Press Releases

Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) released the following statement after voting for final passage of the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual bill that authorizes defense spending and sets priorities for America’s military:

“Congress has an important duty to ensure America’s military is equipped with the necessary resources to defend our nation while providing support to our service members and their families. This year’s national defense bill delivers on these goals, bolstering defense spending and including a pay raise for our troops, while holding the Biden Administration accountable for its disastrous and incompetent withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“We must also continue to prepare for the future of warfare and combat threats posed by our strategic adversaries, like Russia and China. I’m proud of the work being done in Georgia’s 12^th District to do just that, and this bill secures vital funding for U.S. Army Cyber Command at Fort Gordon and the important missions at the Savannah River Site.

“While Democrats initially injected several controversial provisions such as ‘Red Flag’ laws and a requirement for women to register for the draft, I was glad to see they were ultimately rejected from the final bill. It is important that we never politicize our nation’s military, and in a time of so much divisiveness, I’m pleased to see Congress come together to support the men and women who courageously serve in uniform -- especially on the 80th anniversary of the attack at Pearl Harbor.”

The Fiscal Year 2022 NDAA Conference Report:

• Reverses President Biden’s reckless cuts to our national security by boosting the defense topline by nearly $25 billion, ensuring growth of 5% from FY21.
• Authorizes a 2.7% pay increase for service members and extends military recruitment and retention bonuses and special pay authorities.
• Preserves service members’ free speech rights by protecting them from being punished for political statements on social media accounts.
• Prohibits a dishonorable discharge for service members who refuse a COVID-19 vaccination and requires uniform procedures for vaccine exemptions.
• Focuses investment in new and emerging weapon systems capable of penetrating denied operating environments such as China.
• Authorizes $250 million to conduct counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan and prohibits the Department of Defense (DoD) from providing any financial support to the Taliban.
• Requires the DoD to immediately submit a plan to Congress on how it will support the evacuation of American citizens from Afghanistan, maintain air superiority, conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, and carry out counter-terrorism operations.
• Requires a series of immediate reports to Congress on the following:
• Number of Americans left behind in Afghanistan
• Personally, identifying information and biometrics of Americans now in the hands of the Taliban
• Itemized lists of aircraft, combat vehicles, and other U.S. military equipment left behind
• Threats posed by Al Qaeda and other terrorists operating in Afghanistan
• Strategic impacts of abandoning Bagram Air Base
• Taliban relationship with foreign terrorist organizations
• Security impacts on the Taliban release of terrorist prisoners
• Financial assets and other resources available to the Taliban
• Strengthens Homeland Security by directing additional National Guard resources to the border and requiring an assessment of the impact on military readiness of DoD transporting illegal immigrants.
• Prohibits the transfer of terrorists housed at Guantanamo Bay to any country that is a state sponsor of terrorism.
• Prohibits the use of DoD funds to conduct research, including biomedical, infectious disease, and genomic research in China or with any entity controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.
• Requires DoD and Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to assess the involvement of the Chinese Communist Party in the origins of COVID-19.