Washington, DC– Today, Congressman Donald Norcross joined his colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee to pass H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act for 2016. The bipartisan measure, which the Committee approved by a vote of 60-2 after an 18-hour overnight markup session, authorizes a $612 billion defense budget – including $515 billion for national defense and $89.2 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations. 

“After an 18-hour markup, I am proud to say that our extensive debate and discussion produced a bill that will strengthen our national defense and provide our men and woman in the field with the resources they need to stay safe and protect our freedom,” said Congressman Norcross. “There’s still work to be done, but the budget we passed last night is a necessary and vital first step in continuing support for our joint base, our veterans and our servicemembers here in South Jersey. I’m proud to say that this bill is the product of bipartisan cooperation and compromise and I look forward to helping lead the effort to see it reach the President’s desk if the days ahead.” 

Other FY16 Defense Budget Highlights:

- Prohibits the military from retiring its fleet of KC-10s. Vital to the mission at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and to our national defense, Congressmen Norcross and MacArthur introduced and passed key language that will keep America’s most reliable and proven refueling tanker in operation.

- Prohibits the Department of Defense from conducting an additional round of BRAC, protecting critical joint base operations and thousands of local jobs from the threat closure. 

- Includes $50M for F-16 radar upgrades, supporting critical Air Force missions and operations by Air Force Reserves and Air Force National Guard units like Atlantic City’s 177th Fighter Wing. 

- Includes provisions championed by Congressman Norcross to protect servicemembers from predatory lending practices and preserves certain benefits for servicemembers on travel or temporary assignment. 

As a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Norcross remains committed to ensuring that our veterans and the men and women in our armed forces receive the resources they need. The bill now heads to the full House of Representatives for consideration.