WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) today voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation, which passed the Senate by a vote of 89-8, authorizes funding for the U.S. military and our national security through Fiscal Year 2018.

“This bill is one of the most critical pieces of legislation we can pass as a Congress,” said Roberts. “The NDAA provides funding to improve military readiness and for programs to protect this nation from the many threats we face. This bill also includes a pay raise for our service members and upgrades necessary to rebuild and modernize for future challenges. Lastly, it again includes a provision I have long fought for to prohibit any administration from transferring terrorists at Guantanamo Bay to the U.S. mainland. The U.S. has the greatest fighting force in the world, and this bill is critical to ensuring our military can fulfill its mission.”

The NDAA has been passed consecutively for 55 years to authorize funding for the Department of Defense and related programs. This year’s bill provides authorization funding through Fiscal Year 2018. It includes a 2.1 percent pay increase for military personnel and continued reform of the military health system. It provides for next-generation technology, protections against cyber warfare, reduces redundancy and promotes oversight in programs, allows for greater end-strength and preparedness in the military, and authorizes research and development aimed to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons.

The legislation also includes a prohibition of the use of funds for the transfer or release of individuals detained at Guantanamo Bay to certain countries or anywhere on the U.S. mainland. Roberts led the charge in the Senate against the Obama administration’s attempts to close Guantanamo Bay and transfer the prisoners to the U.S. mainland, in particular Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, a site that was surveyed during the Obama administration. Although President Obama’s plans were never realized, Roberts continues to fight any move of detainees to the U.S. mainland.

The legislation passed out of the Senate Armed Services Committee unanimously earlier this year. For a summary of the provisions included in the bill, go here.

Senator Roberts is the most senior Marine in the Congress. He was Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence from 2003-2007 and is a former member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

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