufacturing technology created by VRC Metals.\n\nThe legislation also includes a policy, which Cramer co-led, to create an equivalent identifier to a combat status identifier for RPA crew, such as the Happy Hooligans, to ensure they receive appropriate mental healthcare coverage and benefits.\n\nNorth Dakota National Guard (NDNG)\n\n***Click here for video and here for audio on wins for NDNG.***\n\n\u201cWe all know no one protects our homeland better than the soldiers of the North Dakota National Guard, and this year\u2019s bill will assist those servicemembers as they devise a plan to maintain the beautiful UH-72 Lakota helicopters, which support missions in non-combat, non-hostile environments.\u201d\n\nThe FY25 NDAA authorizes $10 million and supporting legislation to ensure there is a clear sustainment plan for the UH-72 Lakota helicopters, utilized by the NDNG. The Lakota is designed for a variety of missions including training, general utility, search and rescue, reconnaissance, medical evacuation, disaster response, homeland security, counterdrug, command and control and VIP transport.\n\nCavalier Space Force Station (SFS)\n\n***Click here for video and here for audio on wins for Cavalier SFS.***\n\n\u201cOne of the most impressive assets that North Dakota is home to is the radar at Cavalier Space Force Station. It\u2019s an essential national defense asset and an important component of our defense ecosystem here in the state. This Fiscal Year 2025 NDAA provides really important funding to upgrade the radar system. This modernization will ensure it maintains its space domain awareness capabilities for a very long time.\u201d\n\nThis year\u2019s NDAA provides $5 million for updates to the Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System (PARCS) at Cavalier SFS. PARCS is a single-faced, multi-function, UHF-Band, phased-array radar system which tracks over half of all earth-orbiting objects.\n\nThe system has the ability to detect and detract intercontinental and sea-launched missile threats, while passing along critical surveillance data to North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) and regional combatant commanders.", 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://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases/congress-passes-strong-fy-2025-ndaa-secures-wins-for-north-dakota"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8417451065033674, "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"}