News

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) applauded the Senate’s passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, which supports a total of $750 billion in funding for our national defense, provides for a 3.1 percent pay raise — the largest in a decade — for uniformed service members, prioritizes investments in research and engineering, invests the necessary resources to achieve the goals in the most recent National Defense Strategy, and authorizes more than $1.27 billion in funding for Tyndall Air Force Base to continue reconstruction following Hurricane Michael’s devastation. The bill also includes several provisions aimed at addressing the military housing situation including the creation of a Military Tenant Bill of Rights, increased oversight and a fair dispute resolution process for military tenants.
 
The FY20 NDAA includes a Rubio led provision that recognizes the need to rebuild Tyndall and ensure it is the next generation installation that our military deserves. The legislation also includes the bipartisan Fentanyl Sanctions Act, introduced by Rubio and his colleagues to provide the U.S. Government with tools and resources to punish illicit fentanyl traffickers in China, Mexico, and other countries, and to hold accountable the Chinese government and other nations who fail to stop these trafficking networks.
 
“At a time when hostile forces and enemy nations pose serious threats to the United States and our allies, it is critical that our men and women in uniform have the resources, tools, and capabilities they need to defend our nation,” Rubio said. “The FY20 NDAA authorizes funding for our national defense and prioritizes critical investments in research and engineering at a time when our competitors and adversaries are ramping up their capabilities. Importantly, the bill authorizes critical investments for Florida, including more than $1.27 billion for Tyndall Air Force Base, which suffered serious damage as a result of Hurricane Michael’s devastation.
 
“This is one step closer to marking the 59^th consecutive year in which Congress has fulfilled its constitutional responsibility to ensure the defense of our nation against those whose sole pursuit is to extinguish the light of freedom-seeking people,” Rubio continued. “This year’s NDAA prioritizes our troops and their families, as well as the modernization of our forces to guarantee that the United States never enters a fair fight. Congress must make clear to the world that our troops will never be outgunned or outmaneuvered, and that this great nation will always protect its citizens.”
 
The 2020 NDAA authorizes critical funding for Florida:
 

• More than $1.27 billion for military construction for Tyndall Air Force Base
• $217 million for eight military construction projects, including $25 million for Panama City’s National Guard Readiness Center

 
The legislation as passed includes the following key amendments supported by Rubio:
 

• Banning the purchase of subway cars, other passenger railcars, and transit buses from Chinese state-owned, controlled or subsidized enterprises, with limited exception;
• The Fentanyl Sanctions Act, which provides the U.S. Government with tools and resources to punish illicit fentanyl traffickers in China, Mexico, and other countries, and to hold accountable the Chinese government and other nations who fail to stop these trafficking networks;
• Requiring the Secretary of Defense to submit a report on all contracts involving entities owned or operated by or affiliated with the Government of the People’s Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party;
• Improving the Network for Manufacturing Innovation Program and the Regional Innovation Program; and
• The HAVEN Act, which would protect the economic security and well-being of veterans and their families who rely on disability benefits and may be experiencing financial hardship.