2 NJ Congress Members Vote Against US Military Budget Increase

NEW JERSEY — All but two of New Jersey’s Congress members voted in favor of hiking the U.S. military budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a margin of 316-113.

The annual bill – which has become a popular venue for attaching amendments – outlines the annual budget for the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal military spending. The NDAA topline for FY 2022 is $778 billion, a 5 percent increase from last year’s figure.

The U.S. Senate still needs to pass its own version; the two chambers will then iron out the differences in the coming months, and send the final version to the desk of President Joe Biden. Separate appropriations bills with matching dollar figures must also be passed for the increases to become a reality.

This year, there were two House members from New Jersey who voted “no” on the NDAA: Bonnie Watson Coleman (12th district) and Frank Pallone (6th district), both Democrats. The full list included:

• Donald Norcross - YES
• Jeff Van Drew - YES
• Andy Kim - YES
• Chris Smith - YES
• Josh Gottheimer - YES
• Frank Pallone - NO
• Tom Malinowski - YES
• Albio Sires - YES
• Bill Pascrell - YES
• Donald Payne Jr. - YES
• Mikie Sherrill - YES
• Bonnie Watson Coleman – NO

The latest bill supports a military spending limit about $24 billion beyond what President Biden’s administration requested in May. The hike was backed earlier this month by the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, which includes Rep. Sherrill, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot.

• See related article: Rep. Mikie Sherrill Of NJ Votes To Hike US Military Budget

The overwhelming support among both Democrats and Republicans for this year's plan didn't come as a surprise to many; Congress has passed the NDAA for nearly 60 years in a row.

Last year, all of New Jersey’s House members voted in favor of the NDAA, except Rep. Coleman. Read More: See How NJ Congress Members Voted On US Military Funding Bill In 2021

“Our military must contend with emerging global threats in a rapidly changing world, and this package will help them do so,” Rep. Sherrill said after Thursday’s vote in the House.

The congresswoman pointed out that the NDAA has several elements that will benefit New Jersey, including the U.S. Army Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, the largest employer in her home district.

According to Sherrill, provisions for the arsenal include:

• Additional $10 million for Machine Learning for Army Integrated Fires
• Additional $5 million for Novel Printed Armaments Components
• Additional $5 million for Turret Gunner Survivability and Simulation Environment
• Full funding for the Next Generation Squad Weapon
• Full ($31,623,000) funding the Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon
• Full funding for weapons and munitions development
• Full funding for conventional munitions research
• $117 million above the president’s budget for procurement of Army ammunition
• "Robust support" for the extended range cannon artillery program

Sherrill said the NDAA contains other notable items, such as:

• Measures that would aid the effort to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
• Increases in funding to mitigate traumatic brain injury and PTSD among our special forces
• Provisions that strengthen our strategic plans to address threats posed by China and Russia
• Provisions that strengthen and expand our domestic supply base
• Extensions to US support for our partners in Iraq and Syria to fight ISIS
• Creation of a commission to examine the 20-year war in Afghanistan
• “Robust oversight” over the final months of the war in Afghanistan

Another key amendment would require women to register with the Selective Service System for any possible military draft.

Rep. Malinowski said the NDAA will give a salary increase to U.S. troops, while also holding the nation’s “adversaries” accountable for human rights abuses, including incidents in Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia.

“This year’s NDAA solidifies America's global leadership and sends a clear message that America will not stand with those who repress their people and violate basic human rights,” Malinowski said. “I am proud to lead the fight in strengthening national security at home and abroad, and I look forward to seeing this bill pass through the Senate in a bipartisan manner.”

Despite his "no" vote on the bill, Pallone also noted that it contained an amendment he authored to help prevent human rights abuses.

Some New Jersey advocates have argued that increasing the military budget is irresponsible – especially in light of financial strains caused by the coronavirus pandemic – and would rather see taxpayer money spent on social programs or infrastructure improvements.

"There are over 800 U.S. bases around the globe," a group of anti-war activists said last year. "And yet in America on average every minute four people are served with eviction judgments, 30 million have no access to health care, $1.5 trillion is owed in suffocating student loan debt, and 63 percent of the population cannot afford a $500 emergency repair."

• See related article: Protesters Plan Rally In NJ: 'End Wars, Cut Military Budget'

Other critics of this year’s NDAA have included the conservative House Freedom Caucus, which argued that it gives a "blank check" to the Biden administration in the wake of the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal, CNN reported.

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