{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-ndaa-including-rounds-south-dakota-priorities", "Senate Passes NDAA, Including Rounds\u2019 South Dakota Priorities", "2021-12-15", "2021", "2021-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "Mike Rounds", "R000605", "www.rounds.senate.gov", "rounds", "https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013 U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and ranking Republican member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, today issued the following statement on the Senate\u2019s passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022. It now heads to the president\u2019s desk for signature.\n\n\u201cThis year\u2019s NDAA includes many wins for South Dakota \u2013 including victories for Ellsworth Air Force Base, Dakota State University and Raven Aerostar,\u201d said Rounds. \u201cAdditionally, a lot of work has been done to remove radical pieces of legislation \u2013 like red flag laws and selective service requirements for women \u2013 that were included in the House version of this bill. Providing our troops with the tools they need to complete their missions fulfills one of our most fundamental duties: to provide for our national defense.\u201d\n\nEarlier today on the Senate floor, Senate Armed Services Ranking Member Jim Inhofe noted Rounds expertise on cybersecurity. \u201cWe have\u2026not just experts on the outside,\u201d said Inhofe. \u201cSenator Mike Rounds probably knows more about cybersecurity than any of the advisors that are out there.\u201d\n\nSouth Dakota Wins Included:\n\nAuthorizes the following construction at Ellsworth Air Force Base:\n\n- $41M for B-21 2-Bay Low Observable Restoration Facility.\n\n- $24M for B-21 Addition/Alteration to the Existing Flight Simulator.\n\n- $47M for B\u201321 Field Training Detachment Facility.\n\n- $70M for B\u201321 Formal Training Unit/Aircraft Maintenance Unit.\n\n- $36M for B\u201321 Mission Operations Planning Facility.\n\n- $65M for B\u201321 Wash Rack & Maintenance Hangar.\n\n$2.87 billion for continued B-21 development.\n\nStrengthened the university cyber consortium of academic institutions which are designated as Cyber Centers of Academic Excellence, including Dakota State University.\n\nAuthorized $6.5 million for stratospheric balloon research. Directly impacts a successful manufacturer based in Sioux Falls, SD, Raven Aerostar which develops and deploys stratospheric balloon technology.\n\nAuthorizes $9.8 million for Joe Foss Field F-16 Mission Training Center.\n\nAdditional Rounds Provisions Included:\n\nSecured $300 million for National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence recommendations, including accelerating processes to apply artificial intelligence capabilities to military systems, processes and operations (pending coordination with the Appropriations Committee).\n\nCreated an emerging technology education requirement for Department of Defense senior leaders.\n\nDirected creation of Artificial Intelligence performance objectives and metrics for incorporation of artificial intelligence and digital readiness across all DOD platforms, training and operations.\n\nTightened up the Department of Defense\u2019s Principal Cyber Advisor position to prevent dual-hatting with the Chief Information Officer.\n\nModified a pilot program led by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Defense and National Cyber Director to establish voluntary public-private partnerships with internet ecosystem companies\n\nAuthorized full funding for U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) to include items on their unfunded requirements list.\n\nMaintained CYBERCOM\u2019s budgetary controls.\n\nRequires the Department of Defense to assess how the department can protect the United States from ransomware.\n\nRestored the Close Combat Lethality Task Force as a cross-functional team and direct report to the Secretary of Defense after the Secretary moved it out of the Pentagon (to the Army) and several echelons below the Chief of Staff of the Army.\n\nBill Highlights:\n\nIncreases military basic pay for all service members by 2.7%.\n\nBans dishonorable discharges for service members who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine.\n\nCreates a new National Defense Strategy Commission to review the upcoming Biden National Defense Strategy.\n\nRequires the Secretary of Defense to report on U.S. counterterrorism efforts and plans to evacuate U.S. citizens and allies from Afghanistan.\n\nAuthorizes a Guam Integrated Air and Missile Defense System.\n\nExtends the prohibition against using funds to transfer or release GTMO prisoners to the United States and extends the prohibition on closing the base.\n\nRadical House Provisions Removed from Bill:\n\nRemoved a provision that required women to register with the selective service.\n\nSuccessfully stripped red flag law provisions that violated the Second Amendment rights of our nation\u2019s service members by allowing military judges and magistrates to issue military court orders to confiscate privately owned firearms.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:37:48Z"]], "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.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-ndaa-including-rounds-south-dakota-priorities"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7597840633243322, "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"}