Casten Votes to Strengthen National Security
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, bipartisan defense legislation that strengthens America’s security and meets the needs of our servicemembers, veterans and military families.
"I am proud to have voted to pass the NDAA, which makes essential investments in our service members, innovation and technology, and allied partners,” said Rep. Sean Casten. “Our service members and their families sacrifice so we can enjoy our freedoms, and we must do everything we can to ensure they are supported and have the resources they need to succeed.
“While I am pleased the NDAA includes provisions to reduce our reliance on Russian fossil fuel energy as well as promote the use of sustainable aviation fuel, so long as the Department of Defense remains the single largest institutional consumer of fossil fuels, our pro-climate efforts are woefully insufficient if we hope to leave a livable planet behind for our children.
“When we invest in what makes America strong – from our technology to our alliances to our men and women in uniform – we make our nation safer and stronger. The security of our country should not be a partisan issue and I'm pleased my colleagues in the House passed this necessary National Defense Authorization."
Key Provisions in NDAA for FY 2023
General
- Raise basic military pay for servicemembers and provides an inflation bonus for members making less than $45,000.
- Fully fund the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) budget request and invest in additional capabilities that support deterrence in the European Command area of operations, totaling $4.6 billion for EDI purposes.
- Include $1 billion for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which provides support and assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces — an increase of $700 million above the budget request.
- Reaffirm the commitment to Afghan citizens who, at great personal risk, supported U.S. operations in Afghanistan by extending the authorization of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program.
- Advance workers’ rights for businesses that wish to contract with the DoD.
- Help mitigate and prevent civilian harm in the course of military operations.
Climate Related
- Require DoD to implement a program to track and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the DoD supply chain, a priority Rep. Casten has advocated for.
- Combat reliance on Russian energy by requiring all main operating bases in the U.S. European Command area of responsibility to adopt installation energy plans to increase energy resiliency and sustainability in order to reduce reliance on Russian energy and sets a DoD goal of eliminating their use of Russian energy entirely.
- Require the DoD to create a pilot program to collaborate with civilian airfields on the use of sustainable aviation fuel in military aircraft.
- Require the DoD to promulgate a policy to increase the recycling of advanced batteries to address rare and strategic mineral shortages.
- Expand DoD train-and-equip authority to build partner capacity to include counter-illicit trafficking operations and operations or activities to enhance climate resiliency.
- Further restrict DoD’s allowable uses for the toxic Poly-fluoro alkali substances (PFAS), and instructs the development of water quality criteria for PFAS contamination in our waterways.
- Help protect communities across the country by improving Federal Emergency Management Agency's preparation for, and response to, climate disasters.
- Require that facility construction plans for parking provide electric vehicle charging capability for at least 15% of motor vehicles to be parked at the facility.
- Express a sense of Congress that the Department of Defense should select electric or zero-emission models when purchasing new, non-combat vehicles.
Since coming to Congress, Rep. Casten has been a strong advocate of the DoD adopting climate and clean energy measures that protect our national security. He introduced the Depend on Domestic Clean Energy Act with Senator Tammy Duckworth and Rep. Jason Crow, which would help protect our troops abroad by transitioning the Department of Defense away from fossil fuels, the transportation of which in combat zones contributes to a significant number of U.S. casualties, and towards clean energy.
Last year, Rep. Casten’s amendment to require 10% of existing and future military installations to reach net zero emissions by 2035 was signed into law by President Biden as part of the NDAA for FY 2022.
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