Washington, DC— Today , Navy veteran and Vice Chair of the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) , participated in the committee mark-up of the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023, advancing the final bill out of committee. The NDAA is critical bipartisan legislation that Congress authors each year to establish defense priorities, make organizational shifts to military posture, and provide guidance on how military funding can be spent. This year’s bill also includes critical efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions, develop new and sustainable fuels, and protect our environment.

The House of Representatives will now bring the NDAA to the floor for a vote.

“North Jersey plays a critical and strategic role in America’s national defense and security,” said Rep. Sherrill. “As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am proud to advocate for major investments in our defense capabilities, including the critical research and development work at Picatinny Arsenal, as well as support for our brave servicemembers and their families. With this year’s NDAA, we are also combating the urgent security threat of climate change by bolstering development of clean energy, reducing our reliance on foreign oil, and cleaning up PFAS, or ‘forever chemical,’ contamination. 

“I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to shepherd the Committee-reported bill through the legislative process — cementing these wins for NJ-11 and our country.”

The NDAA also includes provisions that will strengthen Picatinny Arsenal, one of the largest employers in NJ-11, and support the work conducted there. Rep. Sherrill championed additional funding for the following programs: 

Climate change poses immediate risks to our nation and our national security, having broad and costly impacts on the way the U.S. military carries out its missions. Rep. Sherrill ensured inclusion of key priorities to combat the effects of climate change, including:

Mitigating climate change and achieving energy security here at home go hand-in-hand. Rep. Sherrill was proud to support significant reforms to reduce our reliance on foreign energy – including a provision that would direct the Defense Department to eliminate any reliance on Russian-produced energy. 

Rep. Sherrill offered and successfully secured inclusion of 12 amendments to the NDAA, including:

The NDAA supports servicemembers, veterans, and their families, by:

Other notable items in the NDAA include: 

Rep. Sherrill is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the Navy for almost 10 years as a helicopter pilot and Russian policy officer. As a Russian policy officer, she worked on the implementation of our nuclear treaty obligations and oversaw the relationship between the U.S. Navy and Russian Federation Navy. She now serves on the House Armed Services Committee, where she serves on the Tactical Air and Land Forces and Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittees.