Dreier Hails Passage of Legislation to Support Our Troops

September 29, 2006

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman David Dreier (R-San Dimas, CA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, voted today to support our men and women in the military and their efforts to defend our nation. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 Conference Report, H.R. 5122, was approved with overwhelming bipartisan support 398-23.

"Everyone in uniform defending our nation, whether they are here at home or on the front lines, deserves our praise and support. Our troops have proven both brave and effective, and this bill lets them stay on the offense for the sake of our national security," said Dreier. "We have upheld our commitment to the men and women who sacrifice for our safety by passing a military pay raise and providing more funding for force protection and new equipment. This bill gives our military the tools they need to fight and win the war on terror."

The National Defense Authorization Act sets the policies, programs and funding levels for the nation’s military. This includes everything from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, to global counter-terrorism efforts, to domestic and worldwide humanitarian disaster response. The Act authorizes a total of $532.8 billion in budget authority for the Department of Defense and the national security programs of the Department of Energy. The Act provides additional funding for force protection, such as armored Humvees with IED protection. Active duty personnel increases of 30,000 for the Army and 5,000 for the Marines were also authorized. In addition to blocking fee increases for certain military health programs, H.R. 5122 provides a 2.2 percent pay raise for all members of the armed forces.

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