U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Corona) praised the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which recently passed the House of Representatives with a bipartisan majority, because of its funding for the Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program.
The APFIT program aims to help the U.S. military retain and develop a technological edge on the battlefield.
“With the passage of the NDAA, Congress has once again sent a strong bipartisan message that we will and must invest in our pressing national security priorities in order to confront a rising China and emerging threats around the globe,” Calvert said in a press release from his office after the bill passed the House recently. “Congress and taxpayers simply can’t afford to throw money blindly at outdated and unnecessary processes and programs.”
He also applauded the bill for ending the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
“It’s become clear that this mandate was doing far more harm than good, including a negative effect on recruitment,” Calvert said.
Besides rescinding the COVID-19 vaccination mandate where applicable for active and reserve military personnel, the bill authorizes a 4.6% pay increase for service members and also looks to increase support for Ukraine and NATO, a CNN report said.
The NDAA is now in the Senate. If it is passed there, it will head to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.
Calvert was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992 and has represented California’s 42nd Congressional District since 2013, a Ballotpedia report said.