{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=4C0F4136-F9A3-4B08-95F5-447645A6339A", "Defense Authorization Bill Passes Congress", "2017-11-16", "2017", "2017-11", "Republican", "House", "NE", "Deb Fischer", "F000463", "www.fischer.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Click here or on the image above to view todays speech\r\n\r\nWASHINGTON  Today, the U.S. Senate passed the conference report for the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by voice vote. The bill now heads to President Donald Trumps desk for signature into law. U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, helped advance key provisions of this bill and served on the NDAA conference committee.\r\n\r\nToday Congress is sending bipartisan legislation to the presidents desk that will provide our military with the resources they need to keep the American people safe. I had the great privilege of working on this legislation every step of the way: in the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, in the full Senate Armed Services Committee, on the Senate floor, and as a conferee. The legislation is a critical step toward rebuilding our military, something our commanders agreed is sorely needed, and gives our troops the biggest pay raise in eight years. It also includes important provisions to strengthen missile defense and modernize our nuclear forces, key priorities to ensure we stay ahead of the threats our nation faces, said Senator Fischer.\r\n\r\nCongress has passed the National Defense Authorization Act every year for 55 years.\r\n\r\nKey Provisions Included in the FY 18 NDAA Conference Report:\r\n\r\nRestoring Military Readiness\r\n\r\n \r\nAuthorizes over $26 billion to address unmet requirements identified by the military services and our combatant commanders, and provides additional resources to\r\nIncreases the size of the active-duty force above President Trumps request by 9,500.\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\nA Pay Raise for our Troops\r\n\r\n \r\nAuthorizes a 2.4% pay raise for our troops, the biggest increase in eight years.\r\n \r\n\r\nStaying Ahead of the Threats of Tomorrow\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\nAuthorizes more than $500 million in additional funding to support the Department of Defenses Third Offset Strategy and improve U.S. military technological superiority, including:\r\n\r\nNearly $300 million to enhance the development of hypersonic  and directed  energy weapons. These were two key areas of focus when Senator Fischer chaired the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee last Congress.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\nPrioritizing Cybersecurity\r\n\r\n \r\nAdds more than $1.7 billion for cyber-related operations, including:\r\n\r\nOver $250 million to improve readiness and training for cyber forces.\r\n$10 million to bolster efforts begun during Senator Fischers tenure as chairman of the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee to improve the resiliency of weapons systems to withstand cyberattack.\r\nRequiring the Department of Defense to undertake the first-ever Cyber Posture Review, which will evaluate the militarys policy and capabilities in the cyber domain.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nOther provisions under the jurisdiction of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, which Senator Fischer chairs:\r\n\r\nStrengthening Missile Defense\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\nAuthorizes an additional $4.4 billion above the Presidents original budget request for missile defense programs. including:\r\nExpanding the capacity of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense  or GMD  system to protect the homeland from growing ICBM threats;\r\nPurchasing additional Aegis, THAAD, and Patriot interceptors to bolster regional missile defenses;\r\nIncreasing investment in next-generation technology and sensor capabilities.\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\nMeeting the Needs of Space Operations\r\n\r\n \r\nContains reasonable reforms to our military space enterprise that are designed to achieve a more streamlined and agile system that is more responsive to the needs of our warfighters.\r\n \r\n\r\nModernizing Americas Nuclear Forces\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\nFully supports ongoing efforts to modernize our nuclear forces and the Department of Energys nuclear enterprise.\r\nProvides $150 million in additional funding to help address the backlog of maintenance activities at our nuclear facilities. More than half of these facilities are over 40 years old, and roughly 30% date back to the era of the Manhattan Project.\r\nClick here to view Senator Fischers floor speech on NDAA\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=4C0F4136-F9A3-4B08-95F5-447645A6339A"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.819643959403038, "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"}