December 16th, 2022 by WCBC Radio

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) voted to pass the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the Senate, which included critical investments in Maryland military installations and key legislative priorities that the Senator fought for, as well as a 4.6 percent pay raise for military and Department of Defense (DoD) civilian employees. Among others, the Senator secured provisions of two bills he authored to provide a major infrastructure update to Maryland’s Coast Guard Yard and to increase funding for HBCUs and MSIs. Having passed the House last week, the annual defense bill now goes to President Biden to be signed into law.

 

“This year’s defense bill supports our service members, bolsters our security both at home and abroad, and advances important defense projects across our state. For Maryland – which is the proud home of tens of thousands of military members and civilian employees as well as critical military installations – this legislation invests over $800 million in those assets and ensures they can be ready to address the challenges of today and tomorrow, while promoting important priorities like our Coast Guard Yard’s modernization, our water infrastructure and coastal resilience, and strengthening the research capabilities of our HBCUs. Additionally, this bill will improve the quality of life of the people who support our nation’s defense through a 4.6 percent pay raise and investments in their health and child care benefits. And this legislation includes vital improvements to our military justice system that we’ve been fighting to enact for years. Like any bill, this package isn’t perfect, but overall I believe it will meaningfully advance our national security goals, support our defense workforce, and invest in crucial priorities for our state. I’m glad we came together in support of our men and women in uniform to send this bill to the President for signature,” said Senator Van Hollen.