WYRZ.org 98.9 WYRZ – The Voice of Hendricks County
WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Dan Coats (R-Ind.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today voted for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), bipartisan legislation that establishes the budget and policies for the Department of Defense. The bipartisan bill passed the Senate 85 to 13.
“The federal government’s first responsibility is to protect and defend the United States of America,” said Coats. “This bipartisan legislation that will fund our troops and ensure that the United States military is ready and able to show strength around the globe, including combating the present and growing threat of ISIL. The legislation will make much-needed reforms to the organization of the Department of Defense, the defense acquisition system and our military health system.”
The final package included a provision introduced by Coats that would require a report to study the feasibility of opening military pilot positions to warrant officers. Presently, warrant officers can fly U.S. Army helicopters, while only commissioned officers may serve as pilots in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force.
Congress has passed the NDAA for 54 consecutive years.
