Representative Mike Garcia voted in favor of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed the House today.

Garcia said the following after the passage of this legislation:

“While not perfect, I voted in support of the FY2023 NDAA which will fund critical weapons programs to support our military and stay ahead of an aggressive China. This legislation did not go far enough to provide adequate pay and benefits for our troops, but this bill is still good for our country and our district in the long-term. The NDAA will directly impact our community, bringing jobs and development to our district and the defense sector. I am also encouraged by the bill’s termination of the COVID vaccine mandate for military servicemembers. This mandate was unconstitutional from the start and led to many discharges for heroic servicemembers in our military,” said Garcia. “I am also proud to have secured an earmark that will support the College of the Canyons with $2 million for training critical skillsets for those entering the aerospace and defense sector in our district.”

The FY2023 NDAA includes funding for several programs that will bring jobs and billions of dollars in economic impact to the district. The following was included in the bill:

• $20,170,000 for the U-2 Dragon program
• $584,192,000 to fund three MQ-4 Tritons
• $1,786,596,000 in funding for the B-21 Raider program
• $3,614,290,000 for the GBSD program
• $756,865,000 for eight F/A-18 strike fighter jets
• $524,661,000 for thirty-five Apache helicopters
• Funding for thirty-eight F-35 planes
• Full funding for critical classified programs

Representative Garcia continues to be outspoken in support of a military servicemember pay raise, necessary to make the equivalent of at least $15 an hour ($31,200 annually). The FY2023 NDAA includes a 4.6% pay raise for the military, however this raise is meager considering the current 8% inflationary rate.

“There is still work to be done to address the strike-fighter shortfall, provide servicemembers the pay and benefits they deserve, and reinstate the pay and benefits for all those discharged from the military for refusing to receive the COVID vaccine. However, the programs funded in this bill are critical to our collective and national security, which led to my support of the legislation,” said Garcia.