WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) issued the following statement regarding his vote to support final passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

“America’s service members defend our cherished freedoms 365 days a year. With growing threats from abroad, the defense bill gives our military the critical resources it needs to keep us safe.

“We have about 1,500 members of the Wyoming National Guard. Right now, about 400 of them are serving overseas. They have more than earned the significant pay raise included in this bill. We’ve also included funding for important projects at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne.

“This bill also imposes targeted sanctions on those involved in installing Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would carry natural gas from Russia to Germany. Russian President Vladimir Putin uses Russia’s natural gas to extort and threaten our allies and our partners. These sanctions will help stop this pipeline and eliminate Russia’s geopolitical weapon.”

Some key provisions included in NDAA:

• Pay raise of 3.1 percent for members of the armed forces, the largest in a decade.

• F. E. Warren AFB Helicopter Alert Facility – $18 million

• UH-1N Helicopter Replacement Program Air Force Security Forces – $171 million

• Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (Minuteman III Replacement) – $552 million

• Legislation that Barrasso co-sponsored, The Protecting Europe's Energy Security Act, to impose sanctions on those involved in installing Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would carry gas from Russia to Germany.

###