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Posey inexplicably votes against bipartisan defense bill funding troop pay, space force; passed overwhelmingly

Congressman Bill Posey (R-Rockledge) was one of only 78 congressman who voted against the bipartisan military spending bill. The bill passed easily 335 to 78 in the House, and 84 to 13 in the Senate. Both Florida Senators Rubio and Scott voted in favor of the bill.

Congress’s foremost constitutional duty is to provide for the national defense. While this bipartisan bill is a compromise, it will strengthen the military at a time when global threats are increasing and funding is hard to come by.

What is notable about this action is that this bill funds the Space Force which both Posey and Governor Desantis along with nearly every local elected official are lobbying for its headquarters to be here on the Space Coast. It’s not certain how this will affect those efforts which would have a tremendous economic impact in our area.

This bill has been amended by Congress to serve as the bipartisan conference report for the fiscal year 2021 defense authorization package. It initially served as the legislative vehicle for the House version of the bill, which was merged with the Senate’s version by the conference committee. In its current form, the bill would authorize $731.6 billion in discretionary defense spending for fiscal year 2021, of which $662.1 billion would go to the base budget and $69 billion to Overseas Contingency Operations. An additional $9 billion in mandatory funding would also be authorized to bring the overall topline authorization to $740.5 billion. A summary of how the various provisions in the conference report impact troops, military families, equipment, the Dept. of Defense (DOD), and various aspects of U.S. defense policy can be found below.

RESOURCES

Troops & Families: This section would fully fund a 3% pay raise for the military, increase hazardous duty pay by 10%, and reauthorize more than 30 types of bonuses and special pay. It would authorize an active-duty end strength of 1,348,375 including 485,900 in the Army; 347,800 in the Navy; 180,000 in the Marine Corps; and 333,475 in the Air Force. The bill would include the Space Force within the Air Force end strength, require the DOD to request a Space Force end strength in the FY2022 budget request, and direct the DOD to provide recommendations on the preferred organizational structure of Space Force reserve components.

This section would also expand the My Career Advancement Account Program, make improvements to the Military Spouse Employment Partnership Program, and allow for the reimbursement of costs incurred to maintain professional licenses and credentials when permanently changing station, including an additional $2.5 million for re-licensing expenses.

Additionally:

Equipment & Construction: The acquisition & modernization of several key defense technologies would be stepped up under this bill, including:

STRATEGIC READINESS

Nuclear Deterrence: This section would fund the sustainment and modernization of the nuclear deterrent, including Nuclear National Security Administration (NNSA) weapons programs and infrastructure; DOD submarines, ballistic and cruise missiles, aircraft, and command and control systems; as well as nuclear non-proliferation activities.

Space: This section would make technical changes needed to continue implementation of the Space Force; continue development of the space technology base including launch vehicles and responsive launch; and authorize increased funding for space domain awareness, launch development, and space-based surveillance capability. The Space Force would continue working with research institutions to establish critical research infrastructure and develop the future workforce.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and service chiefs would be directed to report on the space-related missions and expertise within each service that should remain within each service and whether they require organized or liased Space Force personnel. The transfer of military installations would be prohibited prior to congressional defense committees receiving an analysis from the Secretary of the Air Force.

ADDRESSING THREATS

Russia:

China:

Pacific Deterrence Initiative: This section would establish the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) to send a strong signal to the Chinese Communist Party that America is deeply committed to defending its interests in the Indo-Pacific region. It would authorize $2.2 billion for PDI in FY2021 for missile defense, enhanced forward posture, and improving interoperability with allies & partners. The PDI would specifically aim to:

Missile Defense:

Alliances & Partnerships: This section would aim to develop & strengthen mutually beneficial alliances & partnerships as part of the National Defense Strategy, and would specifically:

MISCELLANEOUS

This legislation is named after House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member William “Mac” Thornberry (R-TX), who is retiring from Congress at the end of this term. Thornberry served as chairman of the committee from 2015-2019 and has been a member of Congress since 1995.

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