Ricketts Celebrates Signing of Defense Bill into Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) recognized President Trump’s signing of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law. The NDAA authorizes funding levels and authorities for the U.S. military. This ensures American forces have the tools they need to carry out their missions.
“The United States must deter Communist China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea,” said Senator Ricketts. “By restoring peace through strength, this NDAA will help us deter our adversaries and keep Americans safe. The NDAA also delivers for Nebraska. It authorizes key funding to provide our servicemembers with the capabilities needed to keep Nebraskans safe. I appreciate Senator Deb Fischer and Congressman Don Bacon’s leadership on the Armed Services Committees. Together, we’re ensuring our military has what it needs to defend us.”
Nebraska-Specific Wins:
- Requires the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program to begin being fielded by Sept. 30, 2033;
- Authorizes $11 million to support the Nuclear Command, Control, Communications (NC3) Network Sensor Demonstration at Offutt Air Force Base;
- Authorizes $15 million to support the innovative NC3 Rapid Engineering Architecture Collaboration Hub program, or REACH, at Offutt Air Force Base;
- Authorizes $40 million for the design of hangars and other facilities for the Survivable Airborne Operation Center (SAOC), which will replace the aging E-4B Nightwatch planes at Offutt Air Force Base;
- Codifies a requirement for deep cleaning of ICBM launch control centers every five years;
- Designates STRATCOM’s Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (JEMSO) office as the lead entity for coordinating testing and evaluation of joint employment of Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) technologies;
- Directs a report on the 557th Weather Wing’s cloud migration, AI readiness, and infrastructure modernization roadmap;
- Codifies the 557th Weather Wing’s authorities to provide meteorological and environmental services to the Intelligence Community;
- Requires CFIUS to report on real estate transactions of national security threats, which helps to target Communist China’s malign activities in the U.S. and near critical military sites across the nation.
Wins in the NDAA:
- Authorizes $900.6 billion for national defense next year;
- Gives a 3.8% pay raise to our servicemembers;
- Authorizes over $4 billion in funding for modernizing our nuclear triad, including the Sentinel ICBM program;
- Includes the Ricketts-sponsored AUKUS Improvement Act, which streamlines defense industrial base collaboration and co-production between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom;
- Includes the Ricketts-supported COUNTER Act, which combats Communist China’s attempts to strengthen its global reach through military expansion;
- Included in the NDAA joint explanatory statement are elements of Senator Ricketts’ THINK TWICE Act, including a requirement for a strategy and report on arms sales of the People’s Republic of China.
Ricketts’ AUKUS Improvement Act:
- Exempts Australia and the UK from requiring an export license to retransfer technology and military kit, purchased via Foreign Military Sales or cooperative programs, to a U.S.-vetted AUKUS Authorized User.
- This would enhance Australia’s ability to support U.S. deterrence efforts in the Indo-Pacific, as well as expedite Australian industry participation in and contribution to the American Submarine Industrial Base
- Ensures that defense exports exempted under AUKUS are exempt from Congressional Notification requirements, including those for overseas manufacturing.
- This will simplify, expedite and make cheaper co-production cooperation with Australia, which will both supplement and complement vulnerabilities in the US industrial base.