U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-39) supported the bipartisan FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to equip the Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. military with the resources to keep our nation safe.
Included as bipartisan amendments in the final package were:
- The Arms Exports Delivery Solutions Act (H.R. 8259), a bipartisan bill led by Rep. Kim to track delivery of U.S. defense equipment already sold to support Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific allies; and,
- The Divided Families Reunification Act (H.R. 826), a bipartisan bill Rep. Kim helped introduce with Reps. Grace Meng (NY-06) and
- Van Taylor (TX-03) to prioritize reuniting Korean Americans with their family members in North Korea.
“American peace, prosperity and strength require a strong national defense equipped with the proper training, support and equipment needed to meet global challenges wherever they find us – on land, at sea, in the air, in space or cyberspace. Today’s NDAA helps us support our troops and protect our national security at home and abroad,” said Rep. Kim. “As we face growing aggression from adversaries like China, Russia and Iran, the need for a capable, modernized military is more important than ever. I will always stand with the brave men and women who keep America safe.”
On her Arms Exports Delivery Solutions Act, Rep. Kim added, “Authoritarian regimes that want to destroy our democratic values and way of life are emboldened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As Putin invades Ukraine, Xi eyes Taiwan. We do not have the luxury of time to keep promises we made to our allies, which is why we must address backlogged arms sales and ensure efficient delivery of U.S. defense equipment already sold to Taiwan and other Indo Pacific allies. The Arms Exports Delivery Solutions Act will do exactly that. I will continue to work on policies that help the United States lead from a position of strength.”
On the Divided Families Reunification Act, Rep. Kim continued, “As a Korean American who grew up in South Korea in the aftermath of the Korean War, I understand and have great empathy for Korean Americans’ continued separation from their families in North Korea. That is why I have been pushing for family reunifications since before my time in Congress. I am thrilled we can finally get this done as time is running out to make these reunifications a reality.”
The NDAA supports our men and women in uniform by:
- Addressing the impacts of inflation by increasing military basic pay by 4.6% for service members, the highest pay raise in over 20 years, and allowing for additional assistance toward to housing, childcare and other costs;
- Expanding promotion of childcare assistance programs;
- Developing a curriculum for civilian mental health providers to help provide support to meet the unique needs of Armed Forces and their families;
- Enabling the DoD to invest in research and development of new technologies in support of its mission;
- Strengthening cyber capabilities and increasing support for cyber operators;
- Repealing the vaccine mandate required of service members; and,
- Increasing oversight of our efforts to support Ukraine and Asian-Pacific allies.
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