Press Release

Today, Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-07) voted for the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA, which passed the House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support and provides the annual budget for the Department of Defense, includes three key amendments authored by Bera.

"Our service members are among the most hardworking and dedicated people our country has to offer, and they deserve our full and unwavering support," said Representative Bera, who serves as Chair of the House of Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation. "That's why I proudly voted to provide a much needed pay raise for our brave men and women in uniform, while equipping them with all the necessary tools to do their jobs safely and effectively. This defense authorization bill also strengthens U.S. national security and our abilities to confront growing threats facing our country at home and abroad, including by addressing strategic challenges posed by China, combatting climate change, improving deterrence against cyberattacks, and reinvigorating our global alliances and partnerships."

The Bera-supported legislation includes several critical provisions, including:

• Providing a 2.7 percent pay increase for U.S. service members; and
• Making historic changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice to better combat sexual assault in the military.

The bipartisan defense bill includes multiple Bera-led amendments, including:

• Authorizing U.S. participation in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a public-private partnership developing vaccines for COVID-19 and other highly infectious pathogens (The House passed in July Rep. Bera's Securing America's From Epidemics Act, authorizing U.S. participation in CEPI);
• Supporting Taiwan's ability to defend against PRC military provocations by further assisting Taiwan's defensive asymmetric capabilities; and
• Requiring the Department of State and Department of Defense to report on the utilization of the Synchronized Predeployment and Operational Tracker (SPOT) data base to help expedite Special Immigrant Visa processing for our Afghan partners and allies.

Since arriving in Congress, Representative Bera has been a strong advocate for our military, service members, and veterans.