HOUSE ARMED SERVICES MEMBER REP. SCOTT DESJARLAIS ADVANCES U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY IN 2019 DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Congressman Scott DesJarlais, M.D., who represents the Aerospace and Defense Technology Corridor in Tennessee’s Fourth District, focused on nuclear security and advanced weapons development in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which the House Armed Services Committee passed early this morning on a bipartisan basis. The latest NDAA sets national defense policy and is Rep. DesJarlais’ second since joining the Committee in the 115^th Congress.

    He is a member of the Subcommittees on Seapower and Projection Forces, as well as Readiness, overseeing many long-range weapons systems and training for troops, their housing, facilities and other services, including for their families. His constituents work at Arnold Air Force Base, Fort Campbell, Redstone Arsenal, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and more military and civilian research locations in Tennessee and neighboring states.

    “The aerospace and defense industry, both military and commercial, is an important national security asset and jobs generator in our region,” said Rep. DesJarlais (TN-04). “Tennesseans in specialized fields are building next-generation rockets and aircraft, while others defending our country abroad are exploiting their high-tech inventions. Improving their safety and economic wellbeing are my responsibilities in Congress.”

    Committee members approved Rep. DesJarlais’ bill language to increase funding for hypersonic fight research at Arnold Air Force Base, the center of a nationwide research and testing network, the Arnold Engineering Development Complex. The University of Tennessee Space Institute in Tullahoma is involved. The Russian government recently showcased its hypersonic missile technology, and China is rapidly developing hypersonic weapons of its own.

    Members also approved the Congressman’s amendment to enforce another he championed last year. That amendment required the National Nuclear Security Administration to identify funding and capability shortfalls at the Y-12 nuclear facility near Oak Ridge, among others.  Yet another amendment would help to ensure Russia fulfills its obligations under an arms control treaty with the United States.

    Rep. DesJarlais praised President Donald Trump for his efforts to counter adversaries’ weapons programs: “We’re working together, along with Defense Secretary James Mattis, to modernize the U.S. nuclear enterprise and reduce the risk that foreign threats acquire or deploy destructive capabilities. This defense authorization, when it becomes law, will help us to fulfill our promise to Make America Secure Again.”

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