Green Bay Reporter

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation, secured major wins in the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed out of the House Armed Services Committee after more than 12 hours of committee deliberation and debate. 

The NDAA is the legislative vehicle that authorizes policies, programs, and spending for the Department of Defense. As a member of House Armed Services Committee and subcommittee chairman, Rep. Gallagher is responsible for helping draft this critical legislation and was able to secure major wins for Northeast Wisconsin and our national defense, specifically in strengthening our cyber security and ability to counter CCP aggression. 

Following the Committee's overwhelming bipartisan vote of 58-1 to advance the FY2024 NDAA, Rep. Gallagher released the following statement. 

"We are in the window of maximum danger when it comes to a potential conflict with China over Taiwan. If we are to deter Xi Jinping and prevent the devastating consequences of war, Congress must come together in bipartisan fashion to combat the Chinese Communist Party's aggression and ensure that the US military has what it needs to deter, and if necessary, fight and win in the 21st century. 

"This year’s NDAA advances these objectives by rejecting the Biden administration’s plan to shrink the Navy, conducting urgently-needed oversight of the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, and enhancing cooperation with Taiwan and our allies across the Indo-Pacific. It modernizes our outdated energetics enterprise to make our missiles a more powerful and credible deterrent and ensures the Secretary of Defense has a plan to develop and utilize these missiles in the Indo-Pacific. It revolutionizes the way the Department of Defense innovates and begins to bridge the valley of death by prioritizing the early adoption and integration of cutting-edge, commercial technology. All the while, it ensures hardworking Wisconsinites continue to play an outsized role in our national defense by fully authorizing funding for two Frigates built at Marinette Marine and supporting Oshkosh's medium and heavy tactical vehicles.

"This year’s NDAA also includes many of the recommendations that the Select Committee on the CCP adopted in an overwhelming and bipartisan fashion in our Ten for Taiwan report last month. We must put hard power in Xi Jinping’s path before it is too late, and this NDAA is a critical step in that direction."

The bill included a number of provisions benefitting Wisconsin and supporting new innovation in the military, including:

• The authorization of over $2 billion for Marinette to build two Frigates;
• Full support for the Family of Medium and Heavy Tactical Vehicles;
• Elevation of the Defense Innovation Unit within the Department of Defense and the introduction of a new, innovative fielding enterprise focused on bringing non-traditional vendors into the armed services to strengthen our warfighting capabilities;
• A Joint Transition Office for Energetic Materials to modernize and accelerate the development and scaling of advanced materials to make our missiles a more capable and powerful deterrence;
•  A reinvention of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering into an innovation-focused enterprise known as the Under Secretary of Defense for Science and Innovation Integration, which would help bring 21st-century technology from across the country and Northeast Wisconsin into the Armed Services;
• The institution of a pilot program for Anything-as-a-Service model to promote competition in and expansion of the defense industry and to continuously improve buying practices to bring costs down; 
• The requirement for a continuous analysis of key INDOPACOM systems’ supply chains and recommendations to ensure we are capable of supporting our priority theater’s needs in the industrial base;
• The reconstitution of the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Fund to meet the needs of the Armed Services to refill munitions stockpiles, scale innovative, commercially available goods, and provide urgent operational infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific; and 
• The creation of an opportunity for military servicemembers to better understand the National Defense Strategy and the mission they are serving as our nation’s defenders.

The bill also includes several China-related provisions led by Rep. Gallagher, including a number of items relating to the work of the Select Committee on the CCP and its Ten for Taiwan report in particular, such as:

• The requirement for an independent assessment of DoD’s implementation of the Pacific Deterrence Initiative;
• A report on the implementation of Sec. 1087 of the FY 2023 NDAA and the requirements for a persistent Joint Task Force or Joint Force Headquarters responsible for the operational employment of forces in the Western Pacific; 
• A requirement for the Secretary of Defense to engage the Ministry of Defense of Taiwan to strengthen military cybersecurity cooperation;
• Congressional oversight to ensure the speedy implementation of a plan to fulfill the defensive requirements of Taiwan;
• The requirement for a conventional ground-based missile deployment strategy in the Indo-Pacific; 
• A prohibition on DoD utilizing from utilizing consulting services from firms that engage in “double dipping” by also consulting with the People’s Liberation Army or affiliated entities;
• A requirement for an independent “building block” based assessment of the PRC defense budget to accurately assess overall PRC defense spending;
• A requirement for a plan to integrate the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) with legacy aircraft fleets like the B-52 to enhance the ability of existing platforms to sink PLA ships;
• Congressional oversight to promote the Deployable Air Base System’s ability to support the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment concept in the Indo-Pacific, facilitating the rapid deployment and dispersal of Air Force assets in the event of a conflict;
• The enhancement of Taiwan’s resiliency and security by promoting defense cooperation with US partners facing similar security challenges; and
• Support for the role of unmanned aerial, surface, and subsurface vehicles in strengthening deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.

Rep. Gallagher also worked with Select Committee Republicans on amendments that would: 

• Sunset DoD waivers for the continued operation of Confucius Institutes by the end of Fiscal Year 2026; and
• Counter the threat posed by the LOGINK logistics management platform at home and abroad.

 Issues: Cybersecurity Foreign Policy and National Security National Defense

Original source can be found here.