Vindman Secures Key NDAA Wins for Virginia Service Members & Military Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07), a U.S. Army veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement after voting to advance the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) out of Committee.

"I was proud to secure bipartisan wins for Virginia's service members and military families in this year's NDAA. I backed a pay raise for our troops, led an effort to crack down on transnational criminal organizations that scam Americans, and championed a provision to reduce gas prices for warfighters and their families," said Vindman. "As a 25-year Army veteran representing 36,000 service members, I know firsthand what our troops need to succeed. I was proud to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance this bipartisan package out of committee."

The Committee's 14-hour markup produced a bipartisan bill that strengthens U.S. military readiness, supports service members and their families, and reinforces American leadership in today's complex global security environment.

Vindman introduced and secured passage of 19 amendments, cosponsored 47 amendments that passed to stand up for military families and best support our readiness.

Vindman passed one bill as part of the NDAA:

• The Honor and Trust in Service Act to require the Secretary of Defense ban service members and civilian Department of Defense (DoD) personnel from using prediction markets to bet on national security-related events.

Vindman led and secured the following priorities in the NDAA to bolster military readiness, ensure lethality, and ensure the military services can innovate and field capabilities faster:

• Secured $15 million for the first-ever procurement and research and development of fiber-optic drones

• Established experimental, battalion-sized formations that integrate unmanned aircraft systems to carry out intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and precision strike operations at-scale

• Established a common operating system for UAS platforms, helping ensure the military can integrate new technologies faster and operate more effectively across services

• Established pilot program that uses AI-powered digital twins - virtual replicas of critical infrastructure systems - to strengthen military base operations and improve resilience against cyberattacks from adversaries like China

• Secured an additional $30 million in funding for the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program (REPI)

• Led effort to counter transnational criminal organizations using cyberspace to conduct fraud, theft, and compromise private data

• Led provision to require oversight before the Secretary of Defense can make major changes to the structure, organization, or responsibilities of the military's Judge Advocate General Corps.

• Required DoD to provide a briefing on the integration of AI enabled advanced manufacturing into the defense industrial base to increase munitions stockpiles

• Secured $32 million for Gliding Offensive Lightweight Unmanned Munition (GOLUM) to reduce cost and lead time to produce various munitions

• Preserved the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes, ensuring service members continue to have access to trusted, independent reporting free from political interference

• Secured a provision to reduce gas prices for warfighters and their families

Vindman secured multiple NDAA provisions that came directly from conversations with constituents in Virginia's Seventh District, including:

• A provision addressing disparities in the quality of death investigations involving active-duty service members, helping ensure families receive thorough and consistent answers following a tragedy

• Following a visit to Marine Corps Base Quantico,a provision establishing standardized munitions for one-way attack operations conducted by covered unmanned aircraft systems

• A report examining how DoD can better support military families navigating major life changes

Overall, Vindman's yes vote supported critical priorities for the warfighter, their families, and the nation including:

• 3.6% pay raise for all service members, a 7% raise for noncommissioned officers and junior enlisted service members, 6% for service members who rank E-6 to O-3, and 5% for O-4s and above

• $125 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions (HBCUs)

• Over $2 billion for new construction of quality-of-life infrastructure including barracks, dormitories, and government-owned family housing

• $422 million for environmental cleanup at Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sites, including a $50 million addition for Navy BRAC

• $694 million for the Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program

• $50 million for local educational agencies with military dependent students and $20 million for those that receive payment for children with severe disabilities

• $1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative and $210 million for European security cooperation, with $175 million for the Baltic Security Initiative

• More than $25 billion in military construction projects, more than $60 billion in shipbuilding funding, and more than $19 billion for tactical air and land forces procurements

These provisions reflect Vindman's commitment to holding the Department of Defense accountable, safeguarding our national security, and guaranteeing our servicemembers have the resources and support they need to succeed.

BACKGROUND

Congressman Vindman is a U.S. Army veteran. He served as an infantry officer and paratrooper including assignments in the 82D Airborne Division and as a company commander leading troops. Soon after, he transitioned to the U.S. Army Judge Advocate Generals (JAG) Corps. As a JAG, Vindman served as an international law advisor in Iraq; as the senior prosecutor in the busiest jurisdiction in the Army; and as a White House National Security Council (NSC) deputy legal advisor. In Congress, he sits on the House Armed Services Committee.

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