{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://cramer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cramer-calls-on-senate-to-pass-key-defense-legislation", "Cramer Calls on Senate to Pass Key Defense Legislation", "2013-12-06", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "ND", "Kevin Cramer", "C001096", "cramer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "BISMARCK, N.D. \u2013 Today Congressman Kevin Cramer called on the U.S. Senate to join the House of Representatives in authorizing and funding critical military priorities by passing a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Department of Defense Appropriations Act, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2014. The House passed all three pieces of legislation with bipartisan majorities this summer.\n\u201cNearly half a year has gone by since the House passed these critical defense bills in June and July. We completed our work after going through hundreds of amendments and now we need the Senate to finish their job. National defense is the federal government\u2019s priority and NDAA is the key mechanism to provide necessary authorities and funding for our military. Unfortunately Senate leadership hasn\u2019t been taking this seriously. For 51 years in a row Congress has passed NDAA and now, after waiting until the last weeks of session, debate in the Senate has stalled,\u201d said Cramer.\nDebate on the NDAA broke down in the Senate before Thanksgiving after a disagreement over amendments. If the chamber fails to reach an agreement before year\u2019s end, it would end a 51-year streak of sending the legislation to the White House on time.\nThe House NDAA authorizes critical programs to North Dakota defense operations, increases pay for military personnel, rejects medical fee increases proposed by President Obama, and prohibits another round of base closures, or BRAC, while keeping the overall spending level below that of fiscal year 2011.\nNorth Dakota defense operations\nCramer successfully worked to pass an amendment to the House NDAA which requires the Department of Defense to maintain the 450 active Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) silos in a warm status; ensuring the nation\u2019s nuclear force remains flexible, functional and responsive. The 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base is one of three bases controlling this vital element of America\u2019s strategic deterrent. \u00a0\nThe House bills continue funding for the new KC-46 tanker to potentially be stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base, and the Long Range Strike Bomber, which is to replace the B-52 bomber currently stationed in Minot. Additionally, it prevents the premature retirement of Global Hawk Block 30 unmanned aircraft, in the same aircraft family as the Global Hawk Block 20s and 40s employed in Grand Forks.", 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": ["http://cramer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cramer-calls-on-senate-to-pass-key-defense-legislation"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 3.7380941212177277, "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"}