{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=66E57E35-4989-466F-AE60-DBC48FCAB3D7", "Defense Bill Including Fischer Wins Heads to President", "2024-12-18", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NE", "Deb Fischer", "F000463", "www.fischer.senate.gov", "fischer", "https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "U.S. Senator Deb Fischer, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the top Republican on the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, released the following statement after the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act:\n\n\u201cThis bill is the cornerstone of our defense policy. I\u2019m glad my colleagues finally came together to reaffirm our bipartisan commitment to a strong national defense and give our military service members a pay raise. Our bill includes key elements of my Restoring American Deterrence Act that will overhaul America\u2019s nuclear preparedness by rebuilding our aging nuclear deterrent.\u201d\n\nSenator Fischer secured dozens of defense provisions in the bill, outlined below.\n\nMilitary Pay Raise\n\nSenator Fischer supported a provision authorizing a 4.5 percent pay raise for military members.\n\nMilitary Construction Projects for Nebraska\n\nSenator Fischer secured full authorization of funds for her two Nebraska MILCON requests:\n\nAdditional $158 million for the planning and design of the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) facilities at Offutt Air Force Base\n\nAdditional $6 million for the planning and design of a Consolidated Training Complex/Professional Development Center at Offutt\n\nKey Nebraska Priorities\n\nSenator Fischer secured authorization of funds above the President\u2019s budget request for U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) and the 557th Weather Wing, both based at Offutt. The bill authorizes:\n\n$3 million for the NC3 Rapid Engineering Architecture Collaboration Hub (REACH) program\n\n$5 million for Weather Wing research and development projects\n\nSenator Fischer also secured a provision that:\n\nClarifies the Offutt-based Weather Wing\u2019s authorities to provide weather data to the U.S. Air Force and Army\n\nRestoring American Deterrence\n\nSenator Fischer secured several provisions from her Restoring American Deterrence Act, which she introduced in April to overhaul America\u2019s nuclear preparedness. These provisions:\n\nRequire the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop strategies to respond to growing threats from our adversaries, including an assessment of U.S. nuclear forces necessary to implement that strategy\n\nRequire the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy to promote a skilled nuclear manufacturing and vocational trade workforce\n\nRequire the Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop a comprehensive integrated air and missile defense architecture for the United States\n\nRequire the Secretary of the Air Force to develop a plan to procure and deploy an additional 50 Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missiles above the current plan of 400\n\nMake significant management and process improvements to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and clarifies that NNSA\u2019s primary responsibility is to maintain and enhance the performance, reliability, security, and safety of nuclear weapons\n\nRequire the Secretary of Energy to conduct an assessment evaluating two to four locations in the United States best suited to host movable, scalable uranium enrichment facilities\n\nEstablish an Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Policy and Programs to advise on nuclear deterrence policies, operations, and programs\n\nSLCM-N\n\nSenator Fischer established a program of record for SLCM-N in the FY24 NDAA. The FY25 NDAA authorizes the U.S. Navy and NNSA to explore options that would allow SLCM-N to be fielded on a faster timeline. Senator Fischer also secured the following:\n\nAuthorization of an additional $70 million for NNSA to research and develop the SLCM-N warhead\n\nAuthorization of an additional $252 million for the Navy to research and develop the SLCM-N missile\n\nFencing of 10 percent of the Secretary of the Navy\u2019s travel budget until the Secretary certifies to Congress that the Navy has established a program office for SLCM-N and is taking the required steps to comply with the DOD\u2019s SLCM-N decision acquisition memorandum\n\nChain of Command\n\nSenator Fischer secured a provision mandating that the DOD notify Congress when the Secretary of Defense is unable to perform the functions of the office. Earlier this year, Senator Fischer spoke out against DOD chain of command problems when Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin failed to notify Congress of a medical absence.\n\nThe provision requires the Deputy Secretary of Defense to notify Congress 24 hours in advance of any planned transfer of authorities and not later than 24 hours after any unplanned transfer of authorities.\n\nMunitions\n\nSenator Fischer also secured provisions addressing issues within the munitions industrial base, including provisions that:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"]], "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=66E57E35-4989-466F-AE60-DBC48FCAB3D7"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.0022050011903048, "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"}