See How NJ Congress Members Voted On US Military Funding Bill

NEW JERSEY — A massive, $740.5 billion military funding plan got a thumbs-up from almost every member of the U.S. House of Representatives in New Jersey.

On Tuesday, the House voted to approve the final version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a margin of 335-78, more than the two-thirds of the number required to override a potential veto.

The overwhelming support among both Democrats and Republicans for this year’s spending plan didn’t come as a surprise. Congress has passed the NDAA for nearly 60 years in a row, which has become a popular venue for lawmakers to attach additional amendments.

In New Jersey, every member of the House voted in favor of the bill, except Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (12th District), who voted no.

The yes votes came from Reps. Donald Norcross, Jeff Van Drew, Andy Kim, Chris Smith, Josh Gottheimer, Frank Pallone, Tom Malinowski, Albio Sires, Bill Pascrell, Donald Payne Jr. and Mikie Sherrill.

The compromised version of the bill now goes to the Senate for a final vote, and if approved, to the desk of President Donald Trump.

When the Senate passed an initial version of the spending plan in July, Sen. Robert Menendez voted yes, and Sen. Cory Booker voted no.

Trump, meanwhile, has said he will veto the bill unless it repeals so-called Section 230, a part of the communications code that shields Twitter, Facebook and other tech giants from content liability. Trump also wants Congress to strip out a provision of the bill that allows renaming of military bases that now honor Confederate leaders.

The bill would also take steps to slow or block Trump’s planned drawdown of American troops from Germany and Afghanistan, and would make it more difficult for the president to deploy military personnel to the southern border, The New York Times reported.

Congressional leaders, many from the Republican Party, vowed to move ahead on the bill, which affirms automatic, 3 percent pay raises for U.S. troops and authorizes other military programs, despite the president’s veto threat. READ MORE: House Approves Defense Bill Despite Trump's Veto Threat

Despite the overwhelming support from New Jersey’s congressional members, some Garden State residents have criticized the size of the military budget, insisting that the funds would be better spent on social services.

“There are over 800 U.S. bases around the globe,” a group of anti-war activists said last week. “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'

‘PERSISTENT, CREDIBLE THREATS’

The spending plan got statements of support from several of New Jersey’s congress members, some of whom pointed out that the bill contains items dedicated to COVID-19 relief.

Rep. Gottheimer (District 5) said this year’s spending plan was a “strong, bipartisan defense bill” that will help equip and prepare U.S. service members.

“I’ll continue working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support our active duty military, combat terrorism and violent extremism, strengthen America’s national security, and help protect our communities from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Gottheimer said.

“We live in an uncertain world with persistent, credible threats to our nation and our democracy,” said Rep. Norcross (District 1). “So it’s more important than ever that we support our men and women in uniform and ensure the readiness and modernization of our nation’s armed forces, while spending our valuable resources wisely.”

Norcross said New Jersey and the Delaware Valley are home to several defense facilities and industries that provide high-tech jobs and play an important role in national security.

The congressman said:

“I worked alongside Reps. Andy Kim (District 3) and Mikie Sherrill (District 11) to provide continued support for the vital missions and groundbreaking work being performed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and Picatinny Arsenal, industrial base sites like Ridley Park’s Chinook helicopter facility, the ongoing defense research at Rowan University, and shipbuilding efforts at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, which are all strategically critical to both our national security and New Jersey’s economy. Notably, we included one of my top priorities for our national defense and regional economy, which is to ensure the KC-10 aircraft refueling tanker fleet is not retired prematurely, so the service men and women at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst can continue carrying out their critical missions as planned, while preparing for delivery of the new KC-46s.”

Rep. Kim said the bill “delivers for service members” and “strengthens national defense.”

Rep. Sherrill, a former helicopter pilot for the U.S. Navy, also had high praise for this year’s spending plan.

“The NDAA contains key provisions that bolster our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, shore up our small businesses, and protect our country’s critical technological advantages,” Sherrill said.

Some of the provisions in the bill will benefit her home district, Sherrill pointed out.

“Picatinny Arsenal, located in the 11th District of New Jersey, is a premier center of the military’s innovation and modernization of armaments and ammunition and a critical player in the development of next-generation technology for the Department of Defense,” Sherrill said.

The facility is the 11th District’s largest employer and contributes more than $1 billion to New Jersey’s economy, Sherrill said.

This year’s NDAA will boost the arsenal in several ways, she said:

• Extends the location adjustment to compensate for the increased building expense in Northern New Jersey
• Authorizes study on optimizing the department’s explosive ordnance disposal, building on Picatinny Arsenal’s construction of a $41 million EOD facility
• $5 million for the development of polymer-case ammunition, which will ease the burden on our warfighters and is being developed in conjunction with labs at Picatinny Arsenal
• $65.5 million for Long Range Precision Fires technology
• Language recognizing the importance of long-range artillery and shoring up the cannon tube industrial base
• $45 million to develop long-range precision munitions

The bill will also include millions to help create manufacturing and research jobs in the 11th District, Sherrill said. Provisions include:

• $10 million in additional funding for additive manufacturing and 3-D printing crucial components
• $112 million for long-range, anti-ship missiles
• $10 million in additional funding for development of the hypervelocity projectile being developed in conjunction with Picatinny Arsenal
• Strengthening the National Security Launch Agreement system, to the benefit of suppliers in NJ-11

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