Warnock Passes Defense Legislation Supporting Georgia Servicemembers and Military Communities

Today, the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), annual legislation that sets defense policy and priorities, authorizes defense spending

The defense policy package includes numerous priorities Senator Reverend Warnock pushed for, including provisions strengthening military housing, supporting military families when they move, and authorizing funding for military construction projects across Georgia

The legislation now goes to the White House to be signed into law

The priorities Senator Warnock secured in the NDAA ensure Georgia and its military bases remain at the cutting edge of our national defense and play a critical role in America's military strategic planning in the years to come

Senator Warnock: "Our servicemembers are the best among us, and it is paramount that our admiration for their service is reflected in our budgets and laws. These are polarizing times, but we should always be able to work together in a bipartisan way to support our troops who defend our freedoms"

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 77-20, with many of his priorities included to support Georgia's servicemembers, military families, and bases. The bipartisan defense bill will improve military housing, raise servicemember pay, authorize $295 million for Georgia military construction projects, and more. The priorities Senator Warnock secured in the legislation will strengthen quality of life for servicemembers and military families and ensure Georgia and its military bases remain at the cutting edge of our national defense. The bill will now go to the President's desk to be signed into law.

"Our servicemembers are the best among us, and it is paramount that our admiration for their service is reflected in our budgets and laws. These are polarizing times, but we should always be able to work together in a bipartisan way to support our troops who defend our freedoms," said Senator Warnock. "Georgia servicemembers, their families, and our base communities are the winners of this legislation with new investments in base housing, servicemember pay, and infrastructure projects across the state. When we invest in our servicemembers and their families, we boost their morale and quality of life and bolster our national security."

"My vote today does not indicate my support for the President's misuse and politicization of our servicemembers, including potential war crimes in Latin America or deploying servicemembers to police American cities," continued Senator Warnock. "As the representative for over 100,000 servicemembers, I will continue to use the oversight tools to keep this President from unnecessarily putting our troops in harm's way while ensuring our troops and their families have the resources they deserve."

In addition to authorizing critical funding for important military construction projects across Georgia, Senator Warnock secured key bipartisan provisions in the defense bill.

Senator Warnock is continuing his efforts to increase transparency and accountability of privatized military housing conditions on bases across the country. The Senator secured a version of his bipartisan Military Housing Performance Insight (MHPI) Act in the NDAA. This provision will help improve military housing conditions for servicemembers by requiring DOD to provide an annual report on privatized housing metrics for on-base family housing. This expanded transparency will empower lawmakers to hold DOD and housing companies accountable and ensure safer homes for servicemembers and their families. Despite numerous initiatives and improvements over the past five years due to focused Congressional and DOD oversight, continued vigilance is necessary to sustain these housing condition improvements. The frequent movement of local military installation leaders, mandated by the Permanent Change of Station (PCS) process, often disrupts institutional knowledge and can reduce command attention to housing problems.

Senator Warnock also secured a bipartisan provision to support military families when they are ordered to relocate to a new base. The Assuring Navigation of Compact Help for Ongoing Relocation (ANCHOR) for Military Families Act (or ANCHOR for Military Families Act) will require the DOD to give military families clear, timely information about relocation resources when they receive orders to relocate.

Additionally, Senator Warnock successfully passed an amendment that would enshrine into law Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommendations regarding how DOD determines housing availability in locations near bases for the purposes of making housing decisions, such as investing in new on-post housing or determining Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates.

See below for a detailed summary of the Georgia priorities Senator Warnock secured:

Servicemember pay raise: Provides a 3.8% pay raise to servicemembers, building on last year's 4.5% raise.

Fort Benning Elementary School: Authorizes $22 million to construct Dexter Elementary school at Fort Benning in Columbus for 400 students. Senator Warnock secured a $500,000 authorization for the initial design in the FY24 NDAA and an additional $14 million for design in the FY25 NDAA.

Moody AFB 23rd Security Forces Squadron Operations Facility: Authorizes $35 million for a new base Security Forces headquarters.

A-10 Minimum Inventory Requirement: Includes an A-10 minimum inventory requirement, protecting the Moody AFB A-10 mission until it can transition to the F-35 in the late 2020's.

F-35 Support: Authorizes $9 billion to continue investing in the F-35 Lightning II program. This is crucial to Moody AFB receiving the F-35 in the 2030's.

Robins AFB Air Traffic Control Tower: Authorizes $28 million to build a 10-story Air Traffic Control Tower to replace the cramped 52-year-old air traffic control tower at Robins AFB, which is currently posing a safety risk to both aircraft and tower personnel and hindering training capabilities.

Fort Gillem Evidence Storage Facility: Authorizes $45 million to build an evidence storage building supporting DOD law enforcement agencies.

Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center Barracks: Authorizes $3.8 million to design a new 172-person barracks facility at the Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC).

Savannah CRTC C-130 Corrosion Control Facility: Authorizes $11.4 million to build a new facility for the Georgia Air National Guard at the Savannah CRTC to reapply paint to the new C-130J transport aircraft, which the base secured thanks to Senator Warnock.

Savannah Waste Disposal: Authorizes $1.06 billion for the Department of Energy to continue operations to remove Cold War-era liquid radioactive waste at the Savannah River Site located near Savannah. An additional $52.5 million is being authorized for the Department of Energy to continue constructing Saltstone Disposal Units to support the overall removal of liquid nuclear waste at the Savannah River Site.

HBCU Research and Collaboration Development: Establishes three Research and Development solicitations, which include HBCUs, Tribal Colleges, and all other Minority Serving Institutions, to increase access to R&D funding for Tribal Colleges and HBCUs.

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